Wednesday, day 3
Lots of different reasons for selling a car at Barrett Jackson. For some people, its just another path to get rid of a car. For others it’s a lifelong bucket list item to be fulfilled. Then there’s the “serial sellers”… the guys who bring anywhere from 5 to 25 cars every year to sell.
For me it’s simply the most productive way to sell a car in order to move on to the next project. The 33 Ford is a perfect example…what is it worth? I know what I’ve got in it, but in reality nobody cares about that except me. Barrett Jackson is a brutally honest place…whatever your car brings here is what it is truly worth, no matter what the owner may think. There is no place richer with knowledgeable buyers, and no place has a larger variety off the finest cars in the world. If a seller can’t find a buyer here, then it’s just not meant to be!
I’ve never seen this many people here on a Tuesday and Wednesday…the auction ring is full already. Typically that does not happen until Friday. There’s already lines at the food vendors and the restrooms. I’m sure the perfect 78 degree weather does not hurt anything either!
I think the robust health of this event is very meaningful for our hobby as a whole. Most of the cars being sold will be replaced. That means new parts and services will be bought. This fact has me more excited than even the prospect of whatever the hammer price will be on my cars!
Sharon and some others from the shop are arriving today. This is their wintertime retreat from the 10 degree weather in Indiana. My wife typically has maybe 3 drinks per year…she has already indicated she’ll get her annual quota in the first night here!
Ahh, yes…the bidders bar. This maybe the single greatest marketing feat ever invented, Barrett Jackson provides all bidders with a card that allows you 10 free drinks per day. The lines here are typically long…none of these rich bastards can pass up anything free! While this situation may not have any effect on the truly large dollar cars, I cannot help but think that it lubricates the hell out of the $50,000 to $200,000 purchases. The bidders bar is what inspired my assessment that the Barrett Jackson auction is the largest combination of testosterone, money, and alcohol in the world!
Till Thursday!
Bret Voelkel
President, Ridetech
