Did You See Anything Good Today? [Read First Post]

  • Thread starter GilesGuthrie
  • 46,589 comments
  • 2,732,341 views
My first AMG GT. :D

image.jpeg
image.jpeg
 
jeffgoddin
But the main idea I had today is what is the necessary antecedent to a convention? A carspotting organization of all the local clubs around the world, or for my purposes at least America. I know here in Cleveland, Ohio, we've got 6-8 guys I know about who are sincere spotters, and probably a few more I don't know about yet. We all meet up at the best shows and Cars & Coffees, and randomly out spotting, many times a year, we're all friends. I'm sure this is not unique to my experience, it must be the same across the country and probably the world, in every major metro area. Rural spotters, yeah, you may be alone out there, but you have comrades not so far away.
Click to expand...
I don't know about everywhere else, but Dallas would be represented by youngsters who go around car spotting for Instagram. The only adults are actual photographers who go around looking to add to their portfolios.
So yeah, we could become an organisation. The next ideas I had were also rather interesting, and I'm not exactly sure how it would work out in a business model, but I see two possible revenue steams for carspotting. One, adding to registries. Carspotters see everything, and there are many people (collectors/dealers) who want to know what's out there. I floated this idea by one of my spotting buddies and he said he'd already heard from a local dealer that he'd be happy to pay a few bucks for the knowledge of each addition to the database of what's out there that he deals in. Two, a sort of carspotters craigslist of interesting cars for sale. How many times do you approach an owner and find out the car is for sale? With the combined information of all the spotters in America (or the world) we could become a major clearinghouse for interesting cars, with commissions for spotters. Bring a trailer look out!

Me and my Cleveland spotting friends are probably going to move forward on this, so watch for it, but I wanted to announce it here and hear what you all thought. Love it? Hate it? Already thought of it? Lemme know!
Click to expand...
This is a thin line you'll be walking with owners, esp. if you intent on making money off them. If people have something interesting, and you're taking pictures of it just so you can pass it along to a collector/dealership who will start bugging them about it, they're likely not going to be very happy. If the car isn't marked for sale, or an owner doesn't tell you, there's no reason to be telling a dealership the owner's car is in the area for a quick buck. Owners get enough soliciting taking a car into service.

The other thing is that your idea is somewhat already out there in the exotic world, but without the photos. If a collector/dealership wants to know what's out there, there are people who deal by word of mouth to those who know what's available off the media market. Same thing with registries, though they are only there to tell you what specific cars were built. There is no further information a buyer could use unless they purchase access to a closed registry.

Stick with cars that are already for sale if you intent on using your photos for this purpose. Only then do you help the owner by expanding beyond his region.
 
Good feedback, thanks! In Cleveland I think I got the best look at our spotters when Gumball came through a couple years ago, and it was mostly guys in their 20's. I'm the old fart of our group at 41, we have a couple more in their late 20's, a few more around 20, and one still a teenager. And yeah over the years it seems many of the local spotters have moved off into more serious photography, and even many of the younger spotters have pretty expensive rigs already. Other events I attended in San Francisco also were primarily guys in their 20's. I'd say, maybe it really is different everywhere else, but from what I've seen the idea that most spotters are "kids" is an exaggeration. Plus, even that idea only refers to exotic spotters. There's another whole class of spotters I follow in England of guys who like to keep track of the odd survivors, only a few of them left, last MOT, that sort of thing.

But I take your point about further harassing the owners of exotic cars. I'd still like to contribute to the registries of cars like Opels or Peugeots or (old) Fiats in the United States, but wouldn't expect compensation. The notion of being a clearinghouse of cars we encounter which are for sale still is very intriguing to me, though, because of the sheer number of guys who I meet who say "It's for sale!"

