Becoming educated on cars by auction commentary

[rocketraider]

Rainy this afternoon so been watching July's GAA auction on MAVTV.

 

Through the MAVTV auction commentators I have learned:

 

•The first Chevrolet big-block engine was introduced in 1959.

 

•A 1957 Chevrolet crossing the auction block had its original alternator.

 

•1964 was the second  year for the Pontiac GTO.

 

•A 1970 Torino convertible was identified as a 1970 Indy 500 Pace Car.

 

🤨

 

I realize some of these MAVTV commentators weren't even born when these cars were on the streets, but damn. They could at least make an effort to learn about what they're trying to describe on national TV. This is how inaccuracies and misinformation become gospel because, as we all know, if you hear it on TV or read it on the internet, it has to be correct.

 

(348 appeared in 1958, GM began the switch to alternators in mid-1962, GTO appeared in Sept 1963 as a 1964 offering, and Oldsmobile paced the 1970 500.

 

The Torino was clearly marked as a North Wilkesboro Speedway pace car.)

[zepher]

Sounds like the commentators are the same ones hired to 'inspect' classic cars as experts.

[keiser31]

Someone lied on their resume'.

[TTR]

Since when has auction or any other used car sales descriptions expected to be historically accurate or correct, let alone anything on TV shows or internet discussions intended for (rainy day) entertainment  ?

 

[John Byrd]

Before our cable company dropped MAV with no explaination, I watched those GAA auctions too. It is amazing how excited the presenters are and equally amazing how wrong and how often they are wrong !  Wait until you see a Studebaker or other orphan from before the mid 60's go thru, you'll learn things you'd never dream of, lol !!! Oh well, I guess  that's why it's called "entertainment"....

[TAKerry]

I see the GAA stuff every once in a while. John Kraman with Mecum is very knowledgeable and does a great job narrating during their auctions. Another one I watch about once a week is Vicari. I think they are in the deep south, and the prices that they get seem more realistic than Mecum and BJ. 

 

[John348]

I am pretty sure EVERY ONE of the commentators read from prepared content, and "fluff it up" as they go. The guys on Mecum I have found to be buffoons, I am at a point that I seldom even watch the auctions any more because of the idiodic play by play commentary, and 8 minutes of commercials for 4 minutes of content. 

[8E45E]

12 minutes ago, John348 said:

I am pretty sure EVERY ONE of the commentators read from prepared content, and "fluff it up" as they go. The guys on Mecum I have found to be buffoons, I am at a point that I seldom even watch the auctions any more because of the idiodic play by play commentary, and 8 minutes of commercials for 4 minutes of content. 

As 'edinmass' stated here:  How can this car be an alleged "AACA Grand National Winner"? - Page 3 - General Discussion - Antique Automobile Club of America - Discussion Forums  , the best fiction is found in auction catalogs.  (I followed up by stating its more windbaggery than fiction.)

 

Craig

 

[Steve_Mack_CT]

So that's where those HMN guys went...

[edinmass]

 

I was asked by a well known auction company to be a talking head at a sale of pre war cars at one of the huge venues. I agreed to look things over before I took the job. I passed.......for multiple reasons. Money not being enough was only one of the reasons. 

[plymouthcranbrook]

And how many buyers at auctions really care about accuracy anyway.  If it’s cool and fast maybe that meets all the requirements for many of them. And of course expensive so they can brag to their friends how much they spent.

[TAKerry]

I would love to see the break down of sales at any particular auction. How many people bought a car because they liked how it looked, How many bought the particular they were there to buy, how many people bought it because they thought it was good deal.

[8E45E]

1 hour ago, TAKerry said:

I would love to see the break down of sales at any particular auction. How many people bought a car because they liked how it looked, How many bought the particular they were there to buy, how many people bought it because they thought it was good deal.

That would be an interesting survey.   Some would buy as an investment.  Others would say they liked the design, and others would say it was their grandad's car and wanted it back in the family no matter the price.    And of course, there would be many other reasons why they bought that particular car.

 

Craig

[TAKerry]

The one reason I forgot was because they had imbibed on too much free alcohol and later asked themselves, 'I bought a what?'

 

I will add I have bought quite a few pieces at auction. The main reason I had a bidder pass was because there was something I wanted. I would look that particular vehicle over at the pre auction. If I still wanted I put a do not exceed price on it. Then IF I saw anything else interesting I would look that over as well as a second choice kind of thing. I have never bought something that went across the block just because of any other reason. There was a car auction a mile down the road from me a few years ago. I didnt bother to register because I figured what I may have wanted would go too high. And there werent that many vehicles that really piqued my interest. What a big mistake. There was a '30 Chevy sedan delivery that sold for around 10k, and a model A sedan delivery that sold for a little less. Both were in beautiful condition, completely restored only needing paint on the body. There were about 10 model a's of all variety's that sold between 6k and 8k. I was kicking myself after that one. 

[60FlatTop]

Check some of my past comments. I maintain the best way to sell a car is to make someone feel they are stealing it or taking advantage of you. Being not too smart is a real good smoke screen. You know you know more than them.

 

I remember a Kruse auction at Hershey that ran quite a few GM 1960's A-body cars. The hardtops had the doors open, sedans were closed. Just an accident I noticed they accidentally did that.

 

My grandfather taught me a little touch of larceny was sporting but he was my grandmother's third husband, not blood related.

[Frank DuVal]

If you bother to go to an auction by all means get registered (well, unless that cost hundreds of non-refundable dollars..) as you just never know how the prices will run, depends on audience.😉 True of non- car auctions too.

[wayne sheldon]

Quite frankly, I have a very low opinion of almost all celebrity collector/dealers, as well as self proclaimed experts acting as dealers or appraisers. To be clear, there are a few dealers and appraisers that are regulars on this forum that I highly respect and would trust if ever I had the occasion to. In person, one very good friend did appraisals for quite a few years (basically retired now) that really knew the hobby, the history, and the markets for collector cars. He is/was the only appraiser I personally knew that I did not in any way consider to be an idiot! He is one of my longest time best friends.

There are exceptions. Many years ago, my wife and I quite by accident met Jay Leno. There I was chatting for about ten minutes with this fine fellow with a beautiful Bentley. I found him down to Earth, and very knowledgeable, and then my wife pointed out it was Jay! We continued to chat about antique automobiles for probably another twenty minutes, he was very interested in the Model T club tour we had gone down to Southern California to attend.

Over the years? Jay is an exception.

I have met a few other celebrity "experts".  I will not mention names or their shows here. The few others that I have met, or been able to stand in with conversations in a group at some sort of meet? Basically, I wouldn't walk halfway across a small street to say hello to if such an opportunity came up again. I say "again" because it has happened before. At a Bakersfield Swap Meet over a dozen years ago, one of those fellows was there. Someone I knew mentioned to me that I might want to go meet him, and I replied that I had met him before and had no desire to meet him again. In person, rusty parts were much more interesting than the celebrity "expert" was.

 

Some of the communications systems contracting work I did for many years had me working on the fringes of television and film productions. So I saw things, how some things were done. When a good friend was a subject on one episode of a "Reality Television" show, I enjoyed participating in it in a small way. (I admit it, it was fun for a day.) I also got to see how scripted it was (I already knew that), they taped the opening segment after nearly all the rest of the "piece" was done!

 

I have rarely ever watched collector reality television shows. The few times I tried just so I could see what other people were raving about? Almost always, after twenty minutes of their cluelessness? I never want to watch the show again.