Why are leather interiors so expensive?

[Pikey]

There's over 10 for sale on here at the moment, so they're not rare or in great demand!

E30s are all over 15 years old, so they're not particularly new, comfortable, or highly specced (heated, electric etc etc).

I paid just over £300 in total for my car, so I'm loathe to pay that again just for four seats!

[Herrity]

I've always thought the same to be honest, i've seen sets go for 600 but they were worth it as they were newly leathered sport recaros ! If you think about it a cloth set is worth what 50, but if you yourself had a nice desirable set of leathers would you say oh give me 80 because they're trimmed in cow ? The answer would be no as most people i'd say 80% of e30 owners have that nasty cloth interior with is torn and can only dream of getting money of there superior other half for some seats. Make somebody an offer for their seats they have for sale and they can only say no, but christmas is coming soon so some people might be willing to drop a little

[dobbie82]

I havent seen many 4dr leathers, so yes i am asking a bit for my set but i need the pennies!

probably will put them up on ebay and see who wants them

yes they are 16yrs old but the retrims I have seen are nasty, dont even feel like leather as its not treated in the same way anymore.
So i figure someone will want an original set. hell i would if i had a car to put them in!

How much do you guys think they are worth? I am asking £200 which includes delivery within about 40 miles or so or will meet the buyer somewhere on the m6 ish. Cash on collection carries a discount though!

[Pikey]

There's a complete Touring leather interior, recently retrimmed, for £500 - which I can sort of understand as that's like brand new. Or cliffybabe's front leather E36 seats, again recently retrimmed so like new for £250.

But ~£300 for a standard comfort leather interior with 100k worth of wear? I cant see it myself.

[Pikey]

Sorry, no disrespect to you dobbie, I had seen yours and did think they were one of the few that did seem semi-reasonably priced

[crafty]

i got silver e36 leathers for 400 bucks if u int. i bought an old e30 for 200 quid spares or repairs jus for the red leathers, they are out there if ur patient

[gurps_singh1]

guess the price all depends on how bad you want the leathers personally i would only buy a e30 with leather as i really don't like the cloth interior myself. but if your looking at some leathers which have been worn in areas then id agree with you £600 is over prices unless its for a mint set.

[ste]

Anything is worth what somebody is prepared to pay for it. I've sold standard black Sport leather (2 door) for £600. If someone wants to pay you that you aren't about to discourage them are you?

It's supply and demand though. If people couldn't sell for these prices they'd have to accept less. People are obviously selling so the prices stay high.

Also bear in mind a proper retrim is £1k+ minimum. Not a cheap re-trim but a proper one using proper hides.

Like Crafty says - buy a car with leather in - it's the cheapest way to get a set. I bought another touring for £650 which is miles from being a cheap tourer as it had black sport touring leather. I kept the leather and sold bits of the car and ended up with a free set of leathers and about £300 extra in my pocket.

[Chris-W]

I paid just over £300 in total for my car, so I'm loathe to pay that again just for four seats!

You could look on the bright side, in that you managed to buy a car for less than the price of a good leather interior.

[Speedtouch]

I rather like my torn cloth interior - comfy, and I don't have to worry about it. Leathers are creaky and sweaty

[cliffybabe]

i paid £200 for my cab leather and its mine and with rear head rests

[stuartgallafant]

E30s are all over 15 years old, so they're not particularly new, comfortable, or highly specced (heated, electric etc etc)

i beg to differ with you on that... i drive brand new £20'000 - £100'000 BMW's everyday, and i still think the E30 seats are the most comfortable seats i've ever had my 4rse in!! apart from the 7 series ones, where you can fall asleep!!

but i do agree, they are expensive, but as Ste says, its what people are willing to pay for it...

[Cotty]

If you think about it a cloth set is worth what 50,

For comforts. Try getting hold of sport cloth seats and see what change you get out of £200

Mine I bought for £210

[Herrity]

I just meant a standard cloth interior !

[ed325i]

It seams people want alot of money for bmw parts, I have just got a golf gti and you can pick the parts up for next to nothing.

[pnd]

i AGREE THEY ARE OVERPRICED FUNNY HOW PEOPLE WONT GIVE YOU GOOD MONEY FOR A GOOD CAR BUT WILL FOR SEATS SHOWS how many so called enthusiasts are only really concerned about looks not whats under the bonnet.

[Bob_S]

I sold a set of black 4dr leathers sport aswell for £180 off here.
they were gone within 24 hours

[m3ben05]

Supply and demand i guess, if you want good quality parts you pay good money

I agree that paying £300 for a car then another £300 for an interior is crazy tho!