Yeah, Carspotters Convention, I don't know if it could ever happen, but there are some things about the idea that I like, and wanted to float my thoughts here. Thanks again for your thoughtful reply.
 
jeffgoddin
Good feedback, thanks! In Cleveland I think I got the best look at our spotters when Gumball came through a couple years ago, and it was mostly guys in their 20's. I'm the old fart of our group at 41, we have a couple more in their late 20's, a few more around 20, and one still a teenager. And yeah over the years it seems many of the local spotters have moved off into more serious photography, and even many of the younger spotters have pretty expensive rigs already. Other events I attended in San Francisco also were primarily guys in their 20's. I'd say, maybe it really is different everywhere else, but from what I've seen the idea that most spotters are "kids" is an exaggeration. Plus, even that idea only refers to exotic spotters. There's another whole class of spotters I follow in England of guys who like to keep track of the odd survivors, only a few of them left, last MOT, that sort of thing.
Click to expand...
Expensive rigs though, from what I've witnessed here, don't mean much. These guys are primarily just pointing-and-shooting & then moving on to the next car for their Instagram/YouTube channels & calling themselves "photographers" despite having no creativity or uniqueness to their shots. They also rely heavily on Cars & Coffee for their content, so when it comes to actual spotting, guys in here like you blow them out of the water in content & quality. This is where I generally classify our spotters as "kids" b/c most of them are still fairly young & inexperienced. The older guys I mentioned before don't actually go spotting.

In other words, Dallas doesn't have any real car spotters like folks in here. They either whore out C&C or have photoshoots with exotic owners to produce the same repetitive style in all their photos. There are maybe 2-3 I can think of Dallas that can go spotting for more than just exotic cars at an event & actually recognize rare cars built before 2000.
But I take your point about further harassing the owners of exotic cars. I'd still like to contribute to the registries of cars like Opels or Peugeots or (old) Fiats in the United States, but wouldn't expect compensation. The notion of being a clearinghouse of cars we encounter which are for sale still is very intriguing to me, though, because of the sheer number of guys who I meet who say "It's for sale!"

Yeah, Carspotters Convention, I don't know if it could ever happen, but there are some things about the idea that I like, and wanted to float my thoughts here. Thanks again for your thoughtful reply.
Click to expand...
I should have added that registries are fine just depending on what kind of information you're putting into them. I don't think you want to get too specific on the details of the cars.

I think you may be onto a novel idea, I just wouldn't support any Dallas folks going. Have you tried contacting DeMuro since his rise to fame was basically spotting?
 
Hmmm... just looking over his recent Youtube videos (I've never hear of him) his recent cars include a 1990 R32 GT-R. I'm gonna like this guy, and will spend the next day or two watching his videos. Then maybe I'll message him about a Carspotters Convention.

and here's a few more for today
maserati grancabrio by Jeff Goddin, on Flickr

dodge viper by Jeff Goddin, on Flickr

chevy corvette c2 by Jeff Goddin, on Flickr

bmw m5 by Jeff Goddin, on Flickr

chrysler 300 coupe 1972 or so i guess by Jeff Goddin, on Flickr
 
There is only model S (sedan), model X (that white thing in your picture) and roadster (based on lotus elise) and upcoming thing THE 3. There's no C model.
 
7up747
There is only model S (sedan), model X (that white thing in your picture) and roadster (based on lotus elise) and upcoming thing THE 3. There's no C model.
Click to expand...

Sorry, Model 3 is what I meant. Never even knew the Model X. From the pictures of the 3, it looks basically the same.
 
Kamuifanboy
Sorry, Model 3 is what I meant. Never even knew the Model X. From the pictures of the 3, it looks basically the same.
Click to expand...

Not really, I mean, sort of. The Model X is a SUV, the Model 3 is a smaller Model S which means a saloon. So yes, nothing alike, but they all share the same design cues
 
Haven't been spotting cars for sometime but today, i just spotted this Toyota Supra MK3 driving around while i was walking to my garbage school bus (which i missed and had to wait and go back with my brother).

Screenshot_2016-05-04-14-22-30.png


Edit: also here's a vette.
20160504_155532.jpg
 
Last edited:
Last edited:

Latest Posts

Back