[hodge5]

I'm not looking to sell mine- that isn't the reason for the post. I am curious, based on your experiences, what top dollar would be for one in great, original condition.

In 99, my father bought a brand new TRX300, in green, and I bought one, in red. I've used mine pretty regularily, while my father used his sparingly, during hunting season, and to travel between his house, and ours- about a mile through the mountains, on an old fire road. I maintained his ATV, but it got very little use- I would estimate that in its lifetime, it had maybe 100 miles on it. The tires still had nibs on them. It didn't suffer from so little use, partly because he would run it enough that it didn't sit for months, and partly because I serviced it, used Seafoam in it, and he only ran ethanol-free gas in it.
This past summer, he got the bug to get a Deere gator (6x4). He simply didn't use the ATV much, and wanted a gator with a dump bed. We put his Honda up for sale, and waited it out. As you can imagine, we got a lot of tire kickers, wanting to give $800-$1000 for it. It was all original, barn kept, and in extraordinary shape for a 17 year old machine. Eventually, it sold for $3000.00.

I've got some parts listed here on the forum for sale (tires, wheels, and drum brake parts), as well as on Craigslist. On Craigslist, I have a photo of my Honda included, for reference only. I clearly stated in the ad that it isn't for sale, I'm just showing the condition of the ATV that the parts came off of. I received an email, offering top dollar- $2600- for my ATV. Obviously, I'm not biting- it isn't for sale, and it is too sentimental to sell it for that price. I know- I would be shooting for the moon to expect any more than what dad's sold for. That's not what it's about. We lost our 17 year old son 7 years ago, and my ATV was a favorite of the family- I'll never sell it, because it's a connection to Seth.
I'm just curious about the top price. Evidently, my assumption about an obsolete, excellent condition 300 is incorrect. Dad was willing to wait for that one buyer who knew what they were looking at, and knew that they'd be hard pressed to buy a new ATV, for twice the price, that would measure up to the 300 in quality and durability. He did find that person, but it took hundreds of indignant tire kickers to get to that person, and quite a few insults.:icon_ goofy:

 

[hodge5]

Around here, average shape your looking at 1500-2000, good shape up to about 2500. If i had the cash and wanted one what was all original, kept inside, still had the nipples on the tires, no mud stains on the diffs or engine, no rust anywhere, plastic still as shiny as new etc etc. I'd have no problem paying $4000+ but it would have to be pretty much fresh out of the crate nice lol


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That was dad's- no stains, no damage, no rust, no breaks or bends, seat perfect. The only imperfection was the paint coming off of the rims, but you had to look for that- the primer was gray.

It sounds like saturation in a given region plays a large part. I don't think that 300's are as prolific around here, in VA.

Thank you all for your input. I am here to learn, and values are an area where I lack perspective. It sounds like we did real well getting $3000 for his. I wouldn't take that for mine, solely for sentimental reasons.

 

[hodge5]

These are a very good deal IMO

https://easttexas.craigslist.org/snw/5994858564.html

They are.
Dad's was green, and if you can imagine, even cleaner. His still had the factory tires, no dry rot, and they were at least 85%.

I'm trying to find the photos that I took, but they are gone from Craigslist, and I had deleted them from my phone.

 

[hodge5]

Here you get lots of people through kijiji that just want to wheel and deal through email but don't seem to have any intention of buying the thing. They will start making offers and asking questions, sometimes they will say they are coming to look at it at whatever time so you don't make plans, stay home, of course they never show up, never hear from them again. If you can actually get someone to show up they are usually interested in buying. Personally if I decide last minute not to buy it, or can't make it to look at it, then I'll let the person know I'm not coming lol.


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I agree. If I contact someone, I'm open about my intentions, right away.Like I'm looking, just fact finding, very interested, if it sells while I consider it, no problem. I would also communicate if my plan to come look or buy has changed. All that a person has is their word; once that is ruined, they've got nothing.

I have a small side business, building telescoping stabilizers for compact tractors. It is an internet-based business, and I almost never meet, or even speak, with my customers. 98+% communicate through email or forum private messages. It is absolutely imperative that I do what I say that I'm going to do, and then some. They can't meet me or look me in the eye, so they are contracting with me based solely on trust and internet reputation. I've built and sold close to 700 sets now, many of them to overseas customers. Two observations-
I've been able to build an internet business, with a good reputation, by doing exactly what I say, and communicating well. It works.
Second- I've yet to lose a dime. Most pay through paypal, while some prefer to mail checks or money orders. In some cases, knowing that they were in desperate need (say a landscaper has broken their stabilizers, and need their tractor back to work as quickly as possible), I've mailed the stabilizers to them prior to receiving payment. Again, I've been paid, every time. There are good people out there, all over. They do what they say they'll do, and only need an opportunity to prove that they are trustworthy.

