[ORIGLS6]

Speculative scenario:

I have a car I want to take to B-J. I feel it’s worth $100K, but since B-J no longer accepts Reserve cars, I submit it with no-reserve. I ship the car to Scottsdale and send my friend to watch over the car. I also pay his travel and registration fees. The car goes across the block and is bid to $85K. I’ve instructed my friend to ensure the car brings my price, and he does exactly that. NOW, I’m out the registration fees, travel expenses, 8 to 10% on both ends of the sale, and still have to get MY car back home. Rough figures; I’ve spent maybe $25 – 30K to bring my own car back home……. BUT, it now has the B-J mystique permanently attached to it.

To certain factions, it’s worth the time and expense for that mystique. Would I do that? Absolutely not; but that’s irrelevant because I couldn’t afford it even if I wanted to. Many people CAN afford to do this and if you think is isn’t done daily, you’re shamefully naïve.

Right or wrong, it comes down to dollars. B-J is in the auction business, although it’s rapidly becoming more of an entertainment industry. People will find a way to get past rules and regulations of any kind. B-J no doubt anticipated this when they made the decision to reject cars submitted with a reserve. Although I don’t personally agree with it, the bottom line is….they’re in business to make money and at the end of the day their percentage comes from ALL sales, no matter who buys or sells the cars.

I had heard that as many as 30% of the cars from the 2005 event were buy backs. Rumor or truth; it really doesn’t matter. I think it’s possible, but I really don’t care.

The past three years I’ve watched this event strictly as entertainment. The information given on the cars is rarely accurate, the color commentators are poorly educated on the history of many vehicles, and the prices fetched are an unrealistic barometer for real life values. But there are some cool cars crossing the stage and that’s what I watch.

The personal opinion of a humble Central Illinois nobody; the Barrett-Jackson show has become a Rich Boy’s Circus. Pass the popcorn.