how to sell a used Vespa, part I
I've stubbornly kept my ET2 for nearly a year longer than I really needed to, because I had the ulterior motive (or rather, secret wish) for my bf to suddenly embrace scooters as much as I have. He hasn't. So my beloved Vespa ET2, Ilene, has done a lot of sitting around this past year. Off and on I've told people that I'm putting her up for sale, but I always hesitate when they ask me "How much do you want for her?"
What a silly question, right? If I put on my cut-throat salesperson hat (ha ha), I want as much as I can get. She's in great condition, as you can see, and has been lovingly cared for. If I put on my I-want-good-people-to-have-good-scooters hat, I think that if the right person came along who loved scooters and would take care of her and ride her all the time, I'd be more than willing to give them a good deal. After all, that's how I got her. And she deserves to be on the road.
But where do I even start? I'm trying to be realistic. The current Kelly Blue Book value of a 2003 ET2 is a respectable $2,280, but real-world prices are often different than the Kelly Blue Book. I've added a bunch of upgrades - Malossi 70cc kit and a Sito exhaust to start with. That's over $500 of stuff before labor costs, but most buyers don't base purchases on these kinds of extras. Even more obvious accessories like cases and chrome will make a seller more money if they are sold separately. 
Of course, I can't put a dollar value on what she's meant to me. She's named after a friend who is my driving guardian angel, and has been therapeutic since even before I got her. She helped me grow my business, helped me learn more about titling scooters than I should ever have to know. She's helped me to write more about scooters in the past two years than I had about bicycles in the previous 10.
And of course, she's my first Vespa. Without her I wouldn't be here. How do I put a price on that?
My first ride on Ilene, Dec 2004
