Hybrid HOV stickers

August 3, 2008 10:28 AM

Selling a hybrid: What to ask for carpool-lane stickers?

I'm trying to sell my five-year-old hybrid car in California. California has a (possibly misguided, but let's not get into that) law that allowed a fixed number of hybrids to get stickers which let them drive in the carpool lane. This number was reached a while ago, so the stickers can only be obtained by buying a used car that already has them.

These HOV stickers seem to increase the sale value of a car, based on a comparison of bluebook prices to craigslist/autotrader ads, by up to 3k.

However, I think it decreases the market. Only a long commuter is going to be willing to pay so much extra for the stickers. Even just among my friends I've had plenty of people mention that they'd be interested in the car, except for those.

As it is now, I have had a craiglist ad up for a week, but I have had no serious replies. Should I consider not asking for a premium for the stickers? (after all I think the law is a little silly anyhow...but I am just out of school so 3k is a lot of money to me.) Or have I just not been patient enough, or have I not been posting in the right places?

I have read such earlier posts as this one, but of course my question is more specific.

posted by nat to travel & transportation (5 comments total)

...based on a comparison of bluebook prices to craigslist/autotrader ads, by up to 3k.

I don't think this means much. In my experience, Craigslist asking prices tend to be significantly higher than book value in general. You might try searching completed auctions on ebay motors, where you can see the prices actually paid, as opposed to the prices sellers wish for.
posted by jon1270 at 10:39 AM on August 3, 2008

Your hybrid is going to demand a premium over KBB or Edmunds just because they are in high demand.

The HOV sticker adds some extra value, but I wouldn't make it primary selling point. Price the car $3,000 over bluebook, mention the HOV sticker, and see what happens.
posted by wfrgms at 10:39 AM on August 3, 2008

Craigslist ads don't tell you the selling price. Searching completed eBay auctions might give you a better idea of what they're selling for.
posted by winston at 10:50 AM on August 3, 2008

Where in California are you trying to sell it? It's my understanding that there is huge demand for HOV sticker-bearing hybrids in the Bay Area. If you're not posting to the San Francisco Craigslist boards, you might consider doing that. If you already are, maybe it's just a summer vacation thing- lots of things slow down in August.
posted by ambrosia at 10:51 AM on August 3, 2008

Just like any other premium piece of equipment, the stickers will raise the value of the car only to the extent that people want it. It also reduces the pool of potential purchasers, since the number of people who want the sticker is less than the number of people who want the car.

So like the dealership that adds mudflaps, undercoating and paint sealer, you have to make the decision to take an offer at hand versus waiting for a buyer at a higher price.
posted by gjc at 10:52 AM on August 3, 2008