00:03
The Bring a Trailer podcast.
00:06
>> Well, hello everybody and welcome back
00:07
to the Bring a Trailer podcast. Alex
00:09
Porter coming to you at Car Week from
00:11
Moore Imports in Monterey. So excited to
00:14
be here. We looked around a little bit
00:15
this morning. What an amazing facility.
00:17
Want to dive into it. I'm joined by Adam
00:19
Moore, owner and son of Al Moore,
00:22
founder. Adam, thanks for having us.
00:23
>> Thank you. Yeah. No, it's great to be
00:25
here. It's great to have bring a trailer
00:26
here. It's just um it's all good stuff.
00:29
Fantastic. Uh, and also joined by Steve
00:31
Kitrol. Steve, we've known each other
00:33
for a while. Uh, you've worked at
00:34
various places. And you, general
00:37
manager, head of sales, what what do you
00:39
call yourself around here? Marketing.
00:41
>> Yeah, sales director. And yeah, I'm kind
00:43
of a jack of all trades. It's always
00:45
been my strength. And u, you know, it's
00:48
all hands- on deck around here.
00:49
>> Awesome. Well, thanks guys for having
00:50
us. Uh, Adam, I thought we'd start by
00:53
talking a little bit about the business.
00:55
41 years for more imports. All right.
00:58
>> That's no joke in in the dealership
01:00
business. We were talking about a little
01:01
bit before we started a little bit. Can
01:02
you give us a little bit of history?
01:03
>> A lot of ups and downs. Uh you know uh
01:06
started always out as a um
01:08
>> uh with Italian car interest with my
01:11
dad. That was his his focus and um as it
01:14
kind of morphed through the years, it
01:16
kind of became um a little bit more of a
01:18
Porsche focused business. And um
01:21
>> those were his interests. That's kind of
01:22
>> No, no, it was more more his was Italian
01:25
cars. Okay. Right. And that was always
01:26
it. And then as that market changed to
01:29
say the least in the late 80s, early
01:31
90s, then it the business morphed again.
01:34
And then uh I really kind of started
01:36
more around 07 and kind of really came
01:39
in with um kind of what more what we're
01:43
dealing with today uh to some degree.
01:45
>> Yeah. Broader, more little. Yeah. Right.
01:48
when the Ferrari market was kind of
01:49
going down, there really wasn't a lot of
01:51
um uh you know, it really wasn't able to
01:55
to move too much away from it and that
01:57
that market was going great when it was
01:59
going up, but when it wasn't going up,
02:00
it was it was tough.
02:01
>> But when you were a kid, were there like
02:03
275 GTBs floating around and that kind
02:05
of stuff? Yeah, there was there was 275
02:06
GTBs flowing around and uh and uh
02:09
towing, you know, tour to France cars
02:11
around and um yeah, just uh all the cool
02:16
stuff that now I wish I could somehow
02:18
>> Did you take it for granted as a kid?
02:20
>> or did it seem special back then, too?
02:22
>> No, I think it seemed special back then.
02:24
Yeah, I think it, you know, we might
02:25
have take taken a little Alpha Julia or
02:27
something for granted, but uh some of
02:29
this other stuff was was um
02:32
>> was pretty special even then for sure.
02:34
You brought Steve one time up to the BAT
02:36
office in San Francisco at 275. Was that
02:38
somebody that somebody you knew through
02:41
>> No. Well, so I come from the Ferrari
02:42
background as well, right?
02:44
>> Yeah. No, I Steve I know Steve when
02:45
Steve was doing that. Yeah. He was
02:48
>> That's my background too is is vintage
02:50
Ferrari. So I had started um T Rutland's
02:53
West Ferrari parts business here in
02:55
Monterey in 2009. They were the largest
02:59
aftermarket Ferrari parts dealer in the
03:03
>> for all eras basically
03:04
>> for all eras. Yeah. From 50s on up
03:07
through Yeah. major service kits and
03:10
early 2000s cars and and they're still
03:12
around. They got absorbed by another
03:13
company, but they're still in operating.
03:15
Yeah. Still in Monterey by the airport.
