hiya guys.. this is a post for all those that have or have had a stable of high end cars.. before i take the plunge.. looking for some thoughts on downsizing.. thnx

background on me.. since i've been 18, i've been fortunate to have a decent stable of vehicles thanks to the dot-com era and my company.. one time my count got to a sickening level.. i'm down to three vehicles for the first time in my life at 25.. i know it's a tough life.. <g>

it's not a financial situation as business is great, but more in general, it just seems that i'm tired of all the downsides of having many vehicles.. most people i know seem to be fake or treat me very differently due to my car situation, which is hard to escape from being obvious.. atleast with 1 vehicle i can just tell people, i pay all my money towards a "lease" and am broke.. but having multiple high end vehicles, there really isn't much to say... people obviously know i do quite well to afford such luxury.. (which unfortunately has contributed to multiple lawsuits.. i love the american legal system.. <g>)

when 99% of the population is lucky enough to own one basic non-luxury vehicle.. throw in other countries not as fortunate as the americas and europe, and it just seems extremely ridiculously excessive/selfish at times, and that my money could be spent on things to actually enrich my life or others lives..

of course my friends and family don't care either way.. but others and people that talk and know about myself ...it is a factor in life.. the fakeness and kissass gets on my nerves all the time.. as little as it matters.. people judge you on what they see.. and it has just gotten annoying over the past few years when people see many vehicles and then automatically have a preconceived notion of me which is not true.. just annoys me at times.. not the worst problem to have, but i'm sure many on this board can relate...

just wondering what others on this board have experienced with various stables of vehicles and/or if you've ever debated selling all your cars and just keeping one?

dealing with all the extra maintenance, insurance, worrying about them when going on vacation, all the vandalism, dead batteries, car washes all the time, registrations, it's almost as for the past few years of my life it feels at times as if my cars have "owned me" and anyone that is financially successful knows, that when your material possessions own you, it's time to make a change...

i have so many things i want to do in my life.. and at times i feel as having 3, 4, 5, 6 or more cars at different times has just held me back from doing what i really want to do with my life.. maybe it's just being young and tired of people wanting things from me or assuming i'm someone i'm not, just because of what i have..

..maybe it's a combination of not wanting to deal with them all, or feel like i'm losing a decent chunk of change every month from having all these cars.. considering i drive 100 miles a month <g> (i live downtown, walk everywhere and am single with no kids and work out of my condo..)

just curious for some knowledge from some older individuals than myself that have or have had stables of vehicles and may have downsized... what was your reason for downsizing/how did you feel after you sold your other vehicles when it isn't a financially motivated situation/etc..

there are quite a few successful, wise and educated individuals on this board with much more life experience than myself.... so looking for some thoughts on someone older than me that can give me their thoughts on my little potential decision..

..before i take the plunge on downsizing to one vehicle ..just curious to see others perspective.. danke :>

ps: of course we all know which vehicle i will keep

 

Unless it was a turbo, I would have sold the 996 before the 997's even touched U.S. soil...but due to Porsche's residual values you are still OK to sell it now if you feel the need (I would if I had a R230, which I do). At one point I had a R129 and a new body XK8; this was before the R230- I finally had to let one go, not due to money- but to the other just not being used enough.

While owning a few SUV's for absolutely no reason other than to have them, I found myself driving everyone I know to clubs,dinners, etc. due to the people space; this applys to the 4 door beemer. Unless it is used for business purposes, I would sell it. My Escalade is just sitting around waiting to be sold....sure its OK, but I have a SL and can't stop driving it. As far as people hating you due to being young with too many cars: things wont change all that much, since they will still hate you if they did before due to that 100,000+ SL.

We both have no kids and in my case my long term G/F has a SUV, so that is a factor in my personal view since I can use it for carrying surfboards/snowboards when I need to. Maybe just keep the beemer for a "beater" (hard to call it that) when the SL is just too much for some clients, etc. if this is needed, which it seems its not. I personally am striving to have a decent stable one day (when I have the garage space), but hopefully full of exotics and then a few daily drivers for my future spouse and I.

If you are somewhat buried in the P-car due to the aftermarket stuff and decide tha you might as well keep it- it is timeless and quite well done...I just wouldnt drive it all that much when I could drive a custom R230, which we already confirmed.

