Mecum Houston
2016 Report
Mecum was back in Houston this past April and I was there, as usual, buying things I don't need. I wish I could tell you that the Mecum experience is getting better, but unfortunately the opposite is true. I've enjoyed going to Mecum auctions for years, and I've never attended one without actually buying at least one car. The people are still just as great as always, but the experience is becoming a little tainted by escalating buyers fees (and all fees in general) and by the fact that Mecum has decided that they are now car dealers. They used to just facilitate the sale of a car between consignors and buyers, but now if you buy a car at their auction (in Texas at least), you are actually buying it from Mecum as a Texas dealer. They collect taxes and transfer the title for you whether you like it or not. Why is this a big issue? As an individual who buys and owns a lot of cars, I don't always want them titled to my home address or even in my name. What if I bought a car in Houston but I might want to take it to my place in North Carolina, or title it in my wife's name for whatever reason? You don't have those options anymore. If you buy a car they are going to collect all the taxes and fees and title the car to the address on your bidder registration. I was really annoyed when paying for my purchases this year and it made me think that it might be time to try out some of the other auction companies that I haven't been to yet.
Anyway, it was still a really fun auction and as usual we bought, and didn't buy, some interesting cars.
Things we DIDN'T buy:
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| 1964 Autobianchi Berlina 110 DBA |
My wife's love affair with micro-cars continues. If you've never heard of an Autobianchi, don't feel bad. They made a ton of them, but all for European markets. This one was sort of a base model, but had been nicely restored and was really pretty cute. I think Nel has dreams of getting one of these micro-cars and driving it to work from time to time. I'm not sure she realizes just how slow and unstable they actually are. Regardless, I bid on this car but it exceeded what I was willing to pay and it didn't sell even at that price.
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| 1974 Lincoln Town Car |
If you're valuing cars on a per foot basis, this one would be a steal. It had really low miles and was in pretty good original condition. I loved the green / green color combo - it seems appropriate on this car. It cost almost nothing! I missed it when it ran through the block initially but it didn't sell at $4500. I thought about making an offer at what Mecum calls "The Bid Goes On" desk, but Branelle didn't share my enthusiasm for this monster and we really have space issues as it is.
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| 1958 Nash Metropolitan |
Another micro-car. I like these Metropolitans (I'm not sure this one was actually a Nash - it's very confusing as these things were produced under a number of badges through the years) but it was in good shape and I thought a good color. Nel initially loved it, but as it was going through the auction she got cold feet for some reason and didn't encourage me to bid on it. I'm thinking that it not being a convertible was what made her pause.
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| 1957 Triumph TR3 |
This TR3 was completely restored and just gorgeous. I would have loved to have owned it, but the bidding shot up pretty quickly and it sold for more than I was comfortable paying for it. I'm not saying I never overpay for anything if I really want it, but I try to stick to things that I think are good deals.
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| 1974 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 |
I love E-Types - who doesn't? - and I always look at them when I see one at an auction, but it's unlikely that I'll go home with one anytime soon. The issue is that I just don't know enough about them to really understand how to value the car. This one didn't sell at $70,000.
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| 1974 Porsche 911 |
Every year there's at least one car that really gets on my emotional radar. Last year it was a '49 Hudson (which we bought) and this year it was this gorgeous 911. I'm not sure what it was. The car was in immaculate condition, and I loved the "Mexico Blue" color. I told myself that I was going up to $40K on the car and I ended up bidding $50K. Sadly it sold for $60K. The 911 market is tricky right now. It's very inflated so overpaying for even a nice example has the potential to be a bad move.
Things we DID buy:
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| 1973 Ford Mustang Convertible |
On Thursday, I broke one of my own rules by buying a car that didn't drive itself over the block. This Mustang was announced with a steering issue and I thought I got a pretty good deal on it. It's really pretty and has been lightly restored. Sadly, it has been a real pain and to be honest I've basically stuck it in storage and haven't even driven it yet. When the weather cools down we'll see if this one can turn around or if I just move it on to someone else and call it a day.
This isn't how you want your new purchase to leave NRG Park.
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| 1964 Buick Riviera |
On a happier note, I bought this absolutely perfect Riviera on Friday. Nel couldn't go with me, so I was unsupervised again (always fun) and this was the only damage I did. I wasn't looking for one, but I loved the condition and just couldn't stop myself. I'm glad I pulled the trigger. This has quickly become one of our favorites.
My former neighbor Tom went with me on Friday. He was the perfect auction guest. He was happy to do whatever I wanted but didn't need to be entertained. He had asked me if I would take him months prior to the auction and I was happy to oblige.
This is how it looks on TV. When you're at the auction and you bid on a car, one of the bidders assistants runs over to you and a camera is soon to follow. They kind of get right in your face and it's hard to ignore them. Then when you "win" the auction and have just bought something they really get up in your grill and you end up making this face on national TV.
Another successful auction in the books. I may hit Dallas in November and/or head out to Arizona in January and try some of the other auction companies.
