40+ years at this and, for me at least, ya can still see things that are hard to figure out.
these two wagons are in that category for me. Never been a "wagoneer" as I have said, but i think i can still tell nice stuff ... from not so nice stuff.
i have, surely as many of you, seen cars transact outside ranges I would expect. Too high, too low. Whatever.
As a collectible vehicle category, vintage wagons seem to do well. But, dig into the details, maybe certain colors/body styles almost always do better than other colors/styles -- all other factors equal for a given vehicle.
Same as in brand new cars for 100 Years. skewed perhaps by type/color of car?
For example, in my OEM experience, we sold "red" sports cars like hotcakes. "red" luxo-barges not as well. some "coupes" we couldnt give away when they popped outta our plants "new".
50 years later (even taking into account inflation, so in constant dollars), darn things sell used for at/well above what we got for them "new". sure, "rarity" today factors in.
Not many made back then, tends to put upward pressure on prices today for surviving specimens. Still I used to have data that proved what I am saying. Anecdotally, I think is still true
source:
Most Popular Car Colors Over Time… Shades of Gray | Daily Infographic
anyway, highfalutin' number-mashing, trend scrubbing aside (which I actually enjoy wallowing around in that nerdy stuff), these particular wagons may have done exactly what they were "supposed" to do in their respective deals.
I dont think so (they went lower than I would have thought beforehand), but as long as willing buyer and seller feel good enough, they were good deals for them.
"Peanut gallery" denizens like me may just do best by just wishing 'em both (and these fine cars in their new homes) well.