Wheels: Old car hunting in the modern age

Classified ad venues have evolved over the years. For a long time, local newspapers had a lock on used car listings. Then dedicated ad magazines came along, though many are now defunct. Car enthusiasts could look forward to biweekly photo ad publications that might give the reader a glimpse of an interesting vehicle displayed in a small black-and-white photo.

If you really wanted the good deals, you had to know more than which day these ad mags were distributed; you needed to know the delivery route and which convenience stores got them first. There was a strategy to the hunt, and personality played a role. No email or text with single-word or canned inquiries — you had to pick up the phone and call the seller, at a reasonable time, and make a case for yourself to be the first potential buyer to get a crack at the pre-owned prize, then be ready to find it without GPS.