If you were lucky enough to watch the Monterey 5 Auction on HD TV over the weekend, you saw three killer boats sell under the gavel. But did all 5 sell? YES SIR/Mam. One sold durring a comercial break and the other 10 minutes after the auction… This also happened in Clayton by the way. This has been a good step to having more classic boats on televised auctions, Mecum auctions and Scott Ales should get a big way to go for opening up the world of Classic Boats to a broader market. Mixing in boats with cool classic cars is a natural. And is a hit…Stay tuned for HUGE news on a new Auction slated for October… OVER 100 Rare Boats in one NO Reserve Auction…. The Warner Collection is going on the block for what will be the event of the year…
Here are the results from the Monterey 5 Auction…Thanks for reporting in, Texx, Scott, Brian, and Don..
18′ Cobra sold for 90K
Riva Aquarama sold for 290K on the block to a family in Argentina… during a commercial break so if you were watching TV you missed it..
1929 29′ Hacker sold for 225K
1940 27′ Barrel did not sell during auction but then an offer was accepted 10 mins later.correction, it sold for 275K
1922 Hacker Gold Cup Racer with Liberty V-12, 325K
As I watched the auction I could not really tell how much interest these boats attracted. The bids to me seemed few in numbers and the majority of the boats at the auction were purchased by one individual. Perhaps there was more bidding in person and via the phone than was presented on the broadcast.
rob
Yes, that was a shortcoming of the TV broadcast. As I stood on the block I can fill you in a little.
* Cobra: very spirited bidding! At least 5-7 bidders in the audience, two on the phone. One phone bidder regretted not bidding again.
* Miss Arrowhead: Limited bidding activity in the room, maybe two bidders and one phone bidder. I worked the final bidder and the seller to make the deal a few minutes after the auction.
* Riva: Again, spirited bidding on both the phone and in the room. At least 8-9 in all. Ultimately went to a family from Argentina that showed heavy interest all day Friday and Saturday. Second to last bidder also wished he had not quit. (This is a common comment from those in second place, it is easy to say when the pressure is off you! Take it with a grain of salt.)
* Dolphin: Bidding on this boat was aggressive at first then slowed once the $200k mark was achieved. In my opinion the buyer was most pleased when the hammer fell on this boat. My opinion? Well bought and sold. Boats of this caliber do not come along very often not to mention the provenance!
* Apache II: Strong bidding on both the phone and in the room for a better than expected hammer price. At least 5 bidders on this one.
Overall we were extremely pleased with the interest and comments from those participating and attending the event. While it is true that three boats were purchased by one person the amount of activity from other bidders drove the price performance. This is the true value to the hobby. We expect a few articles from the event coming soon since the Monterey crowd had never seen such beauties before! We appreciatte the support from all the "Woody" enthusiasts and look forward to pushing the envelope further. At Mecum, we are committed to creating a true marketplace for these works of art. It is long overdue!
** Nobody Sells More Woodies Than Mecum. Nobody!"
I have a classic and very rare 1958 EM White 16′ cuddy built in Maine. EM White was bought out years later by the Old Town Canoe company. It’s solid but needs restoration. A rare boat. I want to have it auctioned off. How do I go about it? Thanks.
Mecum Auctions handles boat auctions, and has a whopper comeing up in Sept in lake Geneva. EBay is strong, craigslist is also a go to.. But I would call the folks at Antique Boat Center and ask them