Maybe my view isnt a direct answer to your question, but I hope it helps.

cheers and good night,

Cy...who was out LATE

 

"Your possessions possess you."

"Whatever you spend the most time at is what you will become the best at."

You are young, very young, at 25. If you're getting tired of "it", wonder if you have too many cars, are "getting tired of the hassle", and are thinking about changing that situation -- then NIKE! - just do it.

If you are getting tired, or becoming disatisfied or disaffected with the stable of cars thing, determine what another love in life is that you want to put the same amount of time, money, effort, and devotion into - and do so; for a change, if for no other reason.

Change is good. Life is a long time. You are young.

You can always go back to the passion and add a bunch of cars later on at some future point in your life.

I have found a way to incorporate all of my passions into my life -- but then I'm more than twice your age, and have learned since being 25 years of age to have become much better at managing myself, my life, my time, my possessions, and my passions.....

Never be afraid to change. Never be afraid of reassessing your priorities. Never be afraid of losing a possession - they are just things. And never allow your possessions to possess you -- this is something to be afraid about....

 

This is like a quote from Jack Canfield's "Chicken Soup for the Car Obsessed"....I will try and take your well given advice as well.

Good Night again

 

Seattle,

this is my $.02 and take as that...just seems like your growing up my friend! I'm 29 now and I probably would've done the same thing if I wasn't married and thinking of having kids soon. You're realizing that it's pointless to have 3, 4, 5 cars/depreciating assets and it's just you...paying equally as many car notes (if you financed them) as well as registration, stupid emission test, up keep, etc. Doesn't have anything to do with being "able" to afford them, but just not a sound business like situation to be in.

Having a 750 myself I would keep that as the "beater" so to speak...it's big, comfy, fast, and built well. Most definitely keep the R230...it's the sexiest car ever made and judging from me looking at 03's, they hold their value pretty well to boot. That's going to be the extent of my stable when I finally find the R230 that I'm looking for.

btw, I'm assuming that you're not doing something foolish like renting...so you already own a home and possibly other real estate and don't have all your money tied up in the cars.

good luck with your decision!

 

We have been on several threads together, and i belive that i have come too know you a little, so my opinion is that you simply are growing up. A young man like you, will naturally focus on possesions, but with time you will focus on other values in life. If you become a slave of your possesions, if you feel that it not worth it anymore, get on with your life, keep your SL, get rid of the rest, and take a new approach to life. Find your path, explore new way´s of life, engage in charrety if that makes you happy, but do follow your instincts, and whatever you do, do it a 110% percent, the kick commes from succes, and appreciation. You can anytime in life go back and bye a bunch of cars, when you feel for it.

 

I am glad others think you are growing up. Congratulations.

You will know that you actually have grown up when you don't find the need to write such a post.
.

 

Why do you feel the need to start off every single post with the same *****? Every post, you have to remind us that you're young, successful, people envy you blah blah blah blah.

Bottom line is, if you ARE successful and you OWN multiple cars, you already know the answers to these questions.

 

Amen.

 

I am middle age have all my hair and wants some rich person to adopt my wife and I, so we can have more toys.

 

the only post i have ever brought up anything about anything about my personal status is what is on the "haters" thread started by cy and this post.. so honestly i have no clue what you are talking about..

i've been debating on downsizing to one vehicle for quite some time now, and i've pretty much made up my mind, but before i take the final plunge i was simply looking for some mature opinions from some individuals that have been there and back for some opinions and/or to find a reason or give me a reason as to why i should consider keeping more than one vehicle...

if you judge someone as being "successful" by their net worth or how many toys they have, or you think anyone should envy anyone, by what crap they have... then i'm not the one that needs to grow up..

 

Nice try.
.

 

Seattle spent time typing some facts, hoping that fellow Benz lovers would throw some comments his way based on their past experiences with owning more than one high line vehicle. His post IS what these type of forums are used for. I'm sure this is common knowledge amongst you veteran posters.

Based on the sudden irritation from some members occurring from Seattle's mention of youth and success, I feel he has surely been misinterpreted.

