Sometimes you gotta grab what's there.....The old saying-"You snooze,you lose....

I talked in the last post about there being no "used car factory". Even knowing that, I have had many friends and customers over the years pass over great cars at reasonable prices and then regret it later. Why people do this, I don't know. But I knew a guy who wanted a '70's Trans-Am. He passed on a 400, 4-speed, T-topped '77 Formula at a dirt-cheap price-( the owner had multiple DUIs and needed the money for a lawyer to try to stay out of jail ) because it "wasn't a T/A".  He spent more money for a hardtop '79 403 Olds / TH350 T/A that he was disappointed in, and then bitched that he should have bought the Formula. I had no sympathy for him. "Yes, you should have bought that Formula, you dummy." I know another guy who wanted a '67-69 302 Z/ 28 Camaro. He found one a '68 model-and it was numbers-matching and gorgeous. And it was the color combination he wanted, a dream come true. He didn't buy it. Why? He started haggling with the owner over the price. He walked over $500. I said at the time-"Don't be an idiot." "You'll never find another one that nice that has everything you want." "And honestly-your not $5,000 apart-I could see that-but $500??"  "If you can afford $24,500 then you can afford $25,000!!!  No, his ego got the better of him, and he walked. And after looking at several more cars that were just as high priced or more and not as nice, or not equipped like he wanted-he sighs-"Damn you were right." "I should have bought that blue one." "In the scope of my whole life, what does $500 bucks matter?"  I'm not saying lay down and overpay for an overpriced car, but if something is exactly what you want, and you can afford it, why not get it? I'll never forget back in the '80's a guy I knew wanted a Datsun 240Z. He found one that was the color he wanted, everything, in good condition. The asking price was $3,000-all they were worth back then. He offered the guy $2,500. They haggled back and forth. The owner said he'd take 2,800. My friend offered him $2,650. The guy said no-2,800 take or leave it. He decides to walk-he tells me-"I'll call the guy back in a couple days-he'll take the $2,650." I tell him-"That's a nice car-it won't be here in a couple days." "If you want it, you better step up."  Before we get to the car-someone else walks up and hands the guy $3,000 cash and drives off in the car. My pal is devastated. I know it was mean, but I couldn't help it. "How's that $150 dollars you wanted to save looking now?"  "F&*k  you!" was the response. But he still didn't have the car. And he had to look for a several weeks before he bought one, that wasn't as nice as the one he let slip away.  Don't let that happen to you over a piddling amount of money. Mastermind