03:17
>> So I I parlayed that into Concord
03:20
Judging and and into Sports Car Market
03:23
magazine where I still had an Italian
03:25
focus. Um but then I went down to LA and
03:28
opened up GTO Engineering, Ferrari
03:30
Service and Restoration. So, I still,
03:33
you know, live in that world. I still
03:35
judge Concore and chief class judge and
03:37
Ferrari world. But I had known some
03:40
people up there. And I forget how the
03:41
conversation started, but we we were
03:44
wanting to kind of show staffers, you
03:46
know, what to look for when people
03:48
submit cars. And so, we had brought the
03:51
360 challenge that I drove up.
03:54
>> Oh, that's right. I forgot you had that,
03:55
too. Yeah. Yeah. And then um the um
03:58
automotive museum in San Francisco, the
04:01
one that kind of just the f the design.
04:04
>> Yeah. They're they're in Venice and all
04:06
the old dealerships.
04:07
>> Exactly. So I knew the collection
04:09
manager there and so I called and I
04:10
said, "Bring the 275, won't you?"
04:13
>> It was a big thrill for our staff, but
04:15
it was a fun day. They're like, "We
04:17
don't see a lot of those."
04:18
>> No, I'm sure. But you guys must have
04:19
been crossing paths and with Howard
04:20
Swig, our head of auctions, his dad,
04:22
right, with with Martin Swig, right?
04:24
must have been all kind of swimming in
04:26
the same pool a little bit.
04:27
>> I think so. I think uh when when Martin
04:30
was alive and and uh I remember hearing
04:32
the name all the time and um but yeah,
04:34
that's there was always that crossover,
04:36
but he was such an alpha guy.
04:39
>> right. Yeah, he was an alpha guy for
04:41
>> Uh tell us a little bit about the
04:42
facility we're in. This kind of blew my
04:44
mind. I've driven past a million times.
04:45
I've never stopped, which is frustrating
04:47
to me now because it's so great. Said it
04:48
was a Porsche dealership back then. This
04:50
was a Porsche Volkswagen uh dealership
04:53
all through the 60s and um it was called
04:55
Wester Volkswagen and uh that it was um
05:00
I mean I I don't I don't know exactly
05:02
but I think it was a they did tech here
05:05
for when the Can-Am cars were here and
05:07
they did them in the back. I mean it was
05:09
a total and of course Don Wester was a
05:11
huge racer raced the 906 I believe. Um
05:15
and uh so this I think they were
05:17
kneedeep in it and um uh this was this
05:20
was the place and then it moved into
05:22
seaside and they started the auto center
05:24
in the 70s and that's kind of where
05:27
>> Where it still is. Yeah. Exactly. Right.
05:29
>> Basically. And um this was um this you
05:33
know they slowly moved dealers out of
05:35
Monterey and this kind of that's kind of
05:37
where it started or Monterey didn't want
05:39
it but yeah this was the spot. This was
05:41
um uh you know service bays in the back
05:44
>> VW buses right here with the uh you know
05:47
the doors open and the awnings out and
05:50
>> this was the spot. Yeah, this was crazy
05:52
stuff. VW bugs, all that stuff.
05:53
>> Steve was saying you can still see the
05:54
pits back there or there used to be like
05:56
where they would go under the cars. Is
05:58
>> like filled in uh for like the different
06:01
>> Oh, maybe. Yeah, where you can Yeah, you
06:02
can still see the uh the mounts for the
06:05
>> Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Maybe. But we've
06:07
also had clients come in or or people
06:09
just coming from out of town. They said,
06:10
"I came here as a kid or I was a
06:13
mechanic here or my mom bought her car
06:15
here and you just it it does kind of hit
06:18
you in the face a little bit." Because
06:20
you know that Monterey has a lot of
06:21
history in general and the decades just
06:24
start kind of rolling by and they go 50
06:26
60 years ago and you blink and that's
06:29
what happens. But it's cool to still
06:31
have there's people connected to that
06:33
original dealership and then now us.
