Rusty, Jim may be referring to the Kelley Blue Book. Yes the NADA books are yellow with blue print, and sometimes called the blue book. The comparison is located here. In my opinion the Kelly Blue Book will have a lower price on its listed vehicles.

I was not sure, but always thought "National Automotive Dealers Association" values came from actual sales. Here is a direct quote form the NADA frequently asked questions page. "The data sources used to determine the used car values are actual auction and retail sales transactions, asking price information, as well as numerous macro- and micro-economic factors."

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With the above statement in mind, we can see how the published information becomes obscured. How can you base a value of a vehicle when the actual retail sale is obscured to begin with?

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Most states charge sales tax when vehicles change hands. Tax rate is based on the actual selling price. Buyers and sellers generally agree to lower the sales price to lower the tax. This lowered agreed price then lowers the value posted by the "value guides" like NADA.

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We can keep the obscured posted value in mind when purchasing any vehicle. As some have said in other posts "Value Guide Publications," are just base lines for consumers. True value comes from the "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." My dad said if you want it and have the resources, "just buy it."

The "Recreational Vehicle Blue Book" has been published since 1936. You have to buy a membership. I don't know anybody who has done this so maybe one of our Barth folks knows something about it. It sounds like a pretty expensive thing. A single view is $21.95. The whole book is $159.95. Don't know anything more, but they do list Barth as one of the manufacturers covered.

Maybe the library would have RV blue book?

That's the one I was referring to.