I am also 25 and get all kind of repercussions everyday because I have higher expectations for my age then the norm, so it seems.

Either way, I feel he's not bragging but rather just trying to paint a thorough picture- so we may analyze the situation fully through his personal view.

 

While I truly understand your sentiments and know that the both of you mean well, as one grows older into the later years of life it becomes obvious that the more one has the less they want to talk about it.

Life teaches us that with wealth come many things that don't necessarily lead to positive life experiences. To lead a happy life with true personal relationships, wealth can never be used to define oneself.

His post, while he poses it as a question actually speaks worlds about his attitude in discussing his personal financial situation.

I do not for one second feel there are any ill intentions here. However, the day will come when he looks back at such a post and says, boy was I an idiot. I am sure we have all been there.

This post is written will no ill intent.
.

 

well said

 

yes, but i have not "grown older into the later years of my life" as you convey... i am 25 years old in the situation i am in, and have much to learn..

when one is young and successful financially it is hard to find peers to relate to, so figuring it all out being young is not the easiest of all situations, and that's where the appreciation of those that have been there and done that come into play.. and why i posted on this board simply asking for opinions from "older" and more mature individuals regarding my situation from people that have been where i have potentialy..

..i'm 25, and don't convey i'm 50.. if you consider asking for advice from someone with more life experience that has been through a similar downsizing as bragging or conveying envy, then i'm completely lost with where your thoughts lie... i was honest with my background and was looking for a final opinion from others that have been there/done that before i took a serious plunge into going down to one vehicle and potentially putting my financial resources in different avenues for the next few years..

notice the OT: in the subject.. it was off topic and if you don't want to read OT posts such as this then there is no reason to do so.. there are plenty of other posts out there for you to read..

 

See, there you go again. Repeating your biography every chance you get.

Do I or LovinSL600 need to give out our bio every time we post?

If you are truly successful and not flashing your parent's cars, then you wouldn't be asking these questions. Surely you encountered this problem when you bought your first car and began accumulating multiple vehicles. This problem shouldn't be new to you.

Your posts remind me of all the other poseurs on MBworld.org and in all the other german car forums I lurk in.....

 

So you've got too many cars and can't deal with the bills -- sell 2, left w/ 1 = cheaper than 3 cars.

Tada!

 

As you want to downsize your stable I would consider to upgrade
the rest. My prefered configuration would be a newer luxus sedan for the
BMW and you sell the R230 and the 996 to get new 997 convertible
or anything comparable. As nice as the SL is get yourself a sportier
convertible because you still have the comfort of the sedan.

 

I am wondering if you guys would help me out. Last week my $10,000,000 investment in a company that went public turned out to be a real winner. I made $25,000,000.

I am so concerned now about my new problems. I have this condo in Venice, Italy that I don't really go to and it cost me $5,000,000. I have another condo in France and that one I only use one a year. It cost me $12,000,000.

I was thinking about getting another condo in South Beach to watch all the girls there but then I thought is it worth spending another $5,000,000 just to watch girls? Maybe the weather might be worth it?

I am hoping that an investment I made of $30,000,000 in this company is going to keep doing well even though everyone thinks that businness is not that good.

Actually, I am thinking about downsizing to a single apartment, rented for $500 a month and a dog.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
.

 

Lovin,
I feel your pain and I can rescue you from your misery and gloom:
I presently have a small dog and an apartment in Cocoa Beach that rents for $450 a month. I just lost my temp job at the Steak & Shake, and like I'm pretty depressed with my crappy life at 50 years of age and stuff.
I suggest we simply swap. You take my apartment and the dog in exchange for me taking over your problems.
At least this way, you come out ahead $50 a month on the lower rent cost - but that's OK cause I just want to help you out.
Also, just to be truthful about all this, the the dog has worms real bad, but they're very small and you can sell them to the tourists as bait for night fishing on the beach, which should make for a little start-up cash flow you'll need to get settled in down here.
So, do we have a deal?
Your bestest friend,
Sgooter

 

LOL !!!

 

I find this thread funny. :p

 

It's getting there...

I did take the queetion seriously, though; and gave a serious reply much earlier on.

 

ClayJ, the problem here is that seattlecarfreak was serious...