My Kingdom for a Corvette

As I studied the ad and pondered the number of acres that might be swapped for such a car, I got to thinking about other Corvette-swap possibilities...

I've often heard Corvette aficionados say, "I'd give anything to own a 19xx Corvette." But what does anything mean? In the non-cash arena, what's the fair market value of a Vette?

Many times spouses been offered in exchange for Corvettes -- many times I've tried to swap my husband for a midyear --only to find no-takers. Spouses and significant others seem to be popular, if unsuccessful, barter material.

But when was the last time you heard someone offer their pet dog or cat in exchange for a Vette? (No fair counting the times a Vette enthusiast has offered someone else's pet!)

Horses are occassionally swapped for Vettes. In this transaction, one thorobred is swapped for another and the traders are looking for a change in "horsepower."

Cars for cars seems to be another popular trade offer. I've lost count of the number of times I've seen a Corvette owner bemoan the high cost of maintaining his car only to take someone else's four-wheeled headaches in trade.

Boats for Corvettes is another favorite vice exchange. A boat owner can trade his "hole in the water to throw money into" for a "pothole in the road to throw money into." Seems fair to me.

One of my favorite swaps is junk for junk. I think the euphemistic term for this is a "parts exchange." Two or more weekend restorers clean out their garages, basements, and attics, then go to a swap meet to unload their goodies. More often than not, by the end of the meet, the weekenders return home with the same amount of junk they took -- just different.

A kissing cousin of the junk for junk swap is the project car swap. In this transaction, two die-hard putterers exchange partially restored Corvettes. It's kind of like starting a second jigsaw puzzle when you're halfway finished with a first and tired of looking at the same assortment of pieces.

One of the most creative swaps I've seen in recent years was thought up by the local law enforcement authorities. They swap an arrest warrant for illegal drug trafficking for a Corvette. I'm not sure how pleased the Corvette owners are with this swap, but the guys in blue seem satisfied.

Another "forced swap" is the garage-for-Vette transaction. This usually occurs when a new non-Corvette vehicle joins the family fleet. Though the enthusiast retains ownership of the Vette, the comforts of the garage are exchanged for a canvas cover.

Corvette divorce cases often pit hardline negotiators against one another and test the outer limits of barter. Houses, children, stereos, and other high-value items have been sacrificed for Vettes at the bargaining table.