FINAL INSPECTION: Saturday February 17, 2008 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. See On-Site Inspection location in auction listing. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Japanese-Mini-Truck-Texas-Auction-7-Trucks-NO-RESERVE_W0QQitemZ220200114639QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item220200114639
Thats Interesting. Who posts pictures in an auction thats of something thats not included in the auction. Hmmmmm....
Actually, Your math must be off because your minimum bid is approx. $25k Thats approx $3500.00 a piece. I'm not sure where you are getting $3k from??? They do look like they have all been repainted nicely though!
Someone who understands that many potential readers lack the vision of what these trucks can be turned into. You as a dealer should understand that from your own customer base.
Stupid me. Your right, it does make sense. I know this is a very common practice but as a consumer I would rather buy a viehicle that is untouched and in original condition rather than one that someone that has tried to hide the fact that it has been very used w/ hidden damage. Nothing against you. Like I said, its a common practice.
Don't lose faith brother! Not all of us are fly-by-night so called importers! There are actually a handful of businessmen who understand international trade and concepts like Supply Chain Management and Quality Control! In a business with practically no industry control, you don't know quality until you see it for the first time. It is then that you realize you could have saved your self a lot of time and further expense. But who am I.
I agree with what you are saying but, if your client base is just going to repaint and customize why bother with the extra expense and just pass on the savings to them or Is it that "The Japanese" are passing the expense onto you. IMO I see it as a way to disguise a truck to look in better condition than it is. This is not intended to be an attack on you, I am just trying to understand more on how a mini is marketed. -Greg
Actually, we are the Japanese exporter. And as such, we alleviate whatever steps our customers ask us to. For example, if dealer A plans to Rhino line, lift and install aftermarket wheels and tires, then we stop at primer and leave the wheels/rims as they came from the Japanese wholesale market. Take a closer look at our auction photos. You will see trucks with primer on them in the background. This is exactly what you were asking about! Our QC Process is a managed process providing control and consistency to the hands of our U.S. dealers. Many dealers would prefer to pay a little more and have all those nasty problems dealt with in Japan. Dents, rust, clutches, torn seats etc. But, not all dealers think that way. Some choose to buy cheap and ignore the time lost, labor and parts cost. They sink more money into them, spray them in liner and feel like they are making a bigger margin. Our market are those dealers who choose not to ignore those business costs and want more control over their supply line. Any exporter can sell a $12k container and fill it with junk and get it to your door for cheap cheap. The trucks in this auction are fully QC'd. They are beautiful trucks not only in the pictures but also in person. We also supply the Assessment, Maintenance & Service Report with it so the buyers can see what service the mechanics performed. Including his notes all translated to English. I think there is allot to be said to be able to turn a $1k-$1.5k profit and not have to work on your trucks first. But not everyone agrees with that. Time for bed, I have an inspection scheduled for the morning. Thanks for the conversation Greg!
I see. So you are saying that they are converted from junk before they leave Japan. That is....To make them more desirable to us Americans?
No. Our selection criteria is strict. We must be able to produce an end result which is profitable for our dealers. This means an exceptional truck ready to sell and not work on. Come see for your self!
debate great debate both parties stated where views in a educated and civil a manner. on most forums people get ugly very fast, i really enjoy this thread!
I just divided the buy it now price by seven and cam up wit the 3900.00ea, if it were 24900 it would make a bit of a difference. The trucks all look really sharp, I didn't mean anything by it, it just seemd a little pricey for trucks in their early 90s.
I don't think its a good deal at all. To give him/her credit I have never seen such a detailed manifest, so I know he/she is not hiding anything. I just don't think the trucks are in that good of condition, they have just been reconditioned. Why do you paint a white truck green? It looks like crap when you open the door and see green overspray on a white jamb. Also, the new paint really doesn't cover up the huge dents in the bed and the back of the cab. Then theres the seat cover thats been replaced or shoud I say thrown on. I'm just picky I guess. -Greg
The trucks look fine, and a paint job isn't necessarily that big of a deal, some of the trucks we get in having nothing wrong but an oxidized paint job so a little fresh paint doesn't "Hide" anything. I just think trucks in the early 90s, should be around 3K delivered that's all. Besides, unless they're a site sponsor they shouldn't be advertising.
I can very much appreciate Greg's synicism. We are a business. Everything we do has an expense tied to it. The green truck was only painted on the exterior as part of a feasibility study to determine if we could offer US dealers a few color choices. Unfortunately, I have to agree with Greg, it looks like crap, not to mention, even our in-house cost was too high! We're putting that project on the back burner for now and will revisit the possibility at a later time. Sorry guys! As for the seat covers, they are simply one alternative to seat replacement. We typically replace torn seats with Good Used at a in-house cost of $25-$50 per seat. That's the one Greg didn't complain about. It's all about managing the process and costs on the source side. Nothing is free! I suppose we could do frame off retorations, but I don't think anyone would want to pay for that. Everything cost money, that's the reality. I welcome visitors on our next Inspection to see what this process equates to in real time quality and cost. See you next Saturday!
One thing thats interesting. If you look at the QC service table in the auction. Notice that the Suzuki's seem to be consistent in having had major problems and they are among the ones with the least amount of miles. -Greg
Local pickup still costs money, and those costs must be added to the retail price of the trucks. Unless you find a buyer that lives just around the corner, then the shipping costs for 7 trucks can be very expensive.
Well we have our own head office in Japan & we are retailing trucks for $3600 so for wholesale $3000 is too expensive.
