Prices aren't what they used to be...

MA

marbury

Advanced Member
Joined
May 16, 2015
Posts
58
Location
Kirkland, WA
It's probably a side effect of the time of year and my location, but I have not been able to find busses in what folks here (and on other skoolie platforms) seem to consider the well-priced category. Everything seems to be in the $4,500 range- even busses with issues! Folks ask $7k regularly. Occasionally I can find rust-bucket shells, busses that can't be driven off the lot, etc for less but the magical land of perfectly usable $1-2k busses appears to be eluding me. Even on auctions local prices often go above $3k or don't meet reserve at that price.

I'm really starting to suspect that I'll have to wait until the school districts do their auctions again at the end of the school year and that makes me super sad to wait so long to get started. Mind you I'm checking CL, Govdeals, and PS multiple times daily so it's not for lack of effort on my part!

Am I missing a big secret? Am I going about this the wrong way? Am I being too picky to expect a bus that is not falling apart and will drive off the lot under $3k? Have prices just inflated so much that the 'new normal' is $3.5+?
 
I hear what you are saying, I looked for a year or more in the Seattle area before I came across that rare confluence of what I wanted and what I was willing to spend.

For CL buses, don't be shy about sending an email or calling with an offer that falls in your price range. Just tell them you have cash in hand and if the bus passes your sniff test, no BS you'll pay on the spot and drive it away. A lot of listers just need to get rid of the bus for whatever reason, and would be willing to take less to get the neighbors, the wife, or the authorities off of their backs. The worst that can happen is a nasty reply.

Also, don't limit your CL search to Seattle. Check the nearby areas. Yakima, Moses Lake, Bellingham, the Olympic Peninsula, etc. often have listings that don't show up at seattle.craigsist.org. I think I remember you were looking for a shorty. Did you seen this one in Yakima?96 shorty school bus


Believe it or not, eBay can have good buses at fair prices listed from time to time.
 
OMGIBoughtABus said:
I hear what you are saying, I looked for a year or more in the Seattle area before I came across that rare confluence of what I wanted and what I was willing to spend.

For CL buses, don't be shy about sending an email or calling with an offer that falls in your price range. Just tell them you have cash in hand and if the bus passes your sniff test, no BS you'll pay on the spot and drive it away. A lot of listers just need to get rid of the bus for whatever reason, and would be willing to take less to get the neighbors, the wife, or the authorities off of their backs. The worst that can happen is a nasty reply.

Also, don't limit your CL search to Seattle. Check the nearby areas. Yakima, Moses Lake, Bellingham, the Olympic Peninsula, etc. often have listings that don't show up at seattle.craigsist.org. I think I remember you were looking for a shorty. Did you seen this one in Yakima?96 shorty school bus.
Click to expand...

Oh I'm already looking in a 1,000k radius of Seattle! And I've e-mailed every CL listing that suits my needs with a lower offer, all of them pass (some kindly, some not so kindly). My issue is that I'm looking for a shorter diesel bus- a lot of the shorties are gas.

ETA: I'm checking ALL of WA, Idaho, Oregon, and northern CA. Sometimes I venture into Canadian territory just in case even though I don't have a passport. I also toss in some Colorado for kicks, but their prices are always higher.
 
I noticed ritchie bros has buses from time to time, you might consider checking them out.

Here are some Amtrans they've got in the Spokane auction next week:

https://www.rbauction.com/SPOKANE-W...0Mjk0MzIwMzQ2KzQyOTQzMzEwNjYrNDI5NDMzMTE2MA==


I found my bus on craigslist back in May. It was about a 4 hour drive away. I was searching craigslist from Texas up to Missouri and all the way east to North Carolina/Florida. It took me a couple of weeks, but eventually I found one in Louisiana for $2500.


