Steve --   Thanx for your post on the VA Beach auction.

I went to a Goodwill auction in DC a few years ago, got carried away
and bought a Jaguar at about fair market price.  As the story turned
out--

It belonged to the wife of a Pentagon general.  She had treated it
like a Chevrolet.  When the techs told her it required $2000 to catch
up on 'deferred maintenance'  the general gave it to Goodwill and took
a charitable deduction.  It had a list of deficiencies as long as your
arm.  Even though it looked great, it would have been a rotten
purchase at the price -- except that I was contributing to a worthy
charity!

Bottom line:  you are absolutely RIGHT to walk from any auction
offerings where you don't have plenty of allowance for fixing the
problems that are almost certain to be there -- unless you view your
higher bid as a charitable contribution.  Tax experts on the List may
comment on this.

Good luck at future auctions.  If you [and other List friends] are
interested, the Davis Memorial Goodwill in DC on South Dakota Av
should have their large annual foreign/specialty auction coming up
soon.  They generally have several Vanagons in the line-up.  You can
get on their mailing list by phoning them directly.

Glenn
Queenstown, Maryland

=============REF==============
Date:    Fri, 14 Apr 2000 15:38:55 -0400
From:    Hajasz <hajasz@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Vanagon Carat Auction at Salvation Army in Virginia Beach

Forgot to tell the list, there is Vanagon up for auction tomorrow at
Salvation Army, starting bid $1200.........