We often state that we want or need something. It seems to me that the definition of those two words can be very fluid. What I mean to say is that sometimes things that we say that we need are really more wants and sometimes, over time, wants become needs. For example, most of us remember when an air-conditioned automobile was rare, and that option was in the domain of the “well to do” and we commoners rolled down the windows. Few would argue that you need AC today.
It would be easy to find examples in almost any endeavor. Having a telescopic sight on your rifle, never mind your shotgun was not necessary years ago but most deer hunters today “need” one. My new Ariens snowblower has electric start and turn assist. My old one, with neither, cleared snow quite well, thank you. My conclusion is that as we age, we look at things differently and often want turns to need.
It is my opinion that this sportsman needs a truck to live the life he “wants” to live. I have often said that a vehicle needs to get me from point “A” to point “B” reliably. Over the years, my choice has been a full-sized Chevrolet Silverado and they have served me well. For the past few months, my personal debate has involved whether it is time to upgrade my truck. In 2012, the last time this debate raged, my mind was made up that I would not buy a new vehicle but instead find a used truck. When looking around, I determined that, with the incentives offered by Chevrolet at that time, the dollar difference between a new vehicle and a two-year-old truck was so small that the 2013 LT Extended Cab ended up in the garage and has really been an outstanding vehicle. With nearly 125,000 miles it still has original brakes, shocks and exhaust and looks and runs great!
So then, why does this writer “need” a new truck? My feeling was that it might be a good time to buy, following the GM strike and December is considered the best month to get a good deal on vehicles. During the time spent looking at the marketplace, it became apparent to me that in today’s world, a significant portion of the truck buyers, like most of the higher end of the car market, choose to lease rather than buy a new vehicle. That creates a glut of vehicles that are turned in by the lessee and most have low miles. Looking at online used car sites, there were a lot of Silverados with a round 30,000 miles at a price about half of a new truck. And by the way, you can spend $60,000 to $70,000 for a new pickup but this guy’s “fixed income” will not swing that!
In late October, I emailed the Chevrolet dealers within 40 miles and stated that I would be looking for either a new of off-lease truck between Thanksgiving and the end of the year. The response was not overwhelming as they want you to go to the showroom. I also stopped in at Town Line Motors in Orange and told proprietor Mike Beaton that I was looking for an off-lease Silverado and gave him my mileage and price range.
Now, if we go back to me original premise, I really do not need a new truck. My 2013 does everything I need it do quite well and has no mechanical issues. In truth, I want a new vehicle but do not want to go deep into debt. With the numbers I gave the dealers, I could change vehicles without another payment at a time when that is important.
While at Town Line, Mike went online to see what 2016 Silverados would be at the next weekly auction for dealers and he found some offered by leasing companies and a couple met my criteria. The price, however, would be determined at the auction. To make a long story short, he found one of those trucks that fit my needs and bought it. When I stopped by and looked at the truck, he made me a very fair offer on my 2013 and we had a deal. As I write this, he is prepping the truck and we will exchange vehicles at some point this week. I am looking forward to more adventures with the, new to me, truck which is a true double cab and the same length as the extended cabs.
This week has found me quite depressed by the loss of two good friends. Tim Aguda passed away suddenly and his loss will be felt by so many. He was a very gifted Mahar athlete, a member of the Mahar Athletic Hall of Fame and a really great person and friend.
On Saturday, I learned of the death of one of my closest friends in the New England Outdoor Writers, Randy Julius. We spent many hours together on fishing trips for stripers and on an epic Canadian adventure and we frequently shared cabins on Spring Safaris. He was a very interesting person and discussions or phone calls with Randy could last hours. He was an award-winning artist, having won the Massachusetts Duck Stamp contest more than any other artist, and he produced the painting that became the first Massachusetts Land Stamp. He had a collection of hundreds of arrowheads he found and was a captivating speaker, having spoken at the Mahar Fish’N Game Club Game Supper and many other venues.
Randy was the most knowledgeable person I have ever met on the topic of tick-borne diseases as he lost his mother that way. Unfortunately, he recently had been diagnosed with one of the serious strains himself and was suffering serious side effects and symptoms. For reasons only he will know, he chose to take his own life and it is a great loss to all of us who knew him.