# Where to find value of a car in the past?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-value-of-a-car-in-the-past/352388>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 12, 2006, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-value-of-a-car-in-the-past/352388 "2006-04-12T15:52:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-value-of-a-car-in-the-past/352388/1 "2006-04-12T15:52:21Z")

</div>

I need to find the value of a specific vehicle at a specific time in the past.

It’s easy to find the value of a vehicle now, but I need the value then - specifically, February 2003.

Is there a “way-back machine” for Kelley Blue Book or NADA?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-value-of-a-car-in-the-past/352388/2 "2006-04-12T16:04:25Z")

</div>

The used automobiles section of the classified ads in the newspaper.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-value-of-a-car-in-the-past/352388/3 "2006-04-12T16:10:54Z")

</div>

Your library might have the local newspapers on some kind of storage system. If so you could look at '03 classifieds.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-value-of-a-car-in-the-past/352388/4 "2006-04-12T16:15:20Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=gotpasswords]  
I need to find the value of a specific vehicle at a specific time in the past.

It’s easy to find the value of a vehicle now, but I need the value then - specifically, February 2003.

Is there a “way-back machine” for Kelley Blue Book or NADA?  
[/QUOTE]

Any library should have copies of NADA and the Blue Book for a number of years. Car dealers and insurance companies probably have them too.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-find-value-of-a-car-in-the-past/352388/5 "2006-04-12T16:15:25Z")

</div>

Also, NADA used to publish booklets w/ current values, I think they came out quarterly or semi annually. I don’t know if they still do this, but that would be a good source if they do. It’s been many years since I’ve seen one.