Called in to Blackbushe auction today (it's near where I live) to have a look at the classic cars. However entry required purchase of a catalogue at £17.50. Presumably this is designed to keep non-buyers (like me) away, which is fair enough I guess. Needless to say, it worked on me and I didn't enter.
Anyway, just wondered if there's a similar price to pay for the normal (not 'classic') auctions during the week? Had a look at the website, but it's not mentioned. Got a lot of spare time on my hands at the moment, so I wouldn't mind going along to see what an auction's like, even though I've no intention of buying anything.
P.S. I saw a black Smart Roadster in the 'VIP' car park - HJ's current motor?
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All classic auctions work on the basis of admission by catalogue. It usually admits two. Normal sales it\'s free to walk in, catalogues cost £3.00 per hall unless you have an account card, and if you intend to bid youn have to stump up a £500 deposit (£1,000 for Top Car) either cash or debit card (not credit card) which you get back if you don\'t buy anything. Yes I parked the Smart Roadster Light there.
HJ
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How easy/difficult is it to get an account with BCA?
I had intended to open one a while ago but never got round to it. Do you have to be a genuine trader in cars?
I have my own Limited Company and can get dozens of references so thats not a problem.
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You have to be a genuine trader and you have to keep your spend limit permanently in a current account. So it it\'s £10k (the minimum) you have to keep that permanently available. If it\'s £100,000 you have to keep £100,000 permanently available. You can, of course, arrange with your bank for the bank to make this your overdraft limit.
HJ
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& Top Car day is catalogue/account/GENUINE buyer only, now.
So if you want to see how much the exoticars make, you'll need to find a deposit & not actually bid, or listen outside the hall!
VB
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Just an update - went to Blackbushe this morning and spent an interesting three hours or so looking around the cars and watching the auctions.
Some impressions for those who haven't been:
* General setup is very good for a 'spectator' - three different auctions were going simultaneously, and it was easy to move between them, and to move between the auctions and the viewing area. Viewing area covered, so the torrential rain didn't spoil the fun.
* Busy, but not annoyingly crowded - easy to get a good close-up look at the cars as they went through the auction.
* Cars well documented on the windscreens - model, features, date of registration, mileage. So you don't really need a catalogue if you're just browsing.
* Plenty of (free) parking.
* Auctioneers reasonably easy to understand, and the whole bidding process didn't seem intimidating. I'd be quite happy to bid.
* Prices surprisingly predictable for the most part. Generally I'd say the prices were 'reasonable', rather than a bargain, which is what you'd expect I guess. But there were definitely some surprises, both on the low and high side.
* Lots of cars - hundreds. Good range too, though obviously this varied according to sale type.
So all in all, a recommended experience. And I'd definitely consider buying at auction in the future, given the right circumstances.
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If you're going to start sticking your hand in the air for very expensive things, I'd suggest you start in the second hand furniture section of your local auction house. First time I did that (on something that went for about £20) I was shaking like a leaf by the end of the bidding. I didn't expect that to happen - and am very glad that it wasn't something that was costing thousands.
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Yes, I've bought at auction before (but never cars). I think the key is to work out your price limit before hand, and stick to it. That removes the emotion and makes the whole process largely mechanical.
Though having read HJ's auction advice, I guess just holding your hand in the air until your limit is reached might leave you vulnerable to the 'run up'. I actually saw something that looked like that today. A lady was bidding on a Zafira, and she definitely looked like a private bidder. As the price went up, she instantly waved her catalogue at every increment. The price kept going and going. Eventually the other bidder dropped out. Of course it might just have been another keen bidder, but I couldn't help feeling she should have hesitated a bit at a lower level, if only to make the other person think twice. But I guess knowing exactly how to to play the bidding game is something you only learn through experience.
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work out your price limit before hand, and stick to it.
I'm not an expert but I'd guess the other rule is to have several possible cars in your sights and be happy with any of them.
She sounds as if the Zafira was the only car she wanted. So she was keen to get it - too keen?
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She sounds as if the Zafira was the only car she wanted. So she was keen to get it - too keen?
Yes I think you're right. Her catalogue had the car circled in bright blue marker - it was the only one circled (on that page, anyway). The odd thing is there were load of Zafiras for sale. But I noticed she had written AUTO in big blue letters on her catalogue, so I maybe this was the only auto that met her other requirements.
BTW The Zafiras were a good lesson for me today. I thought they were pretty cheap at around 6-7k for three year old. But looking on parkers, it seems that's about the going rate. For some reason I assumed the Zafira was more expensive than it is. Reminds of a time when I thought telephones at an auction were an amazing bargain at only £16 (+ auction fees). When I got home I looked up the Argos catalogue and the exact same phone was £14.
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The whole thing goes so quickly (when it's your first time), together with the adrenalin etc. etc. that it's easy to be surprised.
I remember thinking that I'd dropped out, and then being surprised when the auctioneer wanted my name. These days I've bought so much furniture etc. etc. that I find the whole thing rather tedious.
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I remember way back (about 1984) I took SWMBO and the kids to a small local auction just out of interest. We weren't looking to buy, just having a look. Before the auction started I remarked that a brown Princess (I know, I know!) didn't look in bad nick for its age.
Comes the auction and the Princess and my princess starts bidding! And gets the thing for £500! Disaster. Turns out it had been in a crash, bodged repairs underneath and once driven about 20 miles the driveshaft makes nasty noises.
Needless to say two days later it was driven (slowly) to the next auction 15 miles away and went for £475. Not taken her to an auction since!
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Are you sure you weren't referring to someone else's Princess?
Guess you got off lightly, of you were.
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if. Not of. if. One day I'll learn the difference. Or the BR will gain an edit button. Whatever.
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