30 grand for a car with "mechanical issues?" "Come on, man!!"

I guess people are still watching old reruns of the Barrett-Jackson auto auctions on the speed channel from back in the craziness. Besides just trying to stay up on things I'm actually looking for a musclecar to buy. I think  I said in an earlier post-I'm considering a '68-70 GTO or a '70's T/A.  Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of stuff out there that's in great condition and is reasonably priced. For example on the internet I saw a 1970 RAIII Formula 400 Firebird for 19K that had been restored and had factory a/c,, a numbers matching engine, and functional ram air.  I saw a 1979 Nocturne Blue T/A with 21,000 original miles for $22,900 and a 400, 4-speed model the same color for $18,900. I also saw an unrestored, but very well maintained '70 GTO for 13K, and another '70 model with a 400 and a 3 speed stick ( kind of weird, but std equipment and rare ) that was painted like a Judge for $18,000, and really nice '69 Goat that was a Judge clone for $16,000!!  There was also some stuff that was grossly overpriced-a 1977 SE T/A with over 100,000 miles for $73,000???  A Ram Air IV '70 Judge for $139,000???  Puhleeeze. By contrast-I also saw a 1978 WS6 SE T/A with 20,000 orignal miles for $34,000, and a 1969 RAIV GTO with 53,000 original miles, the numbers-matching engine and trans, and PHS documentation for $45,000. All of these cars were in excellent condition so it was just a matter of whether you could swallow the price or not. As much as I love 'em- 140K for a 42 year old Pontiac?  That's the price of a nice house anywhere but New York or California!! Even if I won the lottery I think I'd shop around-I saw another '70 RAIV Judge-it was even the same color-for $59,995!!!  Anyhow-what killed me was the grossly overpriced ones that needed work, or were'nt original. For example a guy wanted $49,000 for a 1969 Judge that he said in the ad had a non-original engine, and that PHS said had 4.33 gears, but now had a 3.55 geared rear end out of a Chevelle!!!  Excuse me?  You want 50 grand for a car with the wrong engine and rear end? Another guy wanted 30K for a FAKE Judge that had a 400 and a 4-speed, except the engine and tranny were out of a '79 Trans-Am!  Another laugher was the guy who wanted $25,000 for a '68 GTO that had factory air, except the compressor and all the hoses were missing!!  Are you kidding me?  Your asking 25 grand for a car and not only does the a/c not work, it's missing the compressor and the plumbing???!!!  Then there was the guy that wanted 35K for a 68 GTO that supposedly had 42,000 original miles, but the car had been sitting in a garage and had not been registered or driven since 1978!!  Hello??  35 grand for a car that may not even start, because the engine is locked up from not being run for 34 YEARS!!!  And you wonder why people aren't beating down the door to buy these cars?  Then there was the $29,995 1974 Formula 400 that had "some mechanical issues".  I'm sorry, but I don't care if it's a new Honda Accord or an old musclecar-people spend 30 grand on a car because they DON'T want any "mechanical issues".  If I wanted a Firebird with "mechanical issues" that I had to fix, I'd buy my cousins rough-but running 1967 Firebird 400 convertible for $6,500!!  I damn sure wouldn't spend 30 grand on a car with "issues"!!!    If your asking a premium price then the car should be in prermium condition, a $5,000 car is a "fixer-upper" ; a $20,000 on up car should be in pristine, "show-ready" or at least "road ready" shape. Mastermind