[gcorky]

its how badly you want the desirable parts.....the only people who dont think these parts are worth it are those who see the e30 as just an old car....ive got one because i like cars with a bit of character and am prepared to spend what i have too to get the parts i desire.

[m3ben05]

well said mate, my interior is being re-leathered in febuary with will cost £Â£Ã‚£

Many people have asked whats the point in doing it for "some old bimmer" they just dont get it

[snoops]

i bought my325 for 140 quid just for the beige leather but then decided to keep it lol

[Ant]

Paul ( cotty ) you paid well under the odds for pukka touring seats dude.

@ Ste, I did the same with my tourings

[jonb]

There's over 10 for sale on here at the moment, so they're not rare or in great demand!

E30s are all over 15 years old, so they're not particularly new, comfortable, or highly specced (heated, electric etc etc).

I paid just over £300 in total for my car, so I'm loathe to pay that again just for four seats!

pikey

are you tight or do you not have the money?

and yes, they are in good demand, hence the reason nice 2 door sets go for £500. maybe you could trawl through scrapyards in the next few years, you may find a set for £50! good luck.

[Andyboy]

There's over 10 for sale on here at the moment, so they're not rare or in great demand!

E30s are all over 15 years old, so they're not particularly new, comfortable, or highly specced (heated, electric etc etc).

I paid just over £300 in total for my car, so I'm loathe to pay that again just for four seats!

A Ferrari Daytona is 35 years old, so even less new and has wind up windows. It's also worth more than an F355 made 5 years ago - ever wondered why? It's because generally old cars are more interesting than new ones.
A 300 quid E30 eh? Sounds like a Gem! I wouldn't put a £500 leather trim into it either!

[dobbie82]

i deserve a slap for pointing it out but tourings and convertibles can be found at 13 or 14 yrs old

[Andyboy]

!2 - the last was was built in '94!

[SPADGE]

Pikey - If your looking for touring leather then thats why its going to cost you! 2 door or normal 4 door saloon leather is a fair bit cheaper purely down to there being more out there. I recetly sold a black 2 door leather comfort trim via Ebay for £300 having had it on here for less for a while.
If you do happen to come across a leather trim for a touring cheap then be quick as i don't miss much and am also on the look out

[Cotty]

Paul ( cotty ) you paid well under the odds for pukka touring seats dude.

My maximum bid on ebay was £250. To me they were worth that much. Some may disagree but I have been searcing for a mint set for a long time.

[gcorky]

Paul ( cotty ) you paid well under the odds for pukka touring seats dude.

My maximum bid on ebay was £250. To me they were worth that much. Some may disagree but I have been searcing for a mint set for a long time.

good buy if pics do em justice,specially with the effort and condition of your car.

[Cotty]

There's over 10 for sale on here at the moment, so they're not rare or in great demand!

If people could not sell them for the price that they are asking then they would drop the price. They are obvioulsy in demand to warrent the high price.

E30s are all over 15 years old, so they're not particularly new, comfortable, or highly specced (heated, electric etc etc).

I paid just over £300 in total for my car, so I'm loathe to pay that again just for four seats!

You kind of answered your own question ie you bought a less highly specced car cheaper because it wasnt highly specced. Now you want better spec but dont want to spend the money.

I paid £3,750 for my car 4 years ago. It has almost SE spec (its not an SE) but I paid for the extras it had rather than buying a lower spec car and upgrading.

of course I could be wrong as I have been on the sauce

[Cotty]

good buy if pics do em justice,specially with the effort and condition of your car.

The seats (material) is mint apart from a small wear mak about the size of a 50p piece. Shame the runners are garbage, not that im bitter

[csl]

A "mint" (black) leather 325i sport interior seems to belong to the "myths and legends" category,cos i can't find one,although i have no trouble finding shite ones

[daimlerman]

I bought a good leather interior for my 4 door a couple of months back for £50.Why so cheap?Its for a 4 door and its biege(I call it tan)£75 for a Gliptone kit and it gets admired every where it is parked.If anyone wants a grey cloth int for a 4 door with sport type fronts(drivers well worn),please PM me.

[bmwe30mtech]

Nice condition leather is rare, hence its worth a lot.

Try and find a complete matching origional mint set of 'recaro' sport or M3 leathers and you will realise they are harder to come by than you may think.

[Simon13]

Paul ( cotty ) you paid well under the odds for pukka touring seats dude.

@ Ste, I did the same with my tourings

yeah u did!

every re-trim i have come across on E30's has been with really shit quality leather. An original set in pukka condition are a quality items and worth the money. The leather used on them is lovely

Pikey your name says it all really.