06:35
>> Totally. How long have you been in the
06:36
facility? How long have you guys been
06:38
>> Uh on and well since 2007, but on and
06:41
off since 1990. Things our location
06:44
changed with the window on the bay
06:46
project in Monterey. So we were farther
06:49
down the street and then that uh
06:51
Monterey, the city of Monterey was
06:53
buying those properties. So that was
06:55
sold and then we moved here as as part
06:57
of that transaction which is back in 07.
06:59
So this is actually our second time in
07:01
>> That's awesome. I mean, everyone knows
07:03
it, right? We all drive past it. where
07:05
you like you guys are well known and
07:07
then like I keep talking to my
07:08
colleagues and I'm like oh you guys know
07:09
where more import everyone knows where
07:11
it is right like you you're in a great
07:13
>> we're in a good spot you know I think
07:14
some people get it a little bit confused
07:16
sometimes and they go oh hey you've been
07:18
here forever because Jaguar Ferrari
07:21
Rolls-Royce was farther down since the
07:24
early 80s and I think sometimes we
07:25
benefit from people not exactly knowing
07:28
but anyway we've been here since the 90s
07:30
>> but you come off the freeway it's hard
07:32
you have to come right by so this is I
07:34
mean we get everybody for car week
07:36
driving by and it's a bit of a show but
07:39
>> yeah you can kind of speed right here so
07:42
>> blow right by the time usually I'd like
07:44
to park something bright out in front
07:46
right there's usually there's a super
07:47
bird out there right now
07:48
>> right well that's what you were saying
07:49
that's the most rubber necking we've
07:52
>> it really has been but
07:53
>> next to having an accident where people
07:55
are I mean Jesus that's pretty great
07:58
yeah we love having that thing out there
08:00
>> I love seeing it out there uh so how did
08:02
the two of you guys get together how
08:03
long's that been happening And and how
08:04
did how did this partnership come to be?
08:06
>> God, I we've known each other maybe
08:10
>> early teens, just just being in the
08:14
>> um and just kind of crossing paths that
08:17
>> I I was down in LA, like I said, running
08:19
that Ferrari shop and
08:21
>> I just kind of needed to get back to
08:22
Monterey and um I was working with a
08:25
shop. That's how we met.
08:26
>> You here too, Steve? Are you born?
08:27
>> No, not born in the area. And so it'll
08:30
be 20 years total now since I've been
08:32
here. Um but yeah, we just it just kind
08:36
of worked in introductions and um you
08:38
know, hey, let's we can do something at
08:40
Scottsdale in like 2016 and we were
08:42
hanging out and then I don't know
08:45
something changed. Steve King, you came
08:46
back up here in 18 and then we would
08:49
started I don't know I forget how paths
08:51
cross but yeah, we just said hey you
08:52
know what are you doing? Well, I could
08:54
we just started working together and and
08:56
>> joined running operations down there and
08:58
I hadn't really had a whole lot of sales
09:00
experience on a retail side like that
09:02
and you know, but I'd done sales and
09:05
automotive in different facets. So, it
09:08
just felt like there was some potential
09:10
>> we both had a a good, you know,
09:13
potential and working relationship. And
09:15
so, I started in 18
09:16
>> 18. I think actually
09:18
>> you might have had you were sending some
09:21
appraisal thing here and you needed
09:23
another address and you walked in to
09:25
right and I'm like, "Oh yeah, dude. You
09:27
can send it here." And then we started
09:29
talking and I'm like, "What are you
09:30
>> I didn't leave the desk. I never left.
09:32
>> And you never left.
09:32
>> He just moved. Right. Right. Pretty
09:34
>> It was so great. He's like, "Hey, Adam.
09:37
This is Steve. I need to bring this
09:38
thing over. I need a third party address
09:40
or something." I'm like, "Well, dude,
09:41
send it here." I was getting my
09:42
accreditation and something like that
09:44
for appraisals under Donald Osborne and
09:47
>> and all of that and it was just just
09:49
budding up my career at that point and
09:51
>> you're going now we're using
09:53
>> again we use all those things dayto day
09:56
>> Amazing. Are you guys both in here most
09:59
>> I'm here I think I'm here Steve's here
10:02
>> I don't know. Yeah, we're both here a
10:03
lot. I guess I'm here more just just
10:06
from doing um uh you know keeping uh
10:10
>> whatever non-car business related stuff
10:13
or anything to do not to do with sales,
10:15
you know, or or consignments. Um but I
10:18
mean we're here all we're here all the
10:19
time. We I I mean we we're not here on
10:21
the weekends for the most part.
