by :
Sadayoshi Miyakuni
Used Japanese cars have attributes that new Japanese cars (or cars from any country actually) may not have. For example, the design of used Japanese cars are radically different from new cars nowadays - but different and new does not automatically mean better. There are Japanese used cars which actually look very much better than some of these new designs of Japanese cars that are coming out. If you are a collector of Japanese used cars, you might be blessed with having a collection that feature a host of designs that the new generation of car owners may never have seen or even heard of.
Old does not mean bad, which is why there are vintage car owners even up to now. Such people adhere to the credo "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" so they make it a point to collect vintage used Japanese cars which seem beautiful and attractive to them. What makes one set of Japanese used cars vintage while another set of used Japanese cars simply old and second-hand? Actually, nothing in particular except the taste of the collector. Even damaged Japanese used cars may be valuable to such collectors if they are able to buy them, preserve or refurbish them, and then put them up for re-sale or simply display to an admiring public. If you wait long enough, any Japanese used car for sale will eventually qualify as vintage anyway, which is why some people hang on to their old used Japanese cars for a lifetime, and even let their children inherit these eventually.
Another reason to buy used Japanese cars is because refurbishing old used Japanese cars may run in your blood.
It is a fact that some people are able to pass on their love for antiques and vintage used Japanese cars to their children, nephews and nieces, and perhaps even grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Like we said, the value of such used Japanese cars would depend on the preferences of the people who own them. One person's junk is another man's gold, so to speak. So if you do own used Japanese cars, hang on to them as long as you can, until you can find out what makes them valuable to you or other people.
Like first-edition books signed by their authors, Japanese used cars which have an interesting history will probably command a higher price than Japanese used cars which were owned by ordinary folk. For example, if your Japanese used cars were owned by someone important, like a political figure in your country perhaps, then you are really lucky to own it yourself. At some point, someone somewhere will discover that you own such a conversation piece. If you get even luckier, maybe that person will make you a financial offer that will make your eyes widen in surprise and which you just cannot refuse.
If you are well-connected among owners of Japanese used cars, you may find it easier to find parts for your beloved used Japanese cars. Those who have enough engineering and automotive skills may find it relaxing to while away their leisure time changing parts and polishing up the interiors. The value then of the used Japanese cars would be in the amount of tender loving care you showered on your vehicles, rather than any future potential financial value they have.