Posts Tagged auction

Mecum Auction Block

I wanted to write and tell you about my experience at the Mecum auction two weeks ago. What a great experience; Let me first start by saying, this is the largest and most extravagant auction Mecum holds every year. If you ever get a chance to go to the Indianapolis or Kissimmee auctions, I would strongly suggest doing so. The cars or I should say, creatively restored “to mint condition” cars were amazing!

Starting Wednesday, there were approximately 1500 cars that went across the block that weekend, and 80% of those cars were unbelievable. This was literally the “Holy Grail” of muscle cars! Everywhere you turned, there was a car that brought you back to your good ole’ days; Chevy’s, Buick, Pontiac, Ford, everything your heat desired.

The auction prices went anywhere from $2,000 – to 6+ MILLION! This was Indianapolis’ Concourse De’ Elegance, not the same type of classics, but they held their own with the big boys in Pebble Beach. Oh and by the way, Mecum set a record with the most cars sold by this company and the most revenue produced for the auction.

Lights! Camera! Action!

If you had a pulse, being in their environment, made your heart race! The anticipation, speed of the auction, the lights, the camera’s, the gestures, the people, the auctioneers, the experts, the clapping and applause was something surreal! You really have to be able to contain yourself or you can get caught up very quickly and find yourself going home with a beautiful car you couldn’t afford.

Before our car went across the block it was extremely intimidating. I decided to walk along side our car before it got to the block, but that also meant, I had to walk side by side with some real heavy hitters too, which were, a Chevy Impala 409 and a 70’ Chevelle Convertible, not that we didn’t have a beauty to sell, but if you know about muscles, you know how intimidated I was.

Everything goes through your mind at that moment; did we pick the right paint color? How does the body look? Should we have put the top up or down? What mistakes did we make in the process? Why is this person looking at the car that way? Did we set the right reserve price? Did I turn off the oven when I left the house on Thursday? Everything and anything goes through your mind – you really find yourself racing for answers before it goes across; and then all of sudden….there you are, in the front of everyone – Lights! Camera! Action! Read the rest of this entry »