CARINI ON CARS
THE SALE CYCLE Wayne Carini
When I was about 10, my father took me to my first old car auction and it was nothing like today. It was in back of a gas station and only had about 20 cars. Dad was try- ing to buy an Oldsmobile that had come through his body shop. It was wild, like a cattle auction. The auc- tioneer sat on a folding chair in the back of a pickup truck. They’d stop in front of each car and he’d call the auction through a megaphone. Dad didn’t get the Olds, but I did get my first taste of an auction.
Years later, in 1971 or 1972, I remember stopping in Scottsdale when driving across the country. It was back when Kruse had an auction out there. Everybody sat on a fence while the cars were auctioned. Back then cars weren’t presented the way they are today. Auctions were pretty basic and communications were limited. Most sales didn’t even have catalogs, though you might see an ad in Hemmings Motor News.
14
HAGERTY.COM
Usually you wouldn’t know what was being sold until you showed up.
The first car I recall selling at auction was a customer’s Mercedes-Benz 300SC cabriolet in the mid-1980s at a sale along the New York/ Connecticut border. We made out really well, selling it for about $125,000, which was big money. I also consigned a 427 Corvette, but that fell flat on its face, so you never really know.
AT THE END OF THE DAY ITWAS STILL ABOUT BUYING & SELLING CARS
Auctions are very different today. There’s so much information avail- able, with glossy catalogs and slick
websites. And with cell phones, email and a pre-purchase inspec- tion, you can bid confidently long-distance.
My year used to be defined by concours, but now it’s based on the auction cycle. Most of my business used to be repairing and selling cars. Now it’s dominated by buying and selling, and for that I need the auctions. So I go to the big events like Monterey, Scottsdale and Amelia Island because they have multiple auctions.
Last January I had a few cars at Mecum’s Kissimmee auction. I had a reserve on a Chevy, but once I lifted it the bidding took off, which was really exciting. Unlike my first auctions, I watched in Kissimmee from the comfort of a well-appoint- ed tent. But despite all the modern conveniences of today’s auction experience, at the end of the day it was still about buying and selling cars. Just like when I was 10.
Much of Wayne Carini’s life is spent at auctions, checking out cars like this unusual DKW station wagon (left) or a 3½ Litre Jaguar drophead coupe (above).
PHOTO: JONATHAN A. STEIN
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68