From travelling around the various antique and collectors fairs and auctions we attend, it has become apparent that some dealers own and some dealers rent.
I refer of course not to their stock but to their means of transporting it – the indomitable van.
It’s a choice we’ve been faced with in the past, as it gradually became completely impossible to fit all our stock, shelves and tables into even a large car. This left us with two realistic options:
- Sell the car and buy a van
- Hire a van whenever we needed one and keep the car for everyday use
In the end, we decided to sell the car and buy a van. This had two advantages – unlimited usage and lower costs. The question was question of cost was determined by considering whether the extra fuel costs of a van would exceed the costs of renting one when we needed it. For us they didn’t – making it cheaper to buy a van and run it as our only vehicle.
Of course, this does have some restrictions – car parks with height barriers are out, it only has three seats (including the driver’s) and it’s a bit thirsty and agricultural to drive compared to a car.
These downside – plus the sometimes thorny issue of residential parking – are probably the reasons why some dealers obviously just rent a van to use when they are standing at a fair and manage without the rest of the time.
Sometimes I’ve felt tempted by that path too – but for now, I’m going to stick with my trusty Transit. What do you do?
Note: If you are not sure where to start with vans, these links might be useful: