Is this how addictions begin?

I was driving by the local Ace Hardware early Saturday morning when I spied with my little eye a clean '92 RMW in the parking lot. It's not completely unusual to spot a whale in the wild around here, but it is rare to see a nice one. I pulled in and parked next to it and gave it a quick walk around. I got back in my car and waited a few minutes just to compliment them on a nice car. Then I see two old ladies coming out of the store and heading my way. The owner gets over to the passenger side door and opens it before I can hit the lock button. She exclaims "Who put a baby seat in here?" to which I replied "I did!" She apologized but we both got a good laugh out of it. So I got out and talked to them for a few minutes. She remarked that she liked the green paint on mine better than the silver on hers. She bought the car in '03 from Georgia when it had 60k miles. It has 93k miles now and she says she always keeps it in the garage. Then she drops the bomb on me and says she's going to replace it with something smaller this summer, probably a Subaru wagon. I told her I'd be interested in it when she did so she asked for my number.

My wife's car is a dozen years old Chrysler sedan with 180k. We said we'd drive it until the wheels fell off, but with a third baby due in September it'll be too small for all of us then. So my wife, who wasn't too keen on the first wagon, has grown to love it. She agrees that a second wagon would make a lot of sense so we'd always have something big enough should one of them break down. So regardless of whether we get this car if and when that times comes (fingers crossed) we'll probably be getting a second one before the end of the year.

There are a few minor cosmetic issues: peeling vinyl on the woodgrain edge trim, small 2" tear in the driver side leather seat, and one of the hub caps is missing a center emblem. Aside from that it's clean and straight. All the rubber moldings and stainless is in great shape. None of the plastic interior parts appeared to be cracked or missing. Even the paint and carpet still look very presentable. She said that it was starting to get some rust underneath, but I didn't look so it's hard to say to what extent. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Stalking little old ladies for their cars?
Perhaps it is time to admit you have an addiction.

On the other hand, that is a pretty sweet looking wagon,
Where'd you say she lives?

You've got the disease, my advice is to stay off Craigslist or it will only get worse

Nice story, never know who you'll see driving these things.  Did you tell her about the forum?

95BRMW wrote:

You've got the disease, my advice is to stay off Craigslist or it will only get worse

He doesn't follow his own advice.

Tom

HoosierDaddy,you sir make me proud to be a fellow Hoosier!

Whoa! My legal counsel advised me to use the term "people watching". I watched CL for a few months trying to find the right wagon. It must have become a habit because I was still looking 2 or 3 times a week after buying mine. In fact, a nice burgundy and grey, 117k mile 92 OCC came up the very next week. Luckily by that point there was no decision to be made, because I would have had a very hard time choosing. Suffice to say that the signs of addiction have been there all along. I still feel compelled to check CL weekly.

My intention when I stopped was just to check it out, and also see if maybe the owner was one of us, or at least our breed. By the time I saw the car's owner I forget all about mentioning the forum. The real breakthrough was getting my wife on-board with the idea of a second wagon.
It amazing that car is still as straight as it is. Look at how far she parked over the line!

HoosierDaddy wrote:

The real breakthrough was getting my wife on-board with the idea of a second wagon.

Funny how that works. Mine isn't ready to put up with collecting; but she can spot one by the headlights, in the dark, from a half mile away. I can't even see that far.

It started like this. I bought the blue one 'Rusty' (NYSP 1A2) and needed a parts car so I got 'Dusty' (brown one)



Dusty was in better condition with less miles so I kept looking:



Ruby was also too nice, but decided by that point to sell Rusty, but then something happened before I finialized the deal on Rusty:



Well I sold Rusty and the two blue 92 RMWs to Pat and his buddy, after getting my DGGM Jade:


Then got my first and second OCCs about a month apart:



Sold the two OCCs and bought another from Brokecello:


Then managed to get up 6 at one time (no pic), came to my senses and am now down to 2 (Jade and Ruby) and a Fleetwood...

So yeah, two is a good number. ha ha ha

Sprocket you are one of the few members on here who could hold their own Wagonfest...

Sprocket's post is frightening ...ly well illustrated.
I think I need to go to a meeting.
...wait  this group's meetings seem to promote addiction.

I guess tapering off, down to two (three really), is a positive sign.
(or perhaps it is just early in the season.)

I've bought too many to remember how and when I got them. My signature was last summer, there's only one less today

95BRMW wrote:

I've bought too many to remember how and when I got them.  My signature was last summer, there's only one less today

Whenever I see your post,I always think "Wow,a different car for every day of the week!And David "95BRMW" does have one serious problem,he needs more parking space!

I'm liking the idea of one for every day of the week....Hmmmm.....

Cory, Mr. Buick is the real whore here....I dunno know how many he currently has.  But aside from Ruphraxe who buys and sells (over 600), I think Cory is number 2 with ownership.  I have ONLY had 14 in 7.5 years (1 Fleetwood, 13 wagons).