My buddy Tony and I took in the latest Silver Collector Car Auction at the Spokane Convention Center on Saturday. We've been doing this for years. We like to go early to check out the cars close up during the pre-auction viewing time, then hang around to see some specific cars go on the block. I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea, but we enjoy ourselves. It's a fun way to kill a good chunk of weekend time with a friend. Even if no impressive cars are at a particular auction, at the very least, it makes for good people watching'.
As usual, I'd have liked to see a higher percentage of true classic cars among the day's lots, but there were some cars that did manage to grab my attention...
- Clean '67 Camaro convertible
[$23,100, SOLD] - Straight '68 Chevy Impala
[$3,100, SOLD] - Pristine '66 Mustang convertible
[$17,000, No Sale] - Heavily modified '65 Belvedere street racer [engine]
[$61,000, No Sale] - 2001 Chrysler Prowler
[$27,000, SOLD] - '59 Chevy Apache pickup
[$3,700, SOLD] - '72 Olds 442 W-30 [interior] (my favorite for the day)
[$13,000, No Sale]
Although I didn't feel as though I'm currently in a buying position for an event like this, there was something I should have remembered from past Silver auctions -- they always seem to have at least one or two fantastic deals. This year was no exception. Early on, they auction off several non-classic vehicles as a way to help get people in the mood for the premium cars. Often times, the best deals come from among these lots. This year's best steal was a clean low-mileage 1994 Jeep Cherokee 4x4 that went for about $1,500 -- less than 40% of normal (~$4,000). I should have gotten a bid pass. Maybe next time...
The biggest thing I can take away from Saturday's auction experience, was simply that these auctions are no place you'd want to sell your car. They are almost exclusively a buyer's market. Every car that went on the block with a reserve price, was immediately followed by auction handlers trying to talk the owner into reducing or completely dropping their reserve. It's like clockwork. There's nothing else that goes on at the auction as that annoys us more than that issue. It makes for a great place to buy cars -- but not to sell them.
Update: Added auction results for cars mentioned