The True Value of A Bluebird

[mbulriss]

Great post John! Almost makes me want to keep both Birds -- NOT.
Strange how we get emotionally attached to inanimate objects due to
the memories they helped create.

Mike Bulriss
83 PT40 "Stagecoach" - FOR SALE
91 PT40 "Texas Minivan"
San Antonio, TX


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "bluebirdfitz"
wrote:
> I have a hard time figuring out the true value of our 78 FC 31; there
> are so many ways to measure value. I wonder what is the value of
> coming home late at night to the the sillouette of the big bus in our
> driveway and my wife whispering, "I just love the bus?" I ask myself
> the value of the fingerpaints and show and tells from my kid's grammar
> school days, all of which center around a big blue bus--certainly the
> only "blue bus" in town. I have six kids and they all know and love
> the difference between an RV and a Bluebird. They also know the
> difference when I say, "Everyone into the bus," versus, "load up the
> bus. "Load up" means "adventure--multiple days with sleeping bags and
> bags of books." "Into the bus" always means something quick but out of
> the ordinary--even if it's just an ice cream--after picking up every
> kid on the block.
>
> Our bus looks cool, and is cool. No matter how you slice it, it
> wouldn't be the same in a Rambler or Winnebago.
>
> Someday we'll sell the bus; maybe to something bigger--but always to a
> Bluebird. I wonder how much time I'll spend making it look unused.
> I'll scrub the crayon marks, and no one will ever know how much
> lemonade was spilled on the dinette; No one will know that it was five
> year old changing the oil religiously, or a seven year old bleeding
> the air brakes. There will be no pictures of the 27 people driving
> around singing Christmas carols, or the "apartment" provided to folks
> who just need a place to stay. Who cares that the back closet can
> hold ten fishing poles, three blow up mattresses and two canoe paddles
>
> Oh yeah, and I forget all those hours late in the winter finding burst
> pipe after burst pipe, hitting refresh on my browser hoping that
> someone somewhere is on here at three in the morning and knows where
> the hell that pipe behind the wall really goes--and those
> people--you--are there; always! I forget that I worked three days
> just to fill the tank. I forget that I will never rub hard enough to
> get rid of that scratch; and who'll remember why that wire was cut or
> why the fan screeches horribly, or where the load center is, or where
> to find a tire in central Maine.
>
> But I never forget that we are the best damn bus on the road--even as
> we are passed on every hill by Amish coaches. I rarely see another
> "Bird," but it is a constant source of joy to know we are not alone.
> The values we share are not easily defined, and we are as different as
> the day is diverse, but we all own Bluebirds, and that's good enough
> for me.
>
> Owning a Bluebird is, for us, an attitude towards living, very little
> of which can be measured in terms of depreciation or appreciation.
> Right now my two year old is a royal pain--he won't go to sleep and
> cares little for my rationale for rest, but, like our bus, there is no
> better value on the market.
>
> John Fitz
> 78 FC 31
> Maynard MA
>
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Tom Warner
wrote:
> > John I think you may not be making a fair comparison and you may be
> > comparing apples to oranges.
> >
> > When you compare two coaches make sure they are in the same
> condition with
> > the same upgrades etc. Coaches that are completely rust free are
> worth more
> > then ones with rust. Coaches that have had regular maintenance are
> worth
> > more then those without documentation of some sort. Etc.
> >
> > I am seeing FC models on the market now, some of them with honest
> > descriptions that say it needs carpet, tears in the seats,
original etc
> > etc. Here is a 1983 FC35 for instance with a starting price of
$35K on
> > ebay 4563800685. I am not seeing decent coaches in the mid $20s.
> >
> > If the coach has new dinette upholstery done professionally, new
> carpet,
> > new refrigerator, new tires, new brakes, and everything checks out
> and is
> > in good mechanical condition and EVERYTHING works I would pay more
> for it
> > then one that has sat for a few years and has no upgrades and has
> A/C that
> > does not work etc. Depends on how mechanically challenged you are.
> >
> > In my opinion the coach you have if you do some work on it will be
> worth
> > what you paid for it and maybe even a little more. I said sometime
> ago that
> > I believe the FC models may go up in price if the diesel fuel prices
> etc go
> > up, and they have. They are the most economical to own and run. Dont
> get
> > discouraged you picked a nice coach. I have a 210HP NA Cat also,
its a
> > snail on the hills but runs like a top and starts instantly. And the
> PTs
> > are envious of our fuel mileage. They wont admit it though
> >
> > tom
> > 1982 FC35
> > Vernon Center,NY
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > At 06:00 PM 7/27/2005 +0000, you wrote:
> > >When we bought our '80 35FC last spring, we thought we got a pretty
> > >good deal on it in comparison with much of the market for that
> > >vintage. One of the reasons we got it was we figured that we would
> > >have to realize very little further depreciation on a 1980 and at
> > >that time, it seemed that there were only a few in the country of
> > >any age that were under the $30k mark. Quite a few over 30k were
> > >even older than ours. We were confident that once ours was paid
> > >off, we could sell it and roll that equity into a much upgraded bus
> > >and keep the same payment range. Our goal was to keep doing this
> > >until we were ready to fulltime it and would have an animal of a
> > >practically new one almost paid for.
> > >
> > >Anyway, I was looking today at birds on autotrader and it seems that
> > >the market has dropped even more. I found WAY more than I expected
> > >in the mid-20k range. It kind of bums me out.
> > >
> > >Is this the case or is the differences I think I see due to a
> > >seasonal pricing difference since I bought in the Spring, and we're
> > >currently seeing Summer pricing with a higher supply of available
> > >birds driving the prices down?
> > >
> > >Any thoughts?? What gives?
> > >
> > >John
> > >1980 Wanderlodge 35FC
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >----------
> > >YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
> > >
> > > * Visit your group
> > > "<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WanderlodgeForum>WanderlodgeForum"
> on the web.
> > > *
> > > * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> > > *
> > >
>
Wanderl\
odgeForum-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
> > >
> > > *
> > > * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the
> > > <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>Yahoo! Terms of Service.
> > >
> > >
> > >----------