Is Pistonheads classifieds dying?

[Jack!]

I wouldn't be sad, because Pistonheads prices were always over-inflating because it's where all the enthusiast tax cars would get listed, but when I've checked their classifieds in recent times it seems like the amount of listings is getting less and less, is it on it's way out for classifieds? Do you still check them when you're looking for a car?

Discuss.

 

[Stay Puft]

Definitely. I found my M135i on there. It was probably the best spec around, and on the lower end of the price range. The seller had only advertised it on PH. If it had been on AT it would have been gone instantly.

 

[adamlstr]

I've only ever sold cars on here or PH, it's a better platform to sell something that's not run of the mill.

My account on PH is old enough to enjoy free listings too, which is a nice bonus.

My first place to browse for interesting things is PH still.

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

Was it ever alive in the first place? I've owned over 30 cars and only bought one on PH and never sold one.

To me, it always seemed to attract over-priced stuff, and never had as much choice as the likes of Auto Trader or eBay. I guess it's appealing if you're looking for something really niche, but I rarely find myself looking there to be honest.

 

[Daz...]

I found my 182 on there, but that was due to being bored of looking on AT. I don't think I've even got an account on there tbh.

 

[imprezaworks]

Can’t remember the last time I went on there, must be years ago. Always used to tbh. Cars seemed better advertised, people could string a sentence together. Either the prices went a bit lol or mostly traders took over. Probably both.

 

[plenty]

Definitely dying. Most of the enthusiast traffic is now on Facebook, while AT and eBay take care of the non-enthusiasts.

 

[charltjr]

I've had some success on there, but yeah I have a free classifieds account too. I'd check it for specialist stuff, think I might have seen the Zenos there originally but can't remember.

Honestly the whole site is a shadow of itself now, the forums have a worse sound to noise ratio than ever (which is saying something) and the editorial content is getting weaker all the time.

 

[Danith]

Died properly years ago. It's crap now and the site is full of spammy adverts.

All it is, is traders now.

used to be free to advertise! I didn't use anything else until about 10 years ago.

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

I've had some success on there, but yeah I have a free classifieds account too. I'd check it for specialist stuff, think I might have seen the Zenos there originally but can't remember.

Honestly the whole site is a shadow of itself now, the forums have a worse sound to noise ratio than ever (which is saying something) and the editorial content is getting weaker all the time.

Funny you say about the editorial quality, as I had an interview to be the editor a few years ago. I didn't get it, as they went for a "safe" choice, but it's probably worse than it's ever been. Some of the mistakes make you wonder if some of the writers even like cars!

 

[charltjr]

Oh god yeah, the errors in the buyers guides and reviews, plus the total lack of proofreading.... it's embarrassing. Just stinks of the whole thing being run on a shoestring to pull in the advertising $$$

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

Oh god yeah, the errors in the buyers guides and reviews, plus the total lack of proofreading.... it's embarrassing. Just stinks of the whole thing being run on a shoestring to pull in the advertising $$$

Yeah it's definitely not good. A sign of the times though to some extent. Budgets in most media outlets have all but evaporated. Ad revenue is getting harder to raise. The website/forum/classified model is getting a bit outdated when you look at the whole influencer/social media/YouTube revolution.

It's a s**t industry to be involved in at times sadly. People want awesome content, but no one seems to want to pay for it anymore. The problem for the likes of PH is that, by cutting back on their editorial quality, they're only accelerating their demise.

 

[yeecup]

sold a few cars on it back in the day and also sold my e46 330ci on there a year ago. i still look at cars on it a fair bit. however it seems collecting cars is the new place to sell anything thats interesting to enthusiasts.

 

[mossyv6]

Always use EBay. Has a massive field of viewers but can take a serious amount of weeding out of time wasters.

I have tried on here a couple of times and was very surprised and frustrated to only get low ball offers from “experts”.

 

[mart.z.s]

I always stick one on there as its free but don't generally get a lot out of it. Normally ebay comes up OK. It is a lot quieter than it was a few years ago.

I always look on there for stuff to buy as whilst some are overpriced there is a lot of enthusiast owned stuff too.

 

[plenty]

Yeah it's definitely not good. A sign of the times though to some extent. Budgets in most media outlets have all but evaporated. Ad revenue is getting harder to raise. The website/forum/classified model is getting a bit outdated when you look at the whole influencer/social media/YouTube revolution.