10:23
>> No, but unless you guys schedule an
10:26
>> We do a Sunday, but
10:27
>> we can talk to our scheduleer is here.
10:29
>> Yeah, we did talk to Yeah, talk to
10:31
>> uh I mean, but we're always on. So,
10:33
that's that's the thing, you know, we're
10:35
both up early and it could be 6:00 a.m.
10:37
and you're you're looking at options.
10:39
>> People filing in here the whole time
10:40
we've been here, right? So, you kind of
10:41
got to be ready to talk about whatever
10:43
at any given time, right?
10:44
>> This week's unique. Yeah, it's
10:46
different. You know, for sure. I mean
10:47
during the week I mean it's uh we had
10:50
the driveway I think you know maybe
10:51
since co closed and the second driveway
10:55
is open but um we don't get a whole lot
10:57
of foot traffic and and um but this week
11:00
yeah it's a whole new this is the way
11:02
kind of you would you know I don't know
11:04
if it was this way year round. I don't
11:05
know if you two guys hand
11:08
>> is it a mix of old friends and new
11:10
people or or new right for sure. Yeah,
11:14
guys that we both dealt with and maybe
11:16
even different times of our careers and
11:19
and um the recognition from
11:21
>> all of that kind of starts aligning and
11:23
so you get repeat clients and and guys
11:27
who like using us. And then this year, a
11:30
little more uniquely, we had a couple of
11:32
um, you know, bigger collectors that had
11:35
just were looking for an outlet to sell
11:37
cars on BAT and um,
11:40
>> they you guys are it and so started
11:42
sending us more cars.
11:43
>> Well, you guys have built up a heck of a
11:45
reputation. I I want to talk about
11:47
collections. I think you guys have done
11:48
if not the most, certainly you have this
11:49
consistent Monterey collection. I look
11:51
back 2020 was the first one. This is the
11:54
sixth one in a row, which is amazing.
11:56
You were also, we were talking about
11:57
this, Adam, and both of you are like
11:59
early adopters of BAT auctions. And you
12:01
said it was your dad that dived in.
12:02
>> I think so. Yeah, I think so. In his
12:04
>> In his 80s when he had to get you on the
12:07
>> Yeah. I know. But, you know, 2020, I
12:09
think it was obviously things were
12:11
>> Your account was back to 2016. So, it's
12:13
almost 10 years old.
12:14
>> And we had dabbled a little bit um kind
12:17
of in 18 and then in the fall of 19, we
12:20
had seen some success. And we had
12:22
actually two cars ending in the same day
12:25
which at that time was just
12:27
>> wild experience. and they both totally
12:32
>> and you know so then you hit the new
12:34
year in 2020 and we kind of were just
12:36
going all right what what's our plan for
12:38
this year and we had decided hey look
12:40
let's let's hold some inventory and
12:42
offer up you know in one month let's see
12:44
if we can do five cars on bat
12:47
>> and because it's you know holding cars
12:49
and stuff it it can be tough and on
12:51
consignment people have
12:52
>> yeah you're you're managing two
12:54
>> 100% they're like get my get my car sold
12:56
guys so we we kind of grouped all these
12:59
together and um co hit and this is March
13:03
>> and we had seven cars teed up ready to
13:06
>> everything was canceled that year pretty
13:08
much cuz we were going to have an event
13:11
>> But all those cars sold
13:12
>> and we said okay maybe this is maybe we
13:16
want to try to do this and by the time
13:18
we got to August we were kind of firing
13:20
and had our process down and we thought
13:23
hey you know it's it's car week still
13:25
for us. No one's coming. maybe we can
13:28
put on some a bit of a virtual um
13:31
exhibition. Totally. Right. And so we
13:34
had grouped up all of our cars and I
13:36
think we had 12 the first year
13:40
>> I looked back at it. It was a little
13:41
more home. I mean like that was back
13:43
when Chris buying the camera. I mean we
13:44
were like we were the ones doing all
13:45
that stuff ourselves, right? Our staff
13:47
was way smaller. It was a really good
13:48
pairing of bring a trailer and more
13:50
though because that's also when our
13:51
business was exploding again. All the
13:53
sales are going online, right? It was we
13:55
could see it in in 18 and 19. We're
13:57
>> it was already happening, right?
