A used Volkswagen Beetle can be a great deal

A used Volkswagen Beetle can easily be found in the used car market. If you know what model you're after, then the process of finding one to fit your needs is greatly improved.

A good way to determine what Beetle model you want (body style, options, etc.) is to watch your local newspaper classified ads and monitor what's being sold. When you see an ad for a Beetle that sounds interesting and has the options you think you're looking for, call the owner and arrange to go out and look at it. You will probably need to look at several different cars to see what condition they are in and figure out if this is what you're really looking for.

Before buying any used Volkswagen Beetle, be sure to do intelligent, detailed research to determine what a fair market price is for the car you want.

Sources used to determine a fair price

• eBay Motors is an easy way to see what's available and what price cars are selling for. These cars have a lot of bidding exposure and even more people are buying these cars because the process of buying a car "on line" is not as scary as it once was. Most sellers will let you win the bid and then let you reject the car if, after you have looked at it in person, you feel that it was misrepresented. They still require a down payment to make sure you're serious though.
• A good offline source for finding car values is the Hemmings Motor News. This is a monthly magazine/book that lists a LOT of cars for sale. The magazine can be purchased at most larger book stores.
• Old Cars Price Guide is another monthly magazine available at most larger book stores and is published by Krause Publications. It lists market values for cars from 1901 - 1996. (oldcarspriceguide.net)
• For late model cars, sources like the Kelly Blue Book (kbb.com) and Edmunds (edmunds.com) will help you determine fair prices.

Armed with the pricing information you've researched, check out some car auctions to find your used Volkswagen Beetle.