Went to the Mecum aution in Kissime, FL. After watching B-J on TV for several years it was really cool the actually go and see this stuff first hand.

All I can say is that for anyone like us who is really into this hobby. Going to one of these auctions is a must do! I know some of you have been lucky enough to go to the B-J auction which is no doubt the grand daddy of them all. However, I will say the Mecum auction is truly awesome. What's really nice about this one ANYONE can get right up to and even sit in the cars up for auction.

This was really like going to the ultimate car show. These cars were just amazing. Not only that but the cars were selling quite reasonably. It seemed to me that the cars here were affordable for the avg. person unlike B-J.

I'm not knocking B-J as I have never been to that auction, however, based on what you see on TV it seems that the avg. person could never go there and buy a car. Whereas this auction you could.

There were over 700 cars there to be sold. Naturally we looked for a first gen bird and did not see one. The web site shows that there were a couple, however, we did not see them. Even so, it was really cool to see so many nice cars.

We registered to bid although amazingly we did not end up buying. There was a nice 65 GTO Conv. red w/ white int. we began to bid and worked with a bidder's asst. (otherwise you can loose track real quick and end up paying double what you intended if you go on your own). The car ultimately sold for more than we wanted to go but we were in the running for some time. We stayed in for some time and then we dropped out at one point. The car was really nice and well optioned.

All is all we had a great time. Very exciting and really cool to be there. Next up is the Barrett Jackson West Palm Beach, FL in March. Anyone from this site going?

Jackson looks like a crook, 10% buyer fee, 10% seller fee, 500.00 just to be able to bid, internet bidder 12% fee. What a racket. If you want to sell or buy contact this guy pictured

What sad people are going for it.. I'm sure there are some side discounts for his good clients.. I wonder if the speacial buyers get a discount...

Autions like Mecum and Steele set the market, not BJ. They are so far over the top it's redicules.
Anyone buying at BJ has disposable income, not investment or hobby money. BJ is an event where people go to show off, not an honest auction IMHO.

I think the most amazing thing about BJ auctions is that it has been proven that cars that went over their auction block actually show an added value just because of it. Whether this is 'show-offs' buying BJ cars for more money or not, the show-offs are in the market raising prices... I think that BJ on TV is only as real as the other 'reality shows'. Of course, this is just my opinion....

At our recent show and sell was a 383 Road Runner, 4 speed pistol grip, etc... 1-10 scale it was a 6-7
Nice car but still a basic Road Runner. He had the BJ auction pics and all, paid $80 grand for it there. About 30-40K more than it was worth after looking at it. He had a 65K price tag on it, not one taker.
The guy just got caught up in the BJ stuff and lost his shirt. He'd have to go to Mecum or Steele to resale it. BJ gets so many cars they rarely take a low end one twice.
So even if you get a good car at a good price at auction, unless you go back through an auction you'll probably not sell it for near what you paid.
I don't think so anyway, it takes at least two buyers to drive up a price.

I have seen a history in Hemmings Muscle Machines of BJ cars being sold at other auctions within 12 months or so and the cars typically loose money.

Yes, they lose money compared to what they were sold for at the BJ auction. But they gained on 'like cars' that didn't have the BJ auction history documentation. I've seen accounts where cars get a 10% 'bump' just because they are documented BJ cars. Ironically, that's what was paid to push them through by the seller and buyer. So it's a 'wash' in the short run. But it's a plus when buying a car that has went over the BJ block. This could all be a fad and a very short term gain.

Here are some of the buyers

LOL One of my friends goes to the BJ's and he resembles those guys! Too funny! I would mention it to him but he might go 'Three Stooges' on me. WOOP WOOP WOOPIN' He always sends me pics of him hanging out of stage...
Here's one;

Gary,
You should put that Jackson guys picture with the caption:

"Would you buy a used car from this guy?"

Remember the movie "Used cars" He could play Kurt Russells part.
"Thanks not a Taxi cab, that's yellow matching number primer"

Personally I enjoyed just being there and watching people with money spend it. We bought our car in 2000 for $5,500 and put another 15k-20k over the last several years. I can't imagine ever having the 20-30k up front too drop on an old car.

I have a decent job, a wife and three kids. With that said, I would consider myself the avg. Joe (that is my name by the way) and I can't imagine being able to go one of these auctions and dropping cash on a car. I would love to, but it isn't realistic. I would imagine that most of us would fall in this catagory.

However, I do enjoy going and watching etc. Just seeing such nice cars up close like that is enough for me. We had a great time! If I am ever fortunate enough to have the cash to buy, I would love to do it. In the meantime, I'll keep plugging away one part, one piece at a time...

B-J is something else. Just went to it. I enjoy the Mecum auctions much more. Unless you have a truely rare car there is no need to go to B-J, especailly since it's a no reserve auction. What you don't hear is all of the people that buy their cars back since they are not even close to getting their money back. So if you buy it back, you have 18% is buyer/seller fees plus the 7.95% in city and state taxes!! I know a guy that brought 5 cars there in 07 and bought 3 back!!! All nice GTO's