Are You An Offline Or Online Classic Car Enthusiast?
Over the last few years, the classic car industry has changed considerably in one main way – and that’s how classic car enthusiasts discuss their favourite subject and grow their collections, something that’s due purely to the internet.
Making it possible for someone in Shanghai to chat to someone in Sunderland about a Ford Anglia – and even sell one to them! – in many ways the internet has revolutionised the classic car industry and made it much more open and accessible.
But as with all such industries that have been affected by the internet, we’re seeing more and more people leaving the online world behind to try and find gems of classic cars offline, the traditional way.
It’s very much like buying music on vinyl. Technology developed considerably in a relatively short space of time and it became possible to store your entire vinyl collection on a tiny hard drive – yet people still continued to buy vinyl and we’re now going through a resurgence, as more and more bands and artists are releasing their latest material on vinyl.
In some ways, it’s understandable that classic car enthusiasts are reverting back to the more traditional ways, as generally speaking, you’ll be able to find more of a bargain offline than you will online.
This is due to the fact that everyone can essentially view a car that’s for sale online in London as long as they have an internet connection – if you find someone who’s selling a vehicle purely offline, the competition is likely to be greatly reduced when compared to someone selling it on the internet.
But there’s no getting past the fact the internet has made collecting classic cars something that’s accessible by all. Every single person right around the world, no matter whether they’ve got a small fortune squirrelled away in a bank account or just a little bit of money saved up can buy a classic car – the internet opens up the industry to everyone, something that simply wasn’t possible on the same scale before.
And so, as we’re always interested in hearing what our readers have to say, would you class yourself as someone who buys classic vehicles purely online or someone who takes the time to route around offline, trying to find a hidden classic that’s been stored away in secure car storage for years?
We’d love to hear which boat you’re in, so please leave a comment below and let us know!
