So you crashed your trailer... and now you need a value!

[Darwin Maring]

Pete, In the past I have had a DMV use the NADA book to look up a value when I was given a vehicle so they could calculate the tax.

At the time the banks used the NADA book to figure the loan value. At the time it actually had 3 values, Loan Value, Trade-in Value and Retail Value. The dealers are now using a small black book and keep it really secure - not letting the public get a look.

[james kent]

Check out
www.nadaguides.com

[Pete Dumbleton]

My understanding is that the original purpose of the NADA guide was so the loan, insurance and dealer parts of the industry can have a central reference that they all can accept -- Tax guys too -- Everybody likes to have a published value to point to!

I guessing, but the dealer's black book probably contains highly localized data on what they can take in used and what they can sell for, with factors that are likely specific to the dealer's profit margins. Of course, with computers, it is easy for dealers countrywide to satisfy local requirements by importing the used stuf. I recall a friend in Florida being contacted by the new owner in Wisconsin about the maintenance -- That trade-in truck was moved a long ways compared to the old days!