Book Review: Everything You Need to Know: Car Collecting

So you've got some extra time and money, and you've always wanted to work on a vintage truck; or you remember the muscle cars that you wanted so badly when you were growing up but couldn’t afford back then, and you think that now is the perfect time to go get one.

Whatever the reason, if this is your first time buying a collector car, “Everything You Need to Know: Car Collecting” offers just that—everything you need to know.

Steve Linden walks newcomers to the hobby through every step of collecting cars in a very simple and easy to follow manner, while offering plenty of useful information to the seasoned veteran as well. Each section is headed with a list of key ideas you’ll learn in that chapter, and there’s even a glossary at the back of the book to help with all of those car terms, like Trim Tag, which you may have thought had something to do with your Christmas tree.

The book starts by giving a broad definition of what a collector car is, saying: “A collector is almost anything you want it to be.” That’s not exactly the most helpful definition for someone who doesn’t know much about collector cars to begin with, but the point is that as long as people collect them, they’re collectible, and Linden goes on to give some sound advice as to how to go about deciding what kind of vehicle is the right collector car for you.

Even if you think you know exactly what you’re looking for, it’s probably a good idea to ask yourself some of the questions that Linden poses before you go off and splurge on a ’61 Corvette, only to realize that while you planned to use it as a daily driver, you can’t quite fit your wife and three kids into your new two-seater.

Once you’ve figured out that maybe a station wagon or at least a sedan might be a better choice for enjoying your collector car with your family, Linden shows you where to look for it.

These days, finding the car of your dreams may be easier due to resources like the Internet and an increasing number of auctions and swap meets, but this also means that you need to be familiar with how to use these tools.

An important section in this book deals with live auctions and Web auctions, like eBay, that could be very helpful got anyone looking to buy a collector car at an auction not just beginners. beginners. Both online and live auctions can leave a buyer in over his head. For this reason, the book subtly steers beginners away from auctions, but it does provide how-to pointers for those brave enough to go ahead and try it anyway. (For more on the trend toward buying cars in cyberspace, see page 14.)

To help with the negotiation process and finalizing the deal on your new vintage vehicle, “Everything You Need to Know” offers a complete checklist of things a buyer should look for when inspecting the vehicle and questions to ask the seller before making a purchase.

On the other end, once you’ve been in the hobby for a while and find yourself wanting to sell your collector vehicle, there’s a checklist for sellers to help them sell their cars and get the most out of the deal.

Throughout the book there are hundreds of pictures of cars, parts, paperwork and garages to help illustrate all of the important things you’ll need to know about buying and caring for your new collector car. Also included are numerous anecdotes about real car collectors and their not always positive experiences in the hobby. These form a good warning and will certainly help you avoid repeating their mistakes.

If you have everything you need to get involved in the hobby except the general know-how about car collecting, “Everything You Need to Know” is the perfect final ingredient to get you started. And if you’re already a collector and have been learning things the hard way, you may find that good advice you’ve been looking for within these pages.