Guys,
I don't know if this adds any value, but I've only had one experience with brokers. When I was selling the ex-Joe Martz/Steve Cook 308, I got a call from a broker who offered to help me sell it, and would give me a "special" discount on his rate (I think he was a member here, but I have absolutely no recollection of who it was...). He asked me what I needed to get out of the car, and I foolishly told him my bottom-line number (I'm sure Clyde will have a field day with this!!), but I also told him what I really thought was a fair price, and what I really *wanted* to get. A day or two later, he called with "Hey, great news! I got a buyer for your car!" When I asked how much, he fed my bottom-line price back to me. Thankfully, there were no formal agreements, and another lister had listed it on ebay. So I told said broker that I'll consider it, but it's also on ebay, and I would wait to make a decision after seeing what happened on ebay.
But it gets worse - he called my house when I wasn't home (and he knew it because we had just talked on my cell phone) and told my wife that he had just sold the car for me and when could he have the transportation company come pick it up? Thankfully, my wife it smarter than that and told him to go pound sand. Well, she told him that after she told him that if he really needed to come get it, she was half owner, and she was keeping her half - the back half with the engine! :-) In the end, ebay came through and I found a good buyer who was very interested, and was willing to pay the "buy it now" price (several thousand above what the broker offered). Since the car had a freshly rebuilt engine by an authorized Ferrari dealer, it was a fair price for both of us.
So, my lesson was never to deal with brokers. Period. Ever. (did I mention *NEVER*????) I don't know "Phil", but if Clyde says he's a good one, I will believe that (Phil, please don't take offense - I *THINK* we may have corresponded in the past, if you are who I think you are.... Phil T??).
My advice, for someone wanting something really special - like a SEFAC Hot-Rod - would be to become well acquainted with an authorized dealer and have them help you find the car of your dreams. I know dealers are not always popular, and some (many?) don't care about the vintage cars, but there are some who do and who have connections in that part of the market (those are the ones to find). Are dealers any better than brokers? Well, maybe not in some cases, but I would hope that, for the sake of their reputation in the Ferrari world, they make an extra effort to be above-board. Naive perhaps, but I know if I were in the market, I know people at our local dealer (FoW) that I would trust to help me find just that "special" car. For now, anyway. But so much has changed there, even that might not be my best bet.
Anyway, sorry for the ramble. Bottom line is I'd agree with the "no brokers" sentiment. I was soured because I thought that because of common membership here, someone might actually be trying to *help*. Wrong.
Thanks for reading this far.
gp
gmail.com)