Re: BJ This weekend..Palm Beach

In a message dated 3/30/2005 8:26:18 AM US Eastern Standard Time,
DRCundiff1@netscape.net writes:
I called BJ several months ago about selling a car and I was told that
if I wanted a good spot it would be $1,000.00 (minimum) plus the 8%
fee....and if I requested a reserve...any reserve....my car would not be
chosen.

I'm left with the thought, if you had a really nice car..as many of us
do...why would you want to sell it there? I understand that BJ brings in
gobs of money but the potential downside also seems ......large. Oh, it
was hinted that I could always have a "friend" buy the car ...and that
would only cost me 8% of the final price. Wow, what a bargain!
Gang,

B-J has done this for a couple of years now, and I'm sure that they will
continue to push the "no-reserve" option to the point of exclusivity as long as
they can get away with it. Arizona is of course the prime example, with Craig &
Co. choosing from a few thousand cars that apply to get their 900+ cars,
which they then present to 4,500+ registered bidders, creating a perfect seller's
market. While I admire their strategy, it has made it virtually impossible
for me to buy a car there. With lots of money chasing a limited number of cars,
the only ones that don't receive top (or over-the-top!) bids are the ones
that are more suitable for the Cruise Night than the Concours, unless they are
very special in some way (no offense to Cruise Nights- I attend many, and these
are the people who almost always have a great time whether their cars have a
scratch or two or not- without them, we wouldn't have much of a hobby!).

I have bought cars in Arizona, including one of my Shelby's (68 GT500
convertible #389), in each case at the Kruse auction when it was held the weekend
before B-J. I love the atmosphere there, and the range of auction styles is
always interesting, from RM's quasi-English sale at the Biltmore and B-J's
lifestyle circus to Russo & Steele's frenzy, which one of my friends in the media
calls "a strip club with cars." I missed being there this year for the first
time in years, and I will gladly go back next year, if only for the (usually)
better weather and the entertainment.

Christine will be in Palm beach this weekend, and I'll try to get her to go
over to the sale between our daughter's horse show classes. Nothing like a
first-hand report!

Cheers,
Mike Heroy
CSX4045
67 GT500 #841
68 GT500 #389
99 SP360 #81 (at least until Auburn Spring)

Holy Cow. Check out this VIN plate.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...ayphotohosting

Amazing.............and scary. Car has 427....48ida
webers................and needs air in the tires!

Dan C

In general, the prices seem to be a bit muted. Is it the fact that it is
Florida and not Arizona? Are things just returning to reality?

It was nice to see that a GT500E sold for about what the owner paid for
it.....or what I would guess was the sticker. Even the Ford GT sold for
less than I would have guessed...and I think less than other recent sales?

150K ( fee inclusive) or so for a nice '67 500 is a bit lower than the
last two years. Wow, at these prices.....I still can't convince my wife
we need another one!

I am interested in others thoughts. I taped the show but could not watch
with complete attention.

The buy of the day....the 1999 S351 saleen for 28.6K. He stole it. Today
may be a day for some deals.

What was the owner of that 355 Ferrari spider thinking about buying a
prime Sat night auction spot for a car that was dirty and used up???
Allan D didn't even want to get close to the car for fear of getting
dirty. Amazing......I was just awe struck. That spot cost him at least
1K and he did not even have the car detailed....one of the commentators
said that they must have been detailing the car with a metal scouring pad!!

Dan

MHeroy@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 3/30/2005 8:26:18 AM US Eastern Standard Time,
> DRCundiff1@netscape.net writes:
>
> I called BJ several months ago about selling a car and I was told
> that
> if I wanted a good spot it would be $1,000.00 (minimum) plus the 8%
> fee....and if I requested a reserve...any reserve....my car would
> not be
> chosen.
>
> I'm left with the thought, if you had a really nice car..as many
> of us
> do...why would you want to sell it there? I understand that BJ
> brings in
> gobs of money but the potential downside also seems ......large.
> Oh, it
> was hinted that I could always have a "friend" buy the car ...and
> that
> would only cost me 8% of the final price. Wow, what a bargain!
>
> Gang,
>
> B-J has done this for a couple of years now, and I'm sure that they
> will continue to push the "no-reserve" option to the point of
> exclusivity as long as they can get away with it. Arizona is of
> course the prime example, with Craig & Co. choosing from a few
> thousand cars that apply to get their 900+ cars, which they then
> present to 4,500+ registered bidders, creating a perfect seller's
> market. While I admire their strategy, it has made it virtually
> impossible for me to buy a car there. With lots of money chasing a
> limited number of cars, the only ones that don't receive top (or
> over-the-top!) bids are the ones that are more suitable for the Cruise
> Night than the Concours, unless they are very special in some way (no
> offense to Cruise Nights- I attend many, and these are the people who
> almost always have a great time whether their cars have a scratch or
> two or not- without them, we wouldn't have much of a hobby!).
>
> I have bought cars in Arizona, including one of my Shelby's (68 GT500
> convertible #389), in each case at the Kruse auction when it was held
> the weekend before B-J. I love the atmosphere there, and the range of
> auction styles is always interesting, from RM's quasi-English sale at
> the Biltmore and B-J's lifestyle circus to Russo & Steele's frenzy,
> which one of my friends in the media calls "a strip club with cars."
> I missed being there this year for the first time in years, and I will
> gladly go back next year, if only for the (usually) better weather and
> the entertainment.
>
> Christine will be in Palm beach this weekend, and I'll try to get her
> to go over to the sale between our daughter's horse show classes.
> Nothing like a first-hand report!
>
> Cheers,
> Mike Heroy
> CSX4045
> 67 GT500 #841
> 68 GT500 #389
> 99 SP360 #81 (at least until Auburn Spring)