"How much is it worth?"...A compliment in douche's clothing.

We all get it from time to time. "Yo what's one of those go for?" or "What did you pay for it?". Now most of us are put off by questions like this just because it's bad taste to walk up and ask someone a personal question like that or we may find it a bit personal.
It has happened to me as well on numerous occasions and I too never like to answer such questions but I do with a kind voice and I try to do it in a way that doesn't make me out to be a self righteous prick or elitist. Just last night at a small cruise in, I happen to bump into an old friend that I had not seen in awhile. He was pretty impressed with the DeLorean and then the question "What's one of those go for?" Without hesitation I answered just like I always do "Well it's just like any other collector car, price varies on condition and a few other things. You can spend 15k for one that may or may not drive but needs a lot of work all the way up to 70k+ for a re manufactured example. It all depends on what you want."

Then it hit me, the question that most of us hate is not a personal question as much as it was a compliment. My friend knew that collector cars fetch varying amounts, but when someone sees a DeLorean, they are not seeing your average collector car. They are seeing an exotic(to them anyway). They are seeing a unicorn that rises above the 69 Camaro RS beside it, or the 63 Impala on the opposite side. They are looking at a car that they have never seen in person before and it is obviously something special, so special that it transcends the typical collector car category much like an all original AC Cobra transcends our more experienced or enlightened view of car values. You could tell them these cars fetch 6 figures in this condition and they would believe you as they don't spend every waking moment of their lives checking ebay auctions or watching Barrett/Jackson.

When someone outside the car enthusiast world asks you this question, it's not meant as a prying one nor is it to ascertain your net worth, it's simply a question born in wonderment and maybe even a pinch of envy. All they really want to know is are they looking at a car that they will never be able to own themselves, or is there a chance that maybe someday they too could buy something so beautiful and striking and still be able to put both their kids through college.

In short, give them a break, they simply like your car.

Yep, thats how I've taken it..They're just curious..maybe even in the back of their mind is the 'maybe i can afford one' thought....not like they're asking what kinda toilet paper you use.

Really in a sense it is a unicorn of sorts...they know about it, seen it in the movies and to see one for real is something cool (we all been there)..I dont mind answering questions, even the price one..not ashamed to say I paid 13k for mine (15 after hauling it home)..though I do have to explain the 25k guideline...hehe.

That's pretty much how I've always taken it. It's not like when people at work asked how much I pay for rent when I told them I lived in a different city. For the most part, I see people who ask about the value of the car or what I paid for it as curiosity about the car instead of prying into my personal finances. It's hard to really describe the difference, but it's really about the context of the question.

Yup... being asked "how much is it worth" is not a phenomenon unique to the Delorean, and I agree that the question can be in poor taste. Though depending on how it's phrased, it can be OK... if someone asked "How much do these go for?" or "How much are THEY worth?" I'd be less put off, as it indicates a general curiosity, and I could respond with a range.

That being said... the other day a guy in a Maybach pulled up next to me while I was creeping down the freeway in LA traffic. He asked several times if I wanted to sell my car to him. After he got the message that I wasn't selling, he asked "the question". Didn't know what to tell him, as I haven't been following prices for some time now. Gave him a range of $40-50,000. Seemed somewhat plausible for a real good example.