Well, 

I think anyone can freely ask whatever price they like. The problem *I* see with this van is, much like with a highly individualized house, the more idiosyncratic the build, the less the ROI will be. Certainly "painting" a van with bedliner qualifies as idiosyncratic IMO. The last time my wife and I were home shopping we came across a home being sold by a Pink Floyd...worshipper... is the best description. He had an entire wall in the living room (large room, vaulted ceiling) painted like the Dark Side of the Moon album cover - hand painted oil rendering. Very nice artistry, and the owner paid like $20K for it. In his mind, that was a $30-$40K addition. To me, it was an extra $2K cost on the paint job to texture and paint over it.

The idiosyncratic mods we've done to our home, as well as our van, are for us and our enjoyment, and we never expect to recoup those costs. Well, since the van only goes after I go, not really an issue there. If he finds the right buyer, he may luck out, but *in general* I think it's pretty unrealistic for any of us to expect to recoup anywhere near the money we've put in these beasts. We do it because we're nuts, and we're enthralled by them!

Keith Hughes
'86 Westy GenV (Marvin)
 ------------------------------
 
 Date:    Thu, 2 Feb 2017 04:12:38 +0000
 From:    Roger Whittaker <rogerwhitt1@GMAIL.COM>
 Subject: Regarding raised bar
 
 Dear Bar Raisers
 
 I am hoping you do well with your ask -
 
 I find it wholly remarkable that a community that holds
 helping one another
 as the hallmark of their credibility as a group would turn
 on trashing one
 of their own because the ask for their vanagon is outside
 what they might
 have the confidence to ask -
 
 Remember all the emails every time one of these beloved
 machines is in a
 wreck - the owner describes in excruciatingly minute detail
 every washer
 they changed out since taking ownership and always end with
 the same remark
 - doesn't the adjuster know the amount of care and love I
 put into this
 vehicle -doesn't the adjuster know how much gowesty sells
 for - Mine is
 worth at least that much !!!
 
 Remarks best left on Facebook or twitter - or better yet -
 unsaid  - do
 little to increase the "helpful community flag any higher up
 the pole"
 
 If any of our members has the confidence to ask huge dollars
 for these
 never to be repeated collectors vehicles we should wish them
 well - hope
 they get as close to the ask as possible - - in down so
 every one of us
 will benifit as our collective value for investment
 increases with them ---
 
 I have a friend who has two Packard touring cars and he
 speaks about them
 the same as any vanagon owner does about their vehicle --
 the only
 difference is there are no more packards coming off the
 assembly line --
 
 Oh wait no more vanagons either -
 
 Regards