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My thought experiment was not meant to hit a nerve, it was to just prove a point to the most extreme degree. All I was trying to bring to the surface was all things being equal, which is more valuable? Otherwise, why even worry about the fender tag if it brings $0 dollars to the table?

I really think that the huge hit in values our Mopar cars experienced since 2007 has something to do with this fabricated history. I think a lot of collectors at Barrett and other high end auctions had more money than brains before 2007, and when they finally figured out that the cars they were purchasing had issues of one kind or the other and they made some poor investments of dollars into subpar cars, well, it couldn't have helped our hobby. Not that repop fender tags and VIN tags can totally account for the downward trend of values since 2007 (I'm sure there has been a lot of discovery of poor restorations as well; but this kind of goes hand in hand); and I know that good cars are bringing better money than 2007; but values have not fully recovered yet either. I follow the secondary auction market, and other than the $3.5 million hammer price on the best 71 hemicuda convertible on the planet, the rest of us are still not back to the 2005 prices. Sorry for going off topic a bit, but really; isn't this the reason people want fender tags on their cars? If it didn't affect value, why make em up?

And yes, I really do like "swapman's" fender tags. Awesome, funny, one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

Mark



No nerve hit Mark, this topic can span a great area. Stupid money is still out there, especially in the North East. Hate to generalize, but I too track auctions, and travelled to see the US Marshall auction.

Some of the cars sold were actually for sale on consignment before being seized. They could have been bought for less at the consignment dealer. Yet they sold for a premium of multiple 10K dollars and this was with expert appraisal that pointed out re vinned motors and fake documentation. These where the SS Chevys.

One had to be reclassified as a tribute after the inspection revealed quite graphically that it was a Malibu with fake broadcast sheet, window sticker, VIN, and parts. Still sold for $70K

As far as the Mopars, the Hemi Superbird sold for $575K. And yes there was a single digit off between the broadcast sheet and the Fender tag. Otherwise deemed to be Original numbers match, but restored with all OEM equipment, including date coded tires.

The Basket case 71CUDA hemi went high dollars too. Even with the 1969 motor that had the correct VIN on it. Lots of talk about that.

So in my mind far more has to go into evaluating a car than the fender tag. I just don't treat the fender tag like the motor, just because it has data on it.

As others have pointed out there are legitimate reasons to desire having a fender tag reproduced for your car.

In my own case, I can find several examples of fender tags of the same build month that I can look at for cars similarly optioned as mine. In my research for my car, those fender tags are very consistent. Car to BC Sheet to Fender tag. In all cases I have seen, the fender tag has less options on it than the Broad Cast sheet. G