It's a s**t industry to be involved in at times sadly. People want awesome content, but no one seems to want to pay for it anymore. The problem for the likes of PH is that, by cutting back on their editorial quality, they're only accelerating their demise.

So true. Facebook, IG and YT have killed the bulletin board. A few like Cliosport are still doing ok but it's only going in one direction.

I also think the changes in PH reflect the wider state of the nation and of social media in general. Divided, argumentative, cynical, less about kinship and connection and more about attention-seeking and one-upmanship. I count myself lucky to have experienced PH's heyday. I went to so many awesome events and made many good friends through that forum. That's unthinkable today.

 

[Cads]

I still browse the classifieds although the numbers of cars on there has clearly waned over the years.
PH’s biggest issue is the forums. Before I came here I’d browse interesting threads on PH, only to find half way through some utter cretins had derailed a perfectly decent thread and turned it into a petty squabble.
I generally found the attitudes on there to be more and more divisive and less and less accepting.
This has pretty much been said but it’s really not a very friendly or welcoming place anymore.

 

[Krarl]

Always use EBay. Has a massive field of viewers but can take a serious amount of weeding out of time wasters.

I have tried on here a couple of times and was very surprised and frustrated to only get low ball offers from “experts”.

The worst thing is the people that you sell stuff to for cheap and they're just not grateful for it

I've given stuff away for free on here and not seen a thanks before, in future they can kindly go and f**k their own face😂

 

[Martin_172]

i used to like looking on piston heads for stuff as it seemed to be where you got the best selection of enthusiast stuff, but it ended up full of dealers selling tat like the rest of the sites

 

[Krarl]

i used to like looking on piston heads for stuff as it seemed to be where you got the best selection of enthusiast stuff, but it ended up full of dealers selling tat like the rest of the sites

And those dealers literally polish a turd, spray some underseal on it and make out its a well maintained example🙄

A bit like these "specialists" that f**k up changing an alternator and make out they know what they're doing

 

[R-Sport.]

Apart from here & then near the death on FB > I sold all mine on PH so I have to be thankful for that.

If you look at that niche they sell though

- FB market place
- FB enthusiast groups
- Websites like collecting cars

Has stripped a lot of the cars off there. Especially private sale ones...

 

[Bluebeard]

Pistonheads died when they changed the sale format.

The old format was flooded with cars and it was easy to search for something you fancied.

I load the page up now take one look and think f**k that I’ll go to ebay/Autotrader.

 

[roberto.]

Apart from here & then near the death on FB > I sold all mine on PH so I have to be thankful for that.

If you look at that niche they sell though

- FB market place
- FB enthusiast groups
- Websites like collecting cars

Has stripped a lot of the cars off there. Especially private sale ones...

I find it takes far too long to find anything decent on FB marketplace. The majority of motors are even shitter than the likes of eBay.

I used to always look at pistonheads but the whole website just isn't user friendly either.

 

[CrippsCorner]

Have bought and sold on there previously, but yeah I don't even bother checking now shame really because the forums are still very good.

Only bother with Autotrader and eBay, and Gumtree if I get really desperate!

 

[mart.z.s]

Just had my BMW on there and it sold within 2 weeks. Put it on ebay aswell as couldnt justify the cost of autotrader for the price of the car

Had a few enquiries through pistonheads. Person who bought it said they mainly look on autotrader but on the off chance looked at pistonheads so I was quite lucky in that respect.

 

[Ant1]

Apart from here & then near the death on FB > I sold all mine on PH so I have to be thankful for that.

If you look at that niche they sell though

- FB market place
- FB enthusiast groups
- Websites like collecting cars

Has stripped a lot of the cars off there. Especially private sale ones...

You probably propped them up with all those private cars sales you listed with them.

 

[frayz]

Personally still used PH every day for the Porsche chat and my Clio has a thread on there.
Yet when it comes to classifieds, i never look on AT at all, never have. PH is still my go to place for the nicer cars. Having said that, im a long termer when it comes to keeping cars, so hardly ever look at the classifieds with any intent to buy.

 

[Cads]

I’m currently browsing the classifieds and include PH on my travels. It’s not a great format and the pop up adverts which obscure some of the screen are irritating but I have found an Elise that appears to only have been advertised on PH.
Therefore it’s clearly still of some use and used by the diehards as a platform to sell.

 

[coolspot007007]

I like the amount of filtering you can do so you can pick up on cars you might not have considered before. Autotrader is too vague for faster cars i.e 0-60 5 secs or less or 8 or less, it's a WIDE range. I get most people don't need/want that.