13:58
>> It was already happening, but Monterey
13:59
was already like, you know, I think
14:01
we're a little we're distanced. You
14:03
know, we you know, if you're not in a
14:04
metropolitan area, that was still a
14:07
factor and online auctions were changing
14:11
>> And you guys obviously were at the sharp
14:13
end of the spirit on that. So,
14:15
>> we felt it too. We we felt the growing
14:17
up together and and seeing that. And you
14:20
know we were defenders of BAT as well.
14:23
You know being on the retail dealership
14:24
side you know there's this tendency to
14:27
try to you know do deals in different
14:29
ways and we feel we felt like kind of
14:32
retail experience you know purveyors and
14:36
and that was lending to our expertise
14:39
>> Well you guys certainly played an early
14:41
part in like convincing people that I
14:43
mean people thought it was crazy like
14:44
you you can't sell a car online but I
14:46
mean I want to dive into this. The level
14:48
of presentation you guys do is way
14:49
better than you're going to get at a
14:50
temp pole auction, right? Like it's like
14:52
so much more information and time for
14:54
people to chew on the car and ask
14:56
questions and look at the paper.
14:57
>> You got to talk to Steve about that. No,
14:58
I do all that. You guys have also been
15:00
stepping up the game and I think
15:02
postcards from Monterey is like the best
15:03
you've ever done. Like obviously it's
15:05
like the hero effort.
15:07
>> I think so. But but just coming back to
15:09
to uh you know kind of growing, we would
15:12
have people come through and you knew
15:14
already that bat was onto something when
15:16
they'd say, "Can I buy it now?"
15:18
>> And I'd say, "Oh, it's either going to
15:20
bat or it's live." Well, what would you
15:22
take for it now? I go, "We have to see
15:24
the auction." And we would stick with it
15:26
that way because we've heard of people
15:27
that would say, you know, it takes us so
15:29
long to get a car on here. This is years
15:31
>> And you know, I just sold it.
15:33
>> I go, I don't think that's the right way
15:35
to handle it. Yeah. You know, so anyway,
15:36
that was and when people would be like,
15:38
"Well, can I do something before?" And
15:40
then that's kind of how we both knew.
15:41
We're like, "Wait a minute.
15:42
>> Tell people to go."
15:45
But anyway, no, just just to touch on
15:47
that because that was something that
15:49
>> No, but you guys were really helpful in
15:51
helping expand the, you know, people who
15:53
believed in it early helped convince
15:56
others it makes I I think
15:57
>> I think to a large extent people take it
15:59
for granted now that this is like how
16:00
cars get sold. We sold a million half
16:02
dollar car today. You know what I mean?
16:03
But people when you guys were starting
16:05
out, people were like, "That's nuts.
16:06
That's never going to happen."
16:06
>> Well, people wanted our results then,
16:08
too. They go, "Well, hold on. I want
16:10
what you got on back.
16:11
>> They start chasing it."
16:12
>> Yeah. They start chasing the number,
16:13
>> which is tricky for you guys, too, cuz
16:15
not all cars were created equal.
16:17
>> So, what you do is you you just make the
16:19
process uh the same for everything,
16:22
right? So, then you go, "Okay, well,
16:24
it's not like we're doing more for your
16:26
car than the next. We're going to treat
16:28
every car the same. We're going to treat
16:30
every car with the same process whether
16:32
it's 250 or 25,000.
16:34
>> We need true too, right? We needed a
16:36
duplicatable process that was just that
16:38
we didn't have to reinvent it every day.
