Diablo Dealer Helps Put You in the Driver's Seat

By George Walsh, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

For many, the most enjoyable part of shopping for a used vehicle is trying to find the best deal on the car of their dreams. Before publications like Diablo Dealer came around, however, you were pretty much stuck perusing the local newspaper classifieds or trolling the used car lots in your quest for the perfect car. More listings mean more options, and Trader Publishing's Diablo Dealer in Suite 6 at 5870 Stoneridge Drive is one of the best resources for automotive classified advertisements in the Bay Area.

The free Diablo Dealer publication was originally started by an entrepreneur and was purchased by Trader Publishing Company in 1993. When Trader Publishing purchased Diablo Dealer, it grew very rapidly, and the publication moved its headquarters from San Ramon to Hacienda. The publication provides a photo listing of used cars, trucks, boats, and RVs although it specializes in passenger cars and trucks and acts as a sales forum both for dealers and individuals.

"We're the number one used car publication in all of northern California," boasts John Stoeser, general manager of Diablo Dealer. "We have more listings than any publication that's strictly for automobiles. And we're also part of AutoTrader.com, which is really the premiere website for used cars in the United States."

Trader Publishing, Diablo Dealer's national parent company, has a multitude of automotive publications as well as others with classifieds for airplanes, yachts, boats, RVs, and just about any other kind of vehicle imaginable. Trader also owns publications that list homes for sale, apartments for rent, and help wanted listings. They even publish consumer magazines and trade journals.

"I think on last count we produce something like 700 plus publications nationwide," Stoeser says.

The company is currently organized into four divisions: Trader Publications (paid circulation local, regional, and national publications), United Advertising Media (free circulation publications), Trader Electronic Media (Internet businesses), and Trader Ventures (non-classified advertising businesses).

Diablo Dealer currently has 62 people that work out of its space in Hacienda, which Stoeser sees as a strategically located spot for the publication.

"We service the entire San Francisco Bay Area a total of about nine counties from this location. Pleasanton, with its 580/680 connection and Hacienda in particular with access to both highways, is ideal for our service area."

If you're in the market for a vehicle, you can pick up a copy of Diablo Dealer at a multitude of locations throughout the Bay Area. You can contact the publication at (925) 227-2190.

Photo: Diablo Dealer's graphic designers put together another issue of the popular publication.

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