Barrett-Jackson Records Strong Sales

[Johnny Horsepower]

[ QUOTE ]
As for quality, I think every year people complain about the quality of the cars at auctions. The difference now is that in previous years, we were always stunned how much people paid for those cars. This year, people are using the "low quality, little documentation" excuse as to why they're selling lower.



[/ QUOTE ]

Not trying to be combative but.............UH no! I have been to every BJ in the last decade. I have been to every AZ Russo ever. And to every Mecum, spring and fall for the last decade.
BJ's car quality, certainly for American Muscle, was HORRIBLE. That is not to say there were not a few nice cars,(most of them going to Blackhawk) but NOTHING like years previous where there were alot of quality cars with history and legitimate paperwork. As I stated before, and Rich concurred, I used to struggle to find time to pee, cause I did not want to miss what was next.
I was there.

John

PS. Were you out there this year or in any years past? Just curious

[1969z280]

I have to agree with John. I have been to BJ 6 out of the last 9 years and all of the Mecum, Kruse and Russo auctions for the last 6 years. You cannot judge a car based on 4 or 5 pictures in the auction catalog or website. You have to see them especially the paperwork. Take a look at the $85,000 Nickey Nova with the fake window sticker on another thread here. To say someone paid $85K for that car, $66K for a 1990 ZR1, etc. and then say the market is down and tanking based on auction totals year to year is unrealistic. Good Cars bring Good Money. Great Cars bring Great Money. Clones, Fakes and Bastard Cats bring whatever they can get. Just my $.02 Ed

[rich p]

I call it !! EYE CANDY !!! Lots of eye candy for the TV viewers and the guy sitting in his seat bidding..



Hemi Cuda didnt tank !
Yellow auto column not the original drivetrain $120K
Blue terd with panels not matching in colors $190K
These cars did what they should have done in my mind,little high for the blue car considering..

[RM Schimel]

Stealth Bird…I think it might be time to come back down to earth. If you actually believe base model cars with high production volume are more valuable than elite Muscle cars with very limited production numbers…I believe its time for a reality check. The cars with lowest production numbers, most visual appeal and highest horsepower figures have & always will be the most sought after with collectors. Those are just the facts my friend.

As far as the sale figures the Yenko Camaro at B-J was right on course with past sales. The hemi cars at Russo Steel pulled 300-400K. So I don’t know what numbers you are looking at. Elliot Jaffe’s W-30 ragtop was painted in the late eighties by the original owner, featured a broadcast card with no mention of W-30. I don’t understand where you are coming up with a hundred thousand-dollar restoration on this car. I am very familiar with Elliot’s car and believe it brought strong money for condition and lack of definitive proof. Other well-documented W-30 ragtops routinely bring over 300K. Did you actually attend the auctions of which you speak? RM

[StealthBird]

[ QUOTE ]
Stealth Bird…I think it might be time to come back down to earth. If you actually believe base model cars with high production volume are more valuable than elite Muscle cars with very limited production numbers…I believe its time for a reality check. The cars with lowest production numbers, most visual appeal and highest horsepower figures have & always will be the most sought after with collectors. Those just the facts my friend.

[/ QUOTE ]
So the 1980 Trans Am Special Edition that sold for $72,000 was which one, high horsepower or low production?

And I apologize in advance if this is not Elliot's car, I thought it was. http://www.russoandsteele.com/collec..._w30/6454.html

I guess it depends on your perspective, and your vested interests. If you talk to a realtor, there's nothing wrong with the housing market right now, so it's a good time to list your house with them. And according to my investment banker, our 401K is doing very well. And the Applebee's restaurant down the street from us said they haven't been impacted by the economy at all, business was great! We went back the next week, and the windows were boarded up.

[1969z280]

Mike:

The main point is, I think that you need to see the car before you can assess a real value. Not look at pictures. Ed

[Johnny Horsepower]

So the 1980 Trans Am Special Edition that sold for $72,000 was which one, high horsepower or low production?



[/ QUOTE ]

anomoly...........frequent at auctions where alcohol and the un-informed are around.(and if it is the one I am thinking of at this years auction, it was probably the best low mile survivor I had ever seen. It would just take 2 who want that particular car. Put out an ultra low mile survivor no excuses 70 GM A body and it would be nutty money well beyond that) Although I am of the opinion that as my generation (high school class of 84) gets older, cars from our era will be in demand. I just enjoyed a survivor 4 speed 80 Z28 for a year in 07
My point was, that it was tough to judge the market using BJ. I will say it again, there is no question the market is down and there is no question that there was not that great a docket of cars at BJ this year.

All you need to do is look at how many frickn trucks there were.....................think maybe they were struggling to get quality muscle car consignments?

My $.01 (adjusted for current market conditions)

[BUIZILLA]

All you need to do is look at how many frickn trucks there were..

My $.01 (adjusted for current market conditions)

[/ QUOTE ]hey, eazy now... trucks are cool...
My $.01 (adjusted for real world conditions)

[StealthBird]

I was just referring to all the articles over the past 4 months from Hemmings Muscle Machines, Muscle Car Review, Musclecar Enthusiast, internet auto blogs, etc. where the writers have all said the market was down on high end cars.

If quality was down B-J, wasn't it because people didn't want to take a fully restored 6-figure car to a no-reserve auction, and risk selling too low? So doesn't that mean that sellers knew the market was soft, so they avoided no-reserve auctions?

I looked at the 2007 auction results from Mecum and Barrett-Jackson, and many Hemi cars and Shelbys were $200K+. Not sure if very many sold for more than $200K this past month. Seems like lots of Hemi cars were under $100K this year, where in 2007, guys were selling 70 Barracuda 318's, converted to 'Cudas, with a crate 426, for $100K.