Market Conditions Commentary
 
Friday in Manheim Pa we celebrate our world record 20,000 units sold this year at Manheim
by Robert Hollenshead
Dec 27 2011 10:41AM
This is it.  Friday  we celebrate our world record 20,000 units sold this year at Manheim, Pa..  Never happened before (or remotely close by multiples) and I feel sure it could never happen again.  The pity is that the auction is not celebrating with us.  So, here’s what to expect form us: Champaign, $10,000 in real giveaways, and a kiss for any dealer we have done business with…that wants one…otherwise be happy with what we are giving away, and a pile of cars worth the candy.  We should have at least 400 to wrap up the year.

So come one, come all, to the greatest car auction and show on earth.  We want to end with a bang, not a whisper.   And we are coming in as if it were already Spring.  I wish I was smart enough to predict the market or had enough self-respect to take a vacation, but it’s just not in me.  I’m too dumb to predict how the market will be and I can’t show up at an auction with my guns half loaded.  Just can’t do it.

You don’t go deep sea fishing with no bait and you don’t go on an elephant hunt with no amo.  Simply put, I not coming to a Holiday auction with no merch or to make friends.  I’m coming to sell (if I make a few friends in the process by selling to cheap that’s the way it goes).

I wonder if anyone really knows how easy it is to find 24,000 units in a year and sell every one of them to another dealer?  How simple it is to kiss a.. to buy from a professional (not from an auction where any numb skull can be the last bidder), write a laser check, move, recon, clean, move again, CR (oy vey), number, re-clean, find an auctioneer that can count, sell to a professional (hopefully for a smidge more, God forbid a profit), post-sale (for pixels shmixels wixels lixels quixels mixels  rattles  quattels schmattles diffs niffs wiffs miffs ziffs noises schmoices woises roises toises and a few other things too lengthily to mention) , kiss a nit wits a.. for the title, do it again as the dealer we bought it from has our money and generally couldn’t care if we ever get the title, for one car.  Try that on 500 times a week…for 52 weeks for 39 years.  No wonder I need clocked…again.  The pace maker can’t keep up. 

Being half Irish I’m too stupid to stop with this meshugas.

So make an effort.  Come to the 17545.  Have some fun.  Toast with us a good year and a great year to come.  Join with us in our celebration.  We are in this together (and what good is a party if nobody shows up?).

I love you all,

The self-appointed, no longer disputed, statistically undeniable,

Maestro of Manheim


5 Readers' Comments

1
Jacob Mccracken
Martinsville
IN 46151
13 years ago
Congrats Bobby! I'll be sipping the Champagne from my desk in Indy, watching and looking for deals! Not to hard to find with 400+

2
Yakov Bandura
Syracuse
NY 13206
13 years ago
Hi Mr. Hollenshead, congratulations on your milestone. It's been a fun year buying cars in your lane. You are defiantly the MAESTRO of wholesaling vehicles and no one else on face of the earth does it like you do. No matter how big the dealership is, you will treat everybody like a brother. Thank you for all your help. Enjoy your party on Friday. We'll be watching for amazing deals. Won't be too hard to do that with 400+ fresh new car trades. Not some lease BS. Thank you very much sir! We will see you Friday.

3
Robert Hollenshead
MANHEIM
PA 17545
13 years ago
Thanks Jacob and Yakov. Not a bad year and we are looking to rip in 2012. Without you guys we have nothing. By thew way, i was just sitting here looking at some stats and it looks like I sold cars to 8,067 different dealers this year. Considering there is about 47,000 dealers in the US, that means we touch a sixth of everybody. Some humbling numbers. Thanks to each and every one of you guys. We are a unique breed aren't we?

4
Yakov Bandura
Syracuse
NY 13206
13 years ago
Robert, ever since I started buying cars from you I never faced the issue of how the heck am I going to re-stock my lot. I don't have to look nationwide for cars. All I have to do is log on into lane 22 on Friday at 9am and just pay attention. I wish that every single dealer in US could just try your service at least once. I am 100% confident that not a single guy will be upset of how you treat your dealers or what kind of cars you sell. Nothing is hidden. And even if it is 10K under the money no matter what, rain, snow, economy, simulcast down, politics or anything else you are selling 100%. I know I never have to hear "Ok, we'll do it on an IF or we'll make a call". It's SELL, SELL, SELL!!! This year alone we bought about 300-350 units. I'm looking to put at least 500 of your cars in Central New York on the road. This is my 2012 resolution. It's been a pleasure working with you. Thank you for the help today regarding titles!

5
Robert Hollenshead
MANHEIM
PA 17545
13 years ago
I am very pleased to hear you say this and it is written you should make money on every one. Enjoy this new year in good health and with peace in your house.