The ongoing appetite for classics at auction makes it’s tempting to make sales bigger – but is it a good idea?
More auction houses as holding larger sales to respond to market demand – but they’re a mixed blessing for enthusiasts buying and selling classics.
Classic Car Auctions had 229 vehicles consigned to last weekend’s Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show Sale - and it’s also opted to make its first auction at Tatton Park’s Classic
&Performance Spectacular a two-day affair, in anticipation of a high volume of classics being consigned. Anglia Car Auctions (ACA) has also found success with a two-day format consistently offers sales containing more than 200-250 cars – and there’s no sign of the King’s Lynn sales shrinking any time soon, as its packed inventory for its forthcoming 6-7 April sale (full preview, page 52) shows.
ACA classic specialist, Guy Snelling, believes that it’s what people like: ‘The days of the 200 car sales are still with us. Having a large sale gives prospective customers so much more choice and makes a potential journey to view a sale more worthwhile due to the larger choice on offer.’
However, even with an increased appetite for auction buys – aCCW analysis of the market last November showed that more than 2200 classics were offered across 12 auctioneers over three months – there are those in the trade who favour restricting sale sizes, arguing that it makes for a more relaxed atmosphere for bidders and increases the chances of success for sellers.
Manor Park’s sales director James Gregory, believes that having fewer cars benefits everyone, saying: ‘Manor Park’s focus is always on quality, rather than quantity. We could easily find room for more cars in our sales, but that would lead to a more frenzied atmosphere on auction day and less space for people to view the cars properly. It’s also important for both our buyers and sellers that our auctioneer has ample time to realise each car’s full potential during bidding.
‘Smaller sales enable us to be rather more selective about the cars consigned and gi