16:39
>> We still do that. 5,000 car gets the
16:41
same treatment as a McLaren Senna. You
16:43
>> I I believe in that too. And and it's
16:46
worked for our clients because
16:48
>> they they see the transparency. They see
16:50
the how connected we are. And you know,
16:54
we're just presenting cars as they are
16:56
and not really, you know, making
16:57
something more than maybe what it could
16:59
>> They want your stamp of like kind of the
17:02
more presentation. That's like that's a
17:04
good pivot into you guys being local
17:05
partners uh for us, which we deeply
17:07
appreciate. And you guys are kind of one
17:09
of the we've done over 600 auctions at
17:11
this point. You're one of the most
17:12
established kind of brands on Bring a
17:14
Trailer. And people come I mean even my
17:16
most recent car I sold I sold it through
17:18
a local parker, right? Like
17:19
>> handing over your key to somebody you
17:21
trust, who you know is going to take the
17:22
best pictures, who you know has the
17:26
>> Like that's that's
17:27
>> I mean that's like what you want.
17:29
>> No, that's what the last five.
17:31
>> Hard work. Yeah. I'm not trying to
17:32
undercut that, but you guys have
17:34
>> Well, I mean you kind of pave the road
17:36
because when you as soon as you put
17:40
>> you know, on on the name then I mean
17:41
it's the closest thing I think you get
17:43
to some kind of an authorized Yeah.
17:45
>> Right. where people that that they have
17:48
>> They trust you to send somebody to you,
17:50
>> Well, yeah. I mean, and and individuals
17:52
coming in. I mean, there was been horror
17:54
stories for years about consignment and
17:56
>> anyway, it is just, you know, it was it
17:58
was always just the wild west a little
18:00
bit or it could be and but now it's, you
18:03
know, when you have an authorized name,
18:04
the the doubt is just out and now it's
18:06
just what's my car worth?
18:09
>> How else can you make it, you know, how
18:10
nice can you make my car? And our
18:12
demographic too here in Monterey can can
18:14
be on the older side as well, right?
18:16
>> It's getting younger though, right?
18:17
>> I don't know why I'm thinking of that,
18:18
but no, really what you don't want are
18:20
our our clients and friends and club
18:22
members and stuff that, you know,
18:24
getting taken advantage of.
18:26
>> And and that's that's a real thing cuz
18:27
you have to sit here across the table
18:29
from them and if you're going to sell a
18:32
car for them, you want everything to be
18:34
upfront and and clear.
18:35
>> And it's a small town. You run into them
18:37
>> That's right. For sure.
18:38
>> They're here. Exactly. So when they can
18:39
come and do That's right. We see Reggie
18:42
Jackson in the grocery store all the
18:48
>> Us too. We do too.
18:50
>> Yeah, he's something else. He's
18:52
>> He really is. I tell you stories about
18:54
>> when they can come and drop their keys
18:55
off like you said and that's it. And
18:56
they know, hey, I'm just going to get me
18:59
a full experience. And we got that phone
19:00
call today on a car we sold. The guy
19:02
just just flat out said, "Guys, I mean,
19:05
this is exactly what I wanted and more."
19:07
And I all I had to do was just drop the
19:09
keys off. It's unbelievable.
19:11
>> So, it makes us feel good because we
19:14
know that our process is working.
19:16
>> It works for us and it's getting uh
19:20
noticed on the on the other side.
19:21
>> It 100% is. Can you walk us through that
19:24
a little bit about like what do what do
19:25
you do? I walk in with my keys to that
19:27
yellow car out there and I want you to
19:28
sell it. Like how do you how do you
19:30
Yeah. Okay. How do you how do you
19:32
>> No reserve. Yeah. Totally. Totally.
19:34
Totally. And then I freak out and yell
19:36
at you and walk away.
19:38
>> Right. And that's a bad experience.
19:40
>> Well, you can blame you can blame uh
19:41
bring a trailer for being hard on
19:44
>> We can bring the punching bag,
19:46
>> I hear that from time to time.
19:47
>> Uh but you guys are almost all
19:52
>> Just just tell me how you do it. I mean,
19:53
there's a little bit of, you know, it's
19:55
probably different if it's a longtime
19:56
client versus somebody who's new, but a
19:58
little bit of, you know, kind of getting
19:59
to know each other, walking around the
20:01
car, talking about it. You do
20:03
>> quite a bit of the work here. You're at
20:04
least doing detailing here, right?
