Would you pay money for your Original Window Sticker?

[Cuda Cody]

Often times when I purchase a car that is missing items like the fender tag, build sheet or window sticker I let the seller know that I would pay a $1,000 if they are able to find them.  Well, I got the call today that a past owner (who is very old) is moving and just found the Original Window Stickers & Owners manual for one of my cars.    As you can image I'm super excited, but then I remembered what I always tell the sellers about the offer to buy the documents if they find them.  He made it clear he would like to take me up on my offer of $1,000 for the items.  I'm keeping my word and sending him the money.  After the shock of paying $1,000 for a piece of paper wears off I'm sure I'll be happy with the document.  But it made me think, what really is a fair price for a rare document?  How much would you pay for your cars Window Sticker?

[ViperMan]

Yeah I don't think I'd pay THAT much!   

...but I'd definitely offer a hundred bucks or so - especially for something like an owner's manual or something.  I also think that including that kind of stuff in a vehicle's sale can add some value.

[anlauto]

Well first off it depends on the car....For the cars you own....I would gladly pay $1000 for a super rare piece of paper....the amount of cars that actually have that document still in existence is extremely....EXTREMELY low.

I'd be super excited too....

[6bblgt]

you set the price when you made the offer & if you didn't, you wouldn't  have received the call

paying for it wouldn't make my day - having an original window sticker WOULD "MAKE MY DAY"!! 

[pink aar]

Some people have more money than others or some people have to much money. lol  I have a bank account that need a  little if someone is willing or set me up a GO FUND me account. lol  hahaha

[wldgtx]

I think it depends on the car.  I have most of the documentation for my Challenger and all paperwork for my Hemi GTX, including the window sticker, build sheet, dealer documents, etc.

If I did not have all of the docs for the GTX I would pay for them as they help keep the value, but not the Challenger.

[headejm]

I'd love to have my original window sticker but the value to me is in the $100 - $200 range. I have three nice broadcast sheets so not having the window sticker is not that big of a deal. What is anyone's experience with the reproduction stickers done by window-sticker.com? $40 seems reasonable enough. 

[Skid Row]

Nothing, When it's a 73 "G" code that's just short of a salvage title.

[cataclysm80]

I'd love to have the opportunity to get my original window sticker for any of my cars, even if it cost money.
At $100 each, I'd buy them for all my cars, maybe even the parts car.

$500 is probably also a fair price for a lot of cars.  $500 is how much I paid for my Challenger, but I'd pay another $500 for the original window sticker, and be thrilled to have it. (I don't have a broadcast sheet for the car, so that makes the  window sticker more valuable to me.) The Window sticker is really only valuable to the current car owner though, so it's not like the seller can sell it to someone else.  Some people might not buy it at that price.  I'd still buy most of mine for $500 each, but not for the parts car.

If someone was asking $1000 for a window sticker, then it better go to 440 or 426 car, or a trans am car, or something with serious historical significance.

Asking more than $1000 for a window sticker feels a bit like extortion.  Could having the window sticker possibly add that much value to the car?  Maybe if it was a Hemi car.


If I had someone's original window sticker (or even a copy of it), I'd give it to them for free.  I just feel that's the right thing to do.  They started together, and belong together.

At the same time, I'd be happy to pay someone to dig through old Mopar dealership paperwork and find my original paperwork.  Their effort and expense in acquiring the items has value, and they should be reimbursed for it.
If anyone wants to play Indiana Jones, tracking down old Mopar dealership file boxes and rummaging through them for treasure, go ahead and make some money.  I hope you find my window sticker.

As a finder's fee situation like you have, I can certainly see how $1000 would be more motivating than $500.
You can set that price anywhere your comfortable, and keeping your word when someone comes through is a good thing. Way to go!

As far as real actual fair value of the document itself though, if the seller auctioned it with a $1 starting price and anyone  was allowed to bid, I suspect the bidding would end in the $25-$50 range.  The vast majority of people wouldn't pay anything for paperwork that doesn't go to their own car.  Beyond a certain point, there's no bidding competition. Anything above that point isn't the value of the document, it's either paying for potential increased car value, or it's the seller taking advantage of the buyer (or both).

[GoodysGotaCuda]

If the car is worth it, $1,000 is a no brainer.

$1,000 on my modified 72 318 car? No way. Id offer $100 and know well that it's of no value to the holder.


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[76orangewagon]

Cody,
I would pay that much and maybe more, like others have said it depends on the rarity of the car. Since mine was a Military Sales "I" code car and I know  nothing about its history prior to 1990 I would love to have that information just to know where it was originally sold and to who.

[Shane Kelley]

Often times when I purchase a car that is missing items like the fender tag, build sheet or window sticker I let the seller know that I would pay a $1,000 if they are able to find them.  Well, I got the call today that a past owner (who is very old) is moving and just found the Original Window Stickers & Owners manual for one of my cars.    As you can image I'm super excited, but then I remembered what I always tell the sellers about the offer to buy the documents if they find them.  He made it clear he would like to take me up on my offer of $1,000 for the items.  I'm keeping my word and sending him the money.  After the shock of paying $1,000 for a piece of paper wears off I'm sure I'll be happy with the document.  But it made me think, what really is a fair price for a rare document?  How much would you pay for your cars Window Sticker?

That brings a whole new meaning to the word "sticker shock".

[303 Mopar]

To flip the conversation, how much would you expect to receive if you found the documents from a rare car you sold to someone?

I believe all documents, receipts, history etc belong with the car.  I would gladly send anything I found to the new owner and not expect anything in return.  Well, maybe a thanks.   

[fc7cuda]

@Cuda Cody
Mind if we ask which car it's for? 

As Dan said, you made the offer and that's probably why you got the call.  Otherwise it might of gone in the trash. 

You'll overcome the $1000 soon. 

Congrats on the coming reunion. 

[Shane Kelley]

To flip the conversation, how much would you expect to receive if you found the documents from a rare car you sold to someone?

I believe all documents, receipts, history etc belong with the car.  I would gladly send anything I found to the new owner and not expect anything in return.  Well, maybe a thanks.   

I would be willing to bet that just about everyone on here would do the same. I know it would make me happy to give somebody that paperwork. I would never expect or accept money for doing that.