greenie Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 If you watch auctions closely you see some crazy stuff. It doesn't matter if it's EPay or BJ- things happen and you have to wonder. Last night on the BJ travelling circus, a 1954 Woodill Wildfire, apparently used in 3 motion pictures, appeared on the block. Now this is not your usual BJ fare, so the bidding started slow- real slow. Suddenly the TV cameras showed the high bidder at 14K, none other than Mark Hyman. Great, I thought- the car might show up at Hershey '15. Mark smiled as the auctioneer cried "SOLD"......but wait......suddenly there was a "new" bid of 16k, and you could see Mark's lips say to the ring-man: "He said sold!?!". In seconds it was sold, and not to Mark. Who bought it? It's anybody's guess- or maybe it wasn't sold at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rp1967 Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 (edited) I suppose if a ring man took a bid just before the gavel struck it would have to go to that bidder, just bad timing for Mark.With the car being that rare it is hard to believe it didn't have a reserve . Edited January 17, 2015 by Rp1967 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 All about the $$$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 I saw that happen too, and I'm guessing that there was another last-minute bid. That seems to be a theme at this year's auction: bidders waiting until the last possible second to bid. Did they all read a strategy book or something? Alternatively, I've also seen more than one car sell just as the guy was trying to stall until the last possible moment and about to bid, then he gets all pissy at the auctioneer for hammering it before he could do it. Either way, if you snooze, you lose. Bid to win, stop bidding when you can't afford it anymore. Everything else is just playing games.There was no reserve on this particular car because B-J still puts most cars through without reserves. You can "buy" a reserve on your car, but those slots are finite and are usually limited to prices above six figures. I think only Saturday night's cars have reserves. Otherwise, if you want your car at B-J, it goes naked.We might very well have seen the Wildfire at next year's Hershey, most likely with a price tag several orders of magnitude above what it sold for at the auction. In case you haven't noticed, that's Hyman's typical M.O: Buy an unusual car for which there are no comps or other sales, no track record of values, jack up the price 600-800%, and when it sells for a 50% discount, the buyer thinks he got a screaming bargain and Hyman still doubled or tripled his money. Pretty clever, actually, and it explains why there are so many oddball cars in the Hyman inventory. I was also pleased that he walked away, disgusted with the auctioneer and bidder's assistant, because he really did get the shaft on that one. Not cool, Barrett-Jackson. Not cool at all.And hey, did you see that gorgeous mid-year Corvette? The red roadster with the small block? No, not that one, the other one. No, the other one. No, that other, other one. No, the other, other, other one. Maybe it was that other one? Or that one? I don't remember, there have been at least a dozen of them so far. Sheesh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 I've said this before, but it's so true watching B-J...The announcers have intimate knowledge of muscle cars, and just about zero knowledge of Classic and older cars....A '69 Camaro will go through and they'll spend minutes talking about how on odd numbered days of even numbered weeks From February 1st 1969 to March 15th 1969 a guy named Joe on the assembly line would put on a right hand slip slotted slit fitting instead of the correct left hand slip slotted slit fitting, and how this car was one of the only 38 cars that got this fitting, and how that means the car is well worth paying four times what it's really worth.....Then, a beautiful 1930's Cadillac roadster will go through, and the extent of the comment is "gee, Cadillac made pretty good cars, I think".......Hard to imagine they'd shaft Hyman, but one never knows about the relationships between bidders and the auction company... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff_a Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Greenie,I've never heard of that before at an auction. At our local horse and mule sale, I'm pretty sure the auctioneer would put the lot back in play if that happened. Bidding interest wasn't over, and bidder A wasn't able to answer bidder B's raise.Matt,Sorry I missed that Corvette with the V-8 last night. Didn't know the auction was going on..........Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Yes, Matt, I'm sorry I missed that Corvette too, but really sorry I missed that other one, and just torn up about missing the other one, and can't believe the condition of the other one, nor the wheels on the other one, nor the bid on the other one......well done.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rp1967 Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 ( putting an item back into play) by an auctioneer after he has said sold is illegal in most states.I know it is in Indiana where my best friend is a full time auctioneer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AlCapone Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 I have attended and bought several cars at BJ and I have never witnessed this. You can send an email and they will quite often answer during the show. Did Mark have another chance to bid ? Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 In case of such a dispute it is customary to have an auction for just the two last bidders. It sometimes happens that 2 bidders both think theirs was the last bid.On the other hand, auctioneers have been known to pull bids out of the air when they have a live one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Dobbin Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 A dealer friend claimed to be outbid by the COKE machine in the back of the room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 I saw that Wildfire go through, any idea who picked the color on it? With any luck someone is block sanding it right now while some resale red is being mixed. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidAU Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I didn't see it but maybe, although they advertised that it didn't have a reserve on it they may have had an agreement with the seller not to sell below a certain figure and when it didn't reach that figure they knocked it down to one of their "friends" to stop it going too cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Or it may have been Mr Hyman's car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick8086 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 They take great pictures... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curti Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 And maybe, it was not a legit car. And maybe, someone was glad to get rid of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 All sorts of things happen at auctions. We worked on a car that was offered at auction but didn't meet reserve. Turns out the car was actually owned by the auctioneer. My customer bought it after the sale for less than the supposedly high bid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Hacker Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Hi Gang...We haven't heard from the new owner yet at Forgotten Fiberglass. According to friends who talked to the owner selling the car at the auction, he said it was "sold" and returned to his home in Las Vegas. One thing that may have kept the price down was the legitimacy of the car. We have access to the serial number records from Wildfire in our group. The serial number indicated it was a car (kit) built and sold on April 15th, 1955 to Mr. F. Wagner (9961). The movie was filmed in late '53 and early '54 so it was easily "not" the movie car. We shared this with folks who called us and sent it out via our website Forgotten Fiberglass too.We also posted stories on the real heritage of the Wildfire movie cars you can read here:Johnny Dark Movie Car #1: http://www.forgottenfiberglass.com/fiberglass-car-marques/woodill-wildfire/in-search-of-the-johnny-dark-wildfire/Johnny Dark Movie Car #2 and #3:http://www.forgottenfiberglass.com/fiberglass-car-marques/woodill-wildfire/search-johnny-dark-woodill-wildfire-2-3/That speaks to the background of the cars - as for the auction activity...I leave that to the folks more knowledgeable then I :-)If any of you are interested in learning more about the hand-built cars of the 40s and 50s that we cover on our websites (Forgotten Fiberglass, Sport Custom, and Belly Tanks and Streamliners) you can sign up on the following link:http://forgottenfiberglass.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=55b1654c6f7e3de70d02c0bda&id=ad9445a3fbHope this helps gang.....Geoff HackerForgotten Fiberglass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Does your Forgotten Fiberglass have any knowledge on boats? I recently restored this one and no body has ever seen one.It is titled as a 1957 Bristol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Hacker Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Hi Jack....Nice boat! There's a great website on fiberglass boats called http://fiberglassics.com/Give them a try - I bet they can nail the history down for you quickly.Hope this helps....Geoff HackerForgotten Fiberglass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I saw that happen too, and I'm guessing that there was another last-minute bid. That seems to be a theme at this year's auction: bidders waiting until the last possible second to bid. Did they all read a strategy book or something? Alternatively, I've also seen more than one car sell just as the guy was trying to stall until the last possible moment and about to bid, then he gets all pissy at the auctioneer for hammering it before he could do it. Either way, if you snooze, you lose. Bid to win, stop bidding when you can't afford it anymore. Everything else is just playing games.Live version of 'snipe bids' on Ebay???I wonder if an auction such as this will be like baseball...having to film it and replay over and over the auctioneer's gavel and the bidder at the split second before it comes down to see who was first. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AlCapone Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 In order to protect their reputation and integrity, BJ should issue a statement regarding this strange happening ! Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I think AACA should produce its OWN antique-car auctionevery autumn: Reasonable commissions, honesty, and no shenanigans. Set a good example for the hobby andmake money for the club at the same time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Hi Jack....Nice boat! There's a great website on fiberglass boats called http://fiberglassics.com/Give them a try - I bet they can nail the history down for you quickly.Hope this helps....Geoff HackerForgotten FiberglassThanks for that Geoff, I will check them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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