I clicked around a bit, and here are all the buses they'll have for auction:

https://www.rbauction.com/Bus?id=ci&s=Y2l8Tj00Mjk0OTYyNjI5KzQyOTQ5NjY4NTc=

They also have online auctions:

https://www.equipmentone.com/search?kw=Bus



Here are some that may fit your criteria:

https://www.rbauction.com/1989-INTE...nvId=8694588&id=ci&auction=EL-PASO-TX-2015315

https://www.rbauction.com/2003-INTE...nvId=8722145&id=ci&auction=EL-PASO-TX-2015315



Edit: those two buses above were apparently up for auction today. The first bus (an 89 international with V8 Diesel, 8 window/27') went for $1,750. The second bus (an 03 international/bluebird with 7.3L diesel, 8 window/28') went for $2,500. Both ran, but the 89 needed a jump start.
 
Last edited:
The days of $800 buses are gone. You will pay at least 2500-3000 for a good solid bus at auction unless you have an inside track somewhere. Sometimes you get lucky and will get a deal. Don't be afraid to step up when you are bidding on a solid bus.
 
You all just missed about 14 buses sold here in CO for between 1200 and 2000. They were all conventional, thomas 66 pass buses with DT466s and MT643s. Most had no visible rust and all drove great! I bought 3 of them.
Lots of buses are out there! Id be happy to sell you a bus out here in CO, got plenty of em! Tell me what you're looking for and I'll see if I have it. We can also arrange delivery, too.
Id say prices are still in a good range, but you gotta be diligent and also know your local auction houses. If it doesn't get put on the internet, it will always be cheaper!
 
Bus prices here in CO aren't double what they were 3-4 years ago. Though one time we did buy 10 buses with less than 10 years on them, DT466s, MT643s, retarders and full service history for $600 each. Keep in mind, this was also when scrap steel was about 4x per ton what it is now. These running, excellent buses were sold for less than half of what they were worth as scrap!

You can thank the internet and the growing culture of DIY and upcycling for an increased interest in skoolies, but they are still an awesome deal.
 
charles_m said:
You all just missed about 14 buses sold here in CO for between 1200 and 2000. They were all conventional, thomas 66 pass buses with DT466s and MT643s. Most had no visible rust and all drove great! I bought 3 of them.
Lots of buses are out there! Id be happy to sell you a bus out here in CO, got plenty of em! Tell me what you're looking for and I'll see if I have it. We can also arrange delivery, too.
Id say prices are still in a good range, but you gotta be diligent and also know your local auction houses. If it doesn't get put on the internet, it will always be cheaper!
Click to expand...

I saw those! just didn't have any money or a way to get them to FL.:nonono:
 
OMGIBoughtABus said:
The same reason you can't get a commie surplus Mosin-Nagant for $100 at Big 5 like you could 3-4 years ago... supply and demand.
Click to expand...


About 5 years ago, Big 5 had a Black Friday ad for a Mosin-Nagant 91/30 for $89. I went to 5 stores and looked through about a dozen rifles until my last stop where I was going to take whatever they had. The one on the rack was kind of rough so I asked the kid if they had any more in the back. He comes out with 2 boxes. He opens the end of the first box and starts pulling out MY RIFLE. I think to myself that looks like a nice rifle until he gets to the receiver. It's a hex receiver Izzy that was refurbished. A half second didn't pass before I barked out, "I'LL TAKE THAT ONE!" I think I scared the kid. This was Wed., so I put it on hold for Friday. I looked on the rack and asked about one buried in the back. He pulls it out. A Turkish Mauser. How much for that one I asked. No tag so he had to look on the computer. On closeout, $89.62 or some crazy number. I'll take that one too.:dance::dance::dance::dance:
 
crazycal said:
About 5 years ago, Big 5 had a Black Friday ad for a Mosin-Nagant 91/30 for $89. I went to 5 stores and looked through about a dozen rifles until my last stop where I was going to take whatever they had. The one on the rack was kind of rough so I asked the kid if they had any more in the back. He comes out with 2 boxes. He opens the end of the first box and starts pulling out MY RIFLE. I think to myself that looks like a nice rifle until he gets to the receiver. It's a hex receiver Izzy that was refurbished. A half second didn't pass before I barked out, "I'LL TAKE THAT ONE!" I think I scared the kid. This was Wed., so I put it on hold for Friday. I looked on the rack and asked about one buried in the back. He pulls it out. A Turkish Mauser. How much for that one I asked. No tag so he had to look on the computer. On closeout, $89.62 or some crazy number. I'll take that one too.:dance::dance::dance::dance:
Click to expand...
I always pass up the good deals. When you could still get a SKS for $40 with a free box of Berdan-primed ammo AND still have enough to get a six pack of Schmidt on the way home, I said to myself "maybe later". :facepalm: When silver was $8/ounce, I said to myself "some other time". :oops: When surplus 7.62x25 ammo was as cheap and plentiful as .22LR, I thought I would have plenty of time :nonono:. When .22LR was still cheap and plentiful, I thought I would wait and see. :nonono::nonono: And I didn't bother getting a Mosin when they were cheap, either .:banghead:
 
