[husker boxster]

The number I generally use when buying or selling a private owner car is half way between retail and trade-in. That seems to be the sweet spot for making the sale. A private owner generally has to take less than a dealer because the PO has some disadvantages over a dealer: (1) a dealer takes trades, (2) a dealer can provide financing, (3) a dealer is in a high traffic area that is easy to get to, (4) a dealer has a reputation to uphold (hopefully). To overcome these disadvantages, the PO must entice customers with a lower price.

Dealers also play with the numbers when it comes to reporting sales. When I traded my 01S in for my LE, the actual price they gave me was $20.5K but the paperwork showed $27K. The $27K is what the various car price guides would use to help establish the value of the 01S. So car guide values can be a bit misleading. Plus there's a lag between the numbers they use and the actual market. With the continual southward spiral of the economy and the northward climb of gas prices, car guides are going to be a bit optimistic when it comes to luxury items like Boxsters because the data they use is not real time.

The car you're looking at sounds like a nice car - good options, etc. Just think the owner is off / behind on what the value is in today's market. You're getting in at a good time. It's definitely a buyers market, so take advantage of it. If the owner won't budge, keep looking. And keep this person's contact info. Maybe in another month he'll be more motivated to move it.

Good luck and hope you have a chance to join the Boxster community.