How to Buy an Antique Scooter
So you want to be the proud owner of an antique scooter. You have seen an antique Lambretta that fits the bill and the owner is only asking just over $12,000 for it, which seems like a heck of a bargain. You reach your wallet, ready to pull out the cheque book or credit, when a wise voice inside your head yells - Stop! Thankfully wisdom prevails and you go home to think a little more about what you need to do before buying your antique scooter.
Buying any antique is fraught with danger unless you have taken all the necessary steps to ensure that you are getting what you are paying for, and an antique scooter is no exception. If it looks too good to be true the reason for that is because it probably is too good to be true. Therefore, before you even start on your quest for the antique scooter of your dreams, first you need to do a little bit of research to ensure that you know what you are doing.
The first step is to learn all you can about the scooter of your dreams. This includes making sure that you understand all the technical details, including who made the engine and what this was made of, the type of framework that encased the machine and any other important information that will help you to authenticate its age. For example, if the scooter you are considering purchasing has fibreglass panels and the data you have studied tells you that this was not possible for that age of the model, it is not a genuine antique. The same would be the case for other mechanical parts of the machine.
Not knowing the history and technical data relative to the machine means that you will not only suffer the disappointment of not owning the real machine of your dreams, you also stand to lose a lot of money. If you do not have the technical knowhow to understand the information relative to your scooter choice, ask an expert for help. There are plenty of scooter enthusiast clubs around and most members of these clubs would be more than willing to help you out.
Step two relates to the purchase. In the first place you need to ask many questions of the buyer. For example, he/she should be able to provide you with some sort of mechanical history for the machine at least in terms of the replacement of original parts and a service history. Real antique scooter enthusiasts keep this information because they know how important it is for resale purposes. Secondly, never go to view an antique scooter on your own. This is especially the case if your knowledge of mechanics is limited. Always take someone with you who knows a bit about the make and model you are interested in. Even if you have to pay for this sort of advice it will be worth it in the end. Again, enthusiast club members will probably help you in this respect.
Step three is the actual decision to purchase. Do not let your heart rule your head and this is another reason for having someone with you because they are likely to be more objective. If you have any doubt about anything that is said by the buyer or cannot satisfy yourself entirely as to the authenticity of the machine - walk away. It is better to be safe than sorry. Only buy if you are as near to one hundred percent possible as you can be that this is the genuine article.
Buying an antique scooter is the same as buying any antique. You need to fully understand what you should be buying, ready to question the seller in detail and very sure that what you are buying is the genuine article before parting with hard earned money.
