Free, Independent Advice on Choosing the Right Auction House for Your Classic Car
With more than 30 years' experience in the classic car auction world, I can help you decide which auction house is best suited to your particular car. My advice is completely free, independent and comes with no obligation.
Free advice • No obligation • No introduction fees
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A Brief Auction History
Auctions have taken place since time immemorial and have covered almost every type of product including people and slaves.
One of the first recorded auctions was of Joseph's coat. This was somewhere around 1800BC. Whilst the exact colours were never recorded they were believed to be vibrant and varied.
Luckily some of the auction houses have improved their cataloguing since then and Britain has always lead the auction world in the sense of the biggest names in that world originated in the UK - Christies and Sothebys.
They sell almost anything that is collectable and/or of value around the world today.
About Car Auctions
However the car world is relatively new - it wasn’t able to start prior to the invention of the motorcar - and in the UK they were used mainly to sell inferior products with the owners of the best items choosing to sell privately or through dealers. Europe has never been a vibrant auction arena (although that has change over the last 20 years) but America bought into it big style. They though saw it as a way of getting the best price for the best items and so exceptional property, jewellery, paintings and cars for example have always been sent to auction there.
What Makes Choosing an Auction House Difficult
This has led to a two tier system where the self professed top boys try to only sell the best and ignore the rest. However commercial considerations usually win out so you see lots of ‘no reserve’ lots (with some auctions they actually are) and items you wonder why that item is for sale with them as it is not interesting or in exceptional condition.
Add into that the plethora of auctions today both physical and online, and choosing becomes a real problem.
There is no regulation in the auction industry at all so anyone can set up and declare they are auctioneers but of course if they fail they do so with their clients money as did Coys back in the day. So be careful.
Get Free, Independent Advice on the Right Auction House for Your Car
Tell me a little about your car, and I’ll give you my view on where it is most likely to be best presented and sold. There is no charge, no obligation.
