*Flippers being the folks who pick up a car that they believe to be worth more than what they have paid for it and almost immediately turn around and try to sell it for a healthy profit.*

The economy has been doing funny things with the Early Fox market. We're seeing everything from wildly overpriced vehicles for sale to screamin' deals. It's certainly a buyers market for the ones who know what to look for. However, those of us who watch Ebay, Craigslist, Kijiji and other online marketplaces are noticing an increase of cars being bought and sold repeatedly in a short amount of time.

It seems that flippers are trying to get into the Early Fox market to make a quick buck. Many are finding out the hard way that the car they picked up for a seemingly low, low price isn't getting any bites once they've tacked on their "convenience fees," the convenience being that you're buying it from Seller B now, instead of Seller A. Since we have a dedicated group of folks who search for sale ads, these flipped cars quickly appear on the collective radar here.

Generally, everyone can accept a flipper who buys a car, dedicates some resources to improving the car, whether by extensive detailing, a little bit of maintenance, or other value adding activities and offers the car up again at a higher price that is still quite reasonable. No harm, no foul. Effort deserves compensation, most anyone can agree to that.

The ones that find criticism are those who are known to have picked up a car (or multiple cars) and quickly begin advertising it at an inflated price without having lifted a finger to improve the condition of the vehicle. These are also the individuals who typically discover that the price they paid was, in fact, a fair price for the car and there isn't any room for significant profit.

Our members can be quick to call out an individual suspected of being a flipper. They are typically armed with evidence of the car's recent availability from a different owner. They'll question why the car is now suddenly considered more valuable by the newest owner. They'll ask what has been done to the car since it changed hands.

We have a tight-knit community that tends to watch out for one another. They'll go the extra mile for other members, and they'll be sure to warn others when they suspect something is up to try to keep other members from getting taken for a ride.

Now, members should by all means be as civil as possible when trying to determine what's going on with a car offered for sale on this site. However, when replies from a seller get hostile, a bit of a "tough love" approach is allowed to happen here. Sellers who can't keep their cool immediately set off red flags for everyone. The number of profiteers and even scammers online continues to grow. This community does what it can to prevent its members from falling victim to any of that.

So, if you're flipping, be prepared. If you have a good reason for a higher asking price than before, be sure to state it. If not, be ready to explain yourself. It's only fair for potential buyers to want to be as educated as possible on a car's history.