Bargain Day in NC

Chris in WNC

Chris in WNC

Well-known member
Yesterday my grandson and I attended the Bill Wiseman Estate Auction in Marion NC.

Very warm weather and the auctioneer's sound system was WAY TOO LOUD.

Hundreds of boxes.
Tools & equipment, supplies &c.
LOTS of Model A parts, early V8 parts, Chevrolet & Buick & miscellaneous.

Most things went DIRT CHEAP.
Wonderful opportunity for swap meet vendors to beef up their inventory.

Five Model As, 46 Merc, 40 Buick, 35 Ford Coupe all sold WAY below current market prices, no reserve.

Two Model A consigned vehicles did not make reserves.

If I was ready to buy my next Model A, yesterday would have been the day.......
 
In my mind, it illustrates how deeply today’s collectibles markets are intertwined with the Internet or at least phones and text. That was a true old-school auction. You had to be there in person to bid on parts, and the online listing was sufficiently vague, and the pictures sufficiently low res, that you really had to be there in person to know whether there was anything worth bidding on.
 
Some cars prices are moderating. Who would have thought 10 years ago the price of "baby birds" would have dropped like they have...
 
Gene F said:
Some cars prices are moderating. Who would have thought 10 years ago the price of "baby birds" would have dropped like they have...
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Prices of collector cars go through cycles. I don't stress over a "down" period, just hope they recover. I think the downs are related to things like cost of living, interest rates etc but the way things are now, I'm not going to hold my breather waiting for those things to improve.
 
Gene F said:
Some cars prices are moderating. Who would have thought 10 years ago the price of "baby birds" would have dropped like they have...
Click to expand...


Gene if you mean the two seater T-Birds 55-56-57's, yes I have noticed them really taking a dive the last few years. There just doesn't seem to be a lot of interest in those cars anymore.

Now first generation Mustangs are a different story they keep going up, and up, and up, 64 1/2 's thru 1970,,, 71-72-73 's don't bring a lot of money. Unless they are a '71 Boss 351 or 429 SCJ car....

Iacocca hated the '71 style with a passion he screamed at Bunkie Knutsen 'WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY MUSTANG???? ' when he saw the prototypes. He said 'They look like an aircraft carrier.'
 
Originally Posted by Gene F View Prices of collector cars go through cycles. I don't stress over a "down" period

I know about a complete 40 Plymouth that's been sitting in a barn for only 10 years or so. The asking price is rather low. At the moment, the work it needs far outcosts the value, but 2 years ago I could have turned a profit. It's not like my A which has sentimental value and I would give every penny it needs. If I had space and no Fordor that needs the wood to be reworked, I would take the gamble. It's a shame because it's sitting on gravel by an outside wall, and already rusting.
 
I'm kind of surprised more Model A guys weren't there to drive the prices up. I assumed that being less than an hour's drive from the MARC national convention, the auction would have been swarmed by Model Aer's from around the country.
 
Gene F said:
Some cars prices are moderating. Who would have thought 10 years ago the price of "baby birds" would have dropped like they have...
Click to expand...

"High School cars" i.e. cars that people lusted after in high school and later bought when they had money, are a moving target. 50's cars are no longer the hot segment of the collectors market, its late 60's muscle cars now. Heaven only knows what it will be in 20 years as cars after that were, uh, bland?
 
My first thought- I bet Wick made it to the auction............


surprised you didnt go. You are the bargain hunter connoisseur!


love to hear about your finds.
 
Baby birds have been down for years. Never had the following of c2 corvettes, which continue in an upward trend. The future is showing that certain cars outperform and many go nowhere.


the bargain of the century? corvair. nobody has ever wtd one and I find that amazing.
 
ronn said:
Baby birds have been down for years. Never had the following of c2 corvettes, which continue in an upward trend. The future is showing that certain cars outperform and many go nowhere.


the bargain of the century? corvair. nobody has ever wtd one and I find that amazing.
Click to expand...

Very true and I've noticed that too:)

I see antique and collector trucks of all makes across the board, doing well now and into the future... people just always smile when they see a nice old truck:)

And of course the Town Car Model A's, the '31 Dlx. pickups, '30-'31 Roadsters,,,, all will continue to have a strong following I believe.
 
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