I recognize that sooner or later, I may get taken advantage of. So be it- for the sake of good business, and the understanding of human nature, I've accepted that- a cost of business. I have no regrets, and it has been an enlightening and encouraging journey.

Say what you are going to do, and do what you're saying.

 

[hodge5]

Here you get lots of people through kijiji that just want to wheel and deal through email but don't seem to have any intention of buying the thing. They will start making offers and asking questions, sometimes they will say they are coming to look at it at whatever time so you don't make plans, stay home, of course they never show up, never hear from them again. If you can actually get someone to show up they are usually interested in buying. Personally if I decide last minute not to buy it, or can't make it to look at it, then I'll let the person know I'm not coming lol.


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I agree. If I contact someone, I'm open about my intentions, right away.Like I'm looking, just fact finding, very interested, if it sells while I consider it, no problem. I would also communicate if my plan to come look or buy has changed. All that a person has is their word; once that is ruined, they've got nothing.

I have a small side business, building telescoping stabilizers for compact tractors. It is an internet-based business, and I almost never meet, or even speak, with my customers. 98+% communicate through email or forum private messages. It is absolutely imperative that I do what I say that I'm going to do, and then some. They can't meet me or look me in the eye, so they are contracting with me based solely on trust and internet reputation. I've built and sold close to 700 sets now, many of them to overseas customers. Two observations-
I've been able to build an internet business, with a good reputation, by doing exactly what I say, and communicating well. It works.
Second- I've yet to lose a dime. Most pay through paypal, while some prefer to mail checks or money orders. In some cases, knowing that they were in desperate need (say a landscaper has broken their stabilizers, and need their tractor back to work as quickly as possible), I've mailed the stabilizers to them prior to receiving payment. Again, I've been paid, every time. There are good people out there, all over. They do what they say they'll do, and only need an opportunity to prove that they are trustworthy.

I recognize that sooner or later, I may get taken advantage of. So be it- for the sake of good business, and the understanding of human nature, I've accepted that- a cost of business. I have no regrets, and it has been an enlightening and encouraging journey.

Say what you are going to do, and do what you're saying.

Kind of curious, stabilizers like for the 3pt?


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Yes. Most tractors use two stabilizers, one on either side of the lift arms, to keep an implement from swaying side to side. Many tractors come with turnbuckles, which work fine, but are inconvenient. They take time to adjust, you have to tighten a jam nut to keep them from vibrating and backing off, and they get rusted, bent, and hard to adjust. I build custom telescoping stabilizers, which are pin adjustable. Pull a pin, adjust the stabilizer, put pin back in. What takes a couple of minutes to adjust with turnbuckles, takes second with pin-adjustable telescoping stabilizers.
There are hundreds and hundreds of makes, models, and variations. So, I build them custom to each model, adaptation, and unique customer uses.

It all started when I bought a Kubota B7100, which had turnbuckles. I hated them, and assumed that something better was available. It wasn't, so I built a set, and immediately started refining them. Eventually, I started building and selling them locally, and then through the internet. It is a small, niche business, but I'm the only one doing it (as far as I can tell), and people love convenience.

This is a set that I built for my cousin's JD 3032e-


And a set that I built for my father's JD 5065e-

 

[hodge5]

They most likely aren't possible. Telescoping stabilizers work because the holes in the tube are drilled on different spacing than the holes in the rod, and as the rod slides in and out, two holes will line up about every 1/8th inch or so. That gives some fine adjustment. To have enough holes, the stabilizers need to be at least 14" long or so, total length. When they get too short, there simply aren't enough holes to have adjustment options. I would imagine that on most, if not all, garden tractors, the lengths are too short, as well as the tires are too close for clearance.

 

[hodge5]

I don't want to sell them , but if I did , I would consider my wifes' pink bike to be worth say $3,000 and my red one $3,500 ------ but there are a lot of mods going on , both have 4x2 kick outs , disc , 250 rear ends , etc , etc

Sad thing is you wouldn't get half that because nobody cares about mods or how much you got into them. If you were to sell them your really better off taking everything off and returning it to stock, it makes it easier to sell and when you sell the add ons you get more money out of them in the long run. To me a stock unmolested 300 is worth considerably more money than any modified one.



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Most things are that way. You do the mods to enjoy them, not to recoup your money.