Re: [GFS] MAJOR CHANGES IN THE COLLECTOR CAR MARKET???

Ron, I certainly agree with what you are saying here. I think BJ auction causes more harm than good to the hobby. But let me put a little different spin on things, maybe you'll agree and maybe not.

Yes Barrett-Jackson is the most popular auction going, but it isn't the only one. How many others do we see or hear about? Not many. We are in the old car hobby, not the Barrett Jackson hobby. If people want to spend their money on custom cars, they can do that. Plenty of people still like the stock originals.

Remember, BJ isn't there to promote the hobby, they are there to take our money. In Scottsdale alone, they have a week-long festival. Speed channel only shows a few hours of it. If customs are what's hot right now, then guaranteed that is what will be scheduled to show when Speed is on the air. We don't see the other 4 1/2 days of regular cars, classic 4doors, grocery wagons, etc. They want hype.

It might even be they schedule the cars for Speed that they can most exploit. And I'm pretty sure there's a fair amount of shilling going on. I can see it in that fat bastard Craig Jackson's eyes. Remember we only see what they want us to see, the alternative to this is being there in person.

I'm with your friends that have the pure stock originals. I'd much rather have one of those than a hacked up job. What would be tragic is if they took there pristine originals and customized them soley because they thought they'd be worth more.

How many times have we seen a ragged out Camaro, Mustang, vintage Chrysler even, that the seller wanted big bucks for. His reason? I saw one on Barrett Jackson just like it sell for X. Well, it isn't just like it. This doesn't do us any favors. I'm hoping in the not too distant future, people will catch on to what BJ is really all about, and their popularity will wane.

In closing, just remember that even though BJ wants to be the last word in collector cars, they aren't. We might see a swing in the bidding some day where the originals are once again the most popular, leaving the cutomizers to say, hey what's going on here?

Mike Clark
Stockbridge, Georgia

To: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; cjsuminski@xxxxxxxxx; reata@xxxxx; bjwt56@xxxxxxx; afflerfur@xxxxxxx; goldenfin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From: archangel1390@xxxxxxx
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2011 14:31:37 -0500
Subject: [GFS] MAJOR CHANGES IN THE COLLECTOR CAR MARKET???

It is an undisputed fact that Barrett-Jackson is the biggest and most expensive auction in the world, attracting buyers from all over the world. The fact that there can be NO RESERVE on any vehicle sold there means if your car is not near perfect you could loose a ton of money. Barrett Jackson is also the world's most televised car event being shown around the world. These are all undisputed facts.

We are watching automotive history being made and precedents set by 2011 auction prices which shows what sells high and what does not sell high and approximately what our similar cars are worth.

I, like thousands of other collectors, was in shock that the amount of PURE STOCK CARS WERE IN THE MINORITY. It showed that the pure stock cars are now worth more if they have been tastefully customized!!!!

There was a continuous flow of custom cars and hot rods that were not kept or put back to 100% stock and they brought higher bids then 90% of the totally stock cars going across the bidding block.

Every year about 20 of us car guys get together and all watch the Barrett Jackson auction. This year three of our buddies that are purist and have beautiful 100% stock cars---------actually got up and walked out----they were totally disgusted with the change in the bidding. Before one purist left he said, "You very seldom or ever saw hot rods and custom cars on Barrett Jackson 4 or 5 years ago, and now they dominate the auction!!!!"

I guess we will not hear many purist collector guys saying " MY CAR IS WORTH A LOT MORE BECAUSE IT IS 100% STOCK IN EVERY WAY". Don't get me wrong, there were cars there that were 100% stock that brought big auction prices but most were one of a kind production cars that were already changed (customized) at the factory before they were shipped to the new car dealers.

So my condolences to all the purists out there, ( I myself was one many years ago) I know how you must feel. My advice is accept it or go into denial and try to prove 3 days of world wide facts broadcast to the world never happen.

Of course that is just my opinion, and I could be wrong-----but the overwhelming facts do point in that direction.

Ron Swartley