charles_m said:
You all just missed about 14 buses sold here in CO for between 1200 and 2000. They were all conventional, thomas 66 pass buses with DT466s and MT643s. Most had no visible rust and all drove great! I bought 3 of them.
Lots of buses are out there! Id be happy to sell you a bus out here in CO, got plenty of em! Tell me what you're looking for and I'll see if I have it. We can also arrange delivery, too.
Id say prices are still in a good range, but you gotta be diligent and also know your local auction houses. If it doesn't get put on the internet, it will always be cheaper!
Click to expand...

Woah awesome! And I haven't checked out local auction houses, I hit up the local bus depots for school districts but totally spaced on general auction houses.

I'm looking for a short bus (under 35ft, shorter is better) that has a diesel engine and can do highway miles. That's a big part of the problem; plenty of great deals on full-size busses but I lack the zoning for storing such a long vehicle and don't need that much space for my conversion anyway. I'm doing my conversion to travel long distance with short stays, like a few days worth of boondocking, and traveling with 6 dogs. I'd prefer to avoid cutaways but if I like the body style and it's a good deal it's no longer on my 'deal breaker' list.
 
human being said:
out of these four buses which would you be the most interested in? I am in Spokane and have signed up to bid. Any advice on these auctions would be much appreciated.

:Thanx:
Click to expand...

probably this one (the 1997): https://www.rbauction.com/1997-AMTR...nvId=8701710&id=ci&auction=SPOKANE-WA-2015317

Double check, but the 1997 should still have the all mechanical DT466 (and the tires still look pretty good, but check the date code). If it has the DT466E, that's a deal breaker. The 98 had the DT466E, so I'd avoid that one. The 94 is all mechanical, but it's the DT408. And the battery in the 94 is dead. And you'll need new tires on the 94. If you can get a good deal on the 94 then go with it, but the 97 is probably gonna be pretty good. It doesn't say what engine the 92 has, just a 6 cylinder international. The 92 might be worth looking at too, but check the tires on it as well. I think the tires on the 92 look a little better than the tires on the 94. and the battery on the 92 isn't dead.

Good luck, have fun, don't feel pressured to bid, set a high bid in your mind and don't go over it, there will be other auctions if you miss out on this one.
 
Last edited:
Man, I want that 97, that sucker is SWEET!!!!
High headroom, high HP, All mechanical it looks like...
Air ride, auto chains, and underbelly storage bins too.
I'd have put in a bid already if it weren't on the absolute opposite side of the lower 48. I love my bus, but would gladly sell it if I could score one as sweet as that one.
I say GO FOR IT.
 
One more thing, check the axle ratio. you probably want something starting with 4 unless the transmission has overdrive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

NebSgird
Should I Buy? Part 2
ewo1
ewo1
DN
New to Busses, not new to RV's or conversions
ewo1
ewo1
Neurotaffy
Looking for seats.
DRoberts123
DRoberts123
Golden_Otto_Bus
12V DC type Air Conditioner - like Nomadic X2
Anax
AN
CE
Military's Cool Busses
2
nikitis
nikitis

New posts

Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Try RV LIFE Pro Free for 7 Days

  • New Ad-Free experience on this RV LIFE Community.
  • Plan the best RV Safe travel with RV LIFE Trip Wizard.
  • Navigate with our RV Safe GPS mobile app.
  • and much more...
Try RV LIFE Pro Today
Back
Top