The Car Game

As most of you know, I am a lover of cars. All cars. I have been known from time to time to buy and sell cars. This is a passion of mine. A car is something more than just a mode of transportation; it is tons on steel and plastic formed together in a sculpture, a self portrait of self. I am a jeep, a truck, an economical car, a 4x4, a beater, a toy. I am reliable yet different. I want to be noticed for the little things, but I want to stand out because of what I am, not because of what I am not.

This Love of cars has become a business venture for me of sorts. I am always looking for bigger and better. I am 24 years old now, and I have owned 6 Jeep Cherokees, 2 Wranglers, 5 Chevy pickups, 3 Honda Civics, 2 Volvo sedans, a Mustang convertible, a GMC Jimmy, and I will soon be the proud owner of a new sedan. 20 cars in just 8 years of driving. My cars have a shorter life expectancy than most produce. Four months 25 days is the average time I will own a single vehicle.

Most people look at this as something crazy, irresponsible and confusing. I look at it as a method of always ensuring that I have free transportation. Think of it this way, in the 4.8 months that I will drive a car, the value you will increase not decrease. Paint quality will improve, interior fragrance will blossom, and overall appeal will double just because I have been the pilot. (It is a similar phenomenon to the dramatic increase in value of a football jersey once it has been worn on game day in a super bowl) Simply put, I try to make each car I drive better than when I purchased it.

The benefits of short term car ownership are endless. Deferred maintenance costs, never have to buy tires, can have a new car anytime you are bored with you current car, and most importantly you will never own the car long enough to be effected by depreciation.

The principle of free car ownership is this. Buy a car at a low price; negotiate for a lower price. Always remember that you make money buying the right car, not finding the right buyer. Presentation is everything. And my personal favorite motto of being a successful Craigslist employee is this, "there is always someone that is dumber than you."

This is by far my favorite part. You don't have to be a genius to buy low and sell high, you simply have to buy something for a cheaper price than what another person is willing to pay, and then you must find that person and sell to them.