Ditchdigger wrote: What is worse is the Mecum style where the auction employees in the audience are running around screaming and shouting Ho! to drive up the excitement level.
Those people are actually catching bids that are happening....just an FYI.
I never liked the noise or the massive hoards of drunk wealthy people, I just work the Mecum Spring Classic for the cars. 
It all comes down to abhoring insincerity in general, and I seen nothing wrong with that.
Televised dick waving.
I went to three auto auctions a week for nine years. You get used to the "chatter" and tune it out. I actually enjoy them and have got several great deals over the years.
Now that I am no longer buying 40 cars a month, it is actually more enjoyable. I typically get there early and weed out most of the crap. On a good day I will end up with about 10 candidates. After carefully looking them over I determine the price I am willing to pay taking into account any repairs or reconditioning they need. It is then a simple matter of bidding up to your price and not going over. Lots of people get caught up in the competition and spend too much money. Its pretty simple, if the car goes over your price stop bidding.
Out of ten candidates I may end up with one car in the end. There are lots of overpriced cars for sure but there are also deals to be had. There is a skill to it like anything else which is why some people are successful and lots of others are not.
pimpm3 wrote: I went to three auto auctions a week for nine years. You get used to the "chatter" and tune it out. I actually enjoy them and have got several great deals over the years. Now that I am no longer buying 40 cars a month, it is actually more enjoyable. I typically get there early and weed out most of the crap. On a good day I will end up with about 10 candidates. After carefully looking them over I determine the price I am willing to pay taking into account any repairs or reconditioning they need. It is then a simple matter of bidding up to your price and not going over. Lots of people get caught up in the competition and spend too much money. Its pretty simple, if the car goes over your price stop bidding. Out of ten candidates I may end up with one car in the end. There are lots of overpriced cars for sure but there are also deals to be had. There is a skill to it like anything else which is why some people are successful and lots of others are not.
This.
I go to an auction or two every few months. Old tractors (with some Corvairs mixed in)on an old farm was one of my recent favorites. Interesting just to look around and sometimes get a good deal ('59 MGA for $50 was my best). Like a lot of things, experience and familiarity with the process helps you get the most out of the experience.
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