As previously stated, it happened.  Except now it really happened, a geezal.   That was not a fat finger typo.  A geezal is one thousand.  It normally refers to doe.  You know, a gee is  $1,000.  In this case it refers to 1,000 cars, in a week, bought one by one, on the street and sold, in a week, one by one from dealers to dealers, professionals. 

We sold 1,022 units for the week.  By hammer time, 9AM Friday, we had 835 registered of which we sold  94% and an average price of $21,012.  There were just under 187 units sold prior to the sale and another 275 that were delayed in recon that had to be shifted to next week.  Of the cars that hit the block we sold 874 units under the hammer with stellar simulcast activity.  Thank you to all dealers that participated.

 As I am sure everyone could see, I dropped the hammer way short on at least a hundred units just to be sure all 987 simulcast dealers that were watching, if not participating.  You all could see and understand what we do, sell everything, not just yesterday, but every day, for four (4) decades.  We do not (and will not) play the game of running cars to the moon hoping to catch a nit-wit that is wet behind the ears and no-sale 50% (or more).  I’d quit first even though I have zero intention of quitting while still while still able to be in the upright position. 

All that said, Spring has sprung.  I predict a very good market for the next 6 weeks, the Spring market.  Buyers, big and small, are definitely looking to get the jump.  Car Max has been laying back and have now kicked in full blast because they are smart, non-emotional buyers that are disciplined, astute, and use history to their benefit.  They absolutely know that it’s too late to buy in January so they are digging in coast to coast buying for real.  So are smart dealers of all other variety.  And I felt it this week selling a world record 1,000 plus units that ranged in price from $290,000, down to $3,000. 

Now, some torturous reading but for a reason.  No book, no analyst, no professor of statistics, no theoretical guru or system, no owner of an auction, no reader of cards,  has the perch that we have to actually see the market, period.  Having our balls (cash) completely on the guillotine ($23,000,000 on the block with $27,000,000 more in paid inventory gagging for titles), we sense things different than anyone in the business.  It don’t make us smarter it just is a guarantee that our fingers feel the heat.  And there is no place in North America that the telltale signs of the market are more obvious than the Wall Street of Wholesale, the 17545.  When you  ain’t repping with somebody else’s floor (with no reference to the market other than what they own it for which rarely has relevance to market value) and zero skin in, or watching from afar for a half hour and proclaiming some “feel” for the sale, the tattoo in the brain ain’t no “henna” tattoo.  This sucker we get tattooed with is one that is real and it don’t rub off, dig it?    Not knowing if there is money or not, where a unit came from, who was on it (or not),how much paint was done, and where or why it is going somewhere and claiming some knowledge of what happens at a real auction is truly dangerous.  It’s actually more dangerous than not knowing anything.    

With the diatribe done, I proclaim “Spring has sprung” in the wholesale world.  Driven by the Giant, Car Max (with a G not a g due to my great respect for their management team, truly brilliant what Folliard has done), and smart dealers all over the world.  As I have been saying straight through, pay attention, don’t buy high in order to sell low.  Buy before it feels like you should, now.  Cold ass weather, Holidays up your rear end and the last thing you want to do now is buy.  I say buy now or pay like a duffis in 4 weeks.    I say don’t waste time, go where cars are, but much more importantly, where they get sold 100% of the time.  I say buy what the other guy don’t have, unique units, trades.  I ask where are them bitches?  I respond with a grim, pay attention, I sold an all time world record of them and do every week. If anyone can get close to disputing that fact and and even divide that number in half and dispute it, I’ll pay $100,000 in cash.  Please get out of bed and come to our sale, you will not be disappointed. 

Signing off from the beach in Delray which I will never see because I’ll be working all day kissing asses rounding up next week’s inventory for YOU, much to my lovely wife’s dismay who is a wholesale widow,

The frequently disputed, statistically undeniable, historically and numerically, even if you divide by 20, King O cars,

I love you all, even the retards that try me on with dopey mickeys, ALL

Sell Well