Do vehicle graphics hurt resale value? Not usually, when done correctly it’s just the opposite. They can add value to a vehicle. A few years ago, one of our sales consultants approached a national organization that is well-known for providing cars to high-producing salespeople. It seems the color of the vehicles adversely affected the resale value when the lease was up. At the end of the lease, the organization paid to have the vehicles painted white. Our consultant approached them with the idea of buying white company cars and then wrapping them in the organizations bright branded color.
Highly compliant adhesive vinyl (the good stuff) could be removed at the end of service. What the company would have is an attractive white car, and a finish that had been untouched by the elements. The exterior would look brand spanking new. So, do vehicle graphics hurt resale value? Nope, and here’s why.
Do Vehicle Graphics Hurt Resale Value?
Color Matters at Resale
Not only do a vehicles miles, condition, and mechanics affect its resale value, but also color. The color plays a significant part in determining what a car or truck will bring in the used vehicle market.
“If your vehicular taste is flashier be aware that you’ll pay dearly for your dubious choice. Gold cars tend to command 12.1% less than the average used model. The other questionable colors that take a much bigger-than-average hit at trade-in time include purple (10.7% below average), and beige (-10.3). If you’re not shy about driving a gold, beige, or purple vehicle (or are color blind in the first place), their depressed resale values tend to make the excellent values in the used-car market.” — Motor1 — Colors affect on resale.
What Does Color Have to do with Resale Value?
Protecting the manufacturer’s original finish maintains the resale value of a vehicle. And the sale-ability of basic colors is much higher than exotic colors. Do you love bright chrome yellow? Does your company use pink vehicles? Vivid colors may limit potential buyers in the resale market. The answer is to order a white vehicle, wrap it to your heart’s desire, and have a white vehicle, again, when it’s time to resell.
As Listverse explains— “Ever drive down the road and notice most of the cars you see are four colors (mostly black, white, silver, or gray)? Part of the reason why is resale value. People who want to resell their car later know they are far more likely to find a buyer if the car is one of these common colors.”
No One Wants to Buy a Car with A Business Name on its Door
And certainly, nobody wants to purchase a used vehicle with a full wrap, company logo, tagline, call to action, and mascot on both sides of the vehicle. Would you? In days gone by, before adhesive vinyl graphics, the vehicle graphics were painted on the cars and trucks. Want to guess what the owners did when it was time to resale the vehicles? They painted them.
With modern adhesive vinyl materials, digital print, and advanced inks it’s easier than ever to create eye-catching, information filled, branded vehicle graphics. The good news is that businesses don’t have to repaint them. They just have to have the graphics removed.
“Naturally, vehicles without branding are easier to sell at the end of their service term. Fortunately, most of the higher-quality decal packages these days aren’t painted directly onto the vehicle and can be removed easily by the auction house or other resale outlet before sale. So, the net impact of branding on your resale proceeds should be minimal.” — Wheels.com White Paper, Vehicle branding: Is there hidden value in your fleet?
Isn’t Paint less Expensive?
If we eliminate discount paint jobs, which often reduce the price by forgoing proper preparation, and using an inferior product as well as cheap labor. Wraps or decals may be more cost-effective. In this HowMuchDoes.com article, painting a car can range from under $1000 to $8000. Decaling or wrapping a car can run $500 to $4000 or more.
Vehicle Wraps Protect
Although vehicle wraps have never been designed or warranted to protect a vehicles finish. However, they do just that. A vehicle wrap will not protect the paint and finish from severe damage. But it does offer some protection from light scratches and the ultraviolet rays of the sun. According to this 3M FAQ for Wrap Film Series 1080, “Wrap film will protect the paint underneath it from some sun damage and mild abrasions. It isn’t a paint protection film, but the wrap does provide some protection between light abuse and the car finish.” Protecting the finish can save maintenance costs. And add to the resale value of the vehicle.
The Lowest Bid Isn’t Always the Best
Do vehicle graphics hurt resale value? If they’re done with low quality materials they can. Choosing an inferior adhesive vinyl or trusting your vehicles to inexperienced applicators can lead to significant expense. When it comes to time to remove the graphics the savings are lost.
“I was talking with Gary Meunier — one of our national account managers — about a bid we made to remove graphics from a fleet of vehicles. A company was preparing to return company cars at the end of a lease agreement. We didn’t install the graphics. However, we’re one of the few companies trained and prepared to properly remove the lowest bid decals they had purchased.
The company was surprised it would cost nearly as much to remove the decals as what they paid to have them installed. It was because they’d used a cheaper material with a permanent adhesive. It’s difficult, labor intensive, and time-consuming to remove such materials. The company didn’t know, at the time of purchase, the decals would need to be removed chemically or sanded off. These methods can cause so much surface damage that repainting is necessary.” — The Lowest Bid Mistake
So, Do Vehicle Graphics Hurt Resale Value?
Do vehicle graphics hurt resale value? Nope, when done correctly with the best materials for the job they add value to the car or truck. Wrapping your fleet vehicles protects them from fading and staining. A clean plain colored vehicle is worth more than a faded purple car or truck.
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