20:06
>> Detailing. Yeah. A lot of it is done
20:08
remote, right? Not a lot of people, how
20:10
many people really come in that can sign
20:12
cars, right? A lot of it sending
20:14
>> 50% maybe that come in and sit at the
20:17
>> yeah, a few. And just they just want to
20:20
>> Yeah. Interesting. Phone calls and
20:22
emails than a lot of the business.
20:23
>> Phone calls and emails. Yeah. No, that's
20:24
true. And it just it's really just
20:27
>> what do you this is what I wanted for
20:28
what do you think you guys can what will
20:30
it do? You know, and I think that's a
20:32
lot of the conversation.
20:33
>> Yeah. And then then it comes down to,
20:35
hey, you know, what is our process look
20:36
like? And and that is that's him and I
20:39
inspecting the car, establishing a
20:41
value, and then once it we kind of get
20:43
to that point where, you know, what's my
20:45
car worth, so to speak, it's it does it
20:46
goes through our our detailing process
20:49
>> maybe like mechanical, too.
20:51
>> Yeah. Which we sub out a lot if there's
20:54
we don't do mechanical.
20:54
>> You guys know everybody, right? So
20:56
you've got all the people you need
20:58
>> for the most part. Yeah. They're all
20:59
getting older, though.
21:00
>> You just got to keep
21:01
>> You got to watch out.
21:02
>> Yeah. I there's some Jaguars around
21:04
here. There's not a ton of young guys.
21:06
>> Yeah. Right. Right. Yeah. We we sub out
21:09
>> Yeah. We get kind of the you know,
21:11
>> we get in the front of the line on those
21:13
guys, too. And it's it's all the stuff
21:15
that you don't think about when you have
21:17
to sell a car. Getting a car smogged.
21:20
>> Uh you know, all the paperwork, all the
21:22
>> the docks, getting the story,
21:25
you know, when we're not dealing with
21:26
folks like you, it's like
21:27
>> prying, you know, it's like so hard even
21:29
when people have it to like get them to
21:31
give it to you. want an individual.
21:33
Buyers are smart. They want all that
21:35
info, right? Give us everything.
21:36
>> Cuz in their mind, they've already made
21:38
up their mind to sell.
21:39
>> So, it's like, Alex, I don't want to put
21:41
tires on this. I'm selling it. Yeah.
21:42
Right. Or whatever. Yeah.
21:44
>> So, what we do too, I mean, we put on
21:45
different hats, right? So, we're trying
21:47
to get the most value out of people's
21:49
cars as well. So, hey, look, you know,
21:52
it's more than a lateral move if you go
21:54
do new tires and new a brake service and
21:57
establish a new baseline on an oil
21:59
change. you know, let us spend a little
22:01
bit of your money in order to get it
22:02
back and more. Yeah. You know, um so we
22:05
we play that game, chips on the scale
22:07
for them. Um like you said, sometimes
22:09
they're in here and they're, hey, this
22:11
is a one-way trip. Just sell it as is.
22:13
And other people are more um detail
22:15
oriented and want to know
22:16
>> want to be involved.
22:17
>> Yeah. They want little step. So
22:20
>> it's some handholding um
22:21
>> some telephone calls
22:22
>> and a lot of people say it's exciting.
22:24
They just love I mean I don't know if
22:25
they love the the auction side of it.
22:28
It's it's it's interesting, but it's
22:31
>> It's fun for them when you guys are
22:32
representing it. They get to watch it
22:34
almost like from a like a voyeristic
22:36
>> It's almost like a love letter, too.
22:38
Sometimes, especially again this older
22:40
demographic, sometimes when they've had
22:42
something for a long time, you go, look,
22:45
>> the best way to honor this car is to
22:47
have an beautiful auction. Yes.
22:49
>> In your honor of the car. And you can
22:51
And they a lot of times people they call
22:53
I can't tell many times they go,
22:55
>> I saw this car online. I think I want to
22:57
buy it. Oh, that's right. It's their
23:01
>> They They just can't believe, you know,
23:03
how we've we've put it on a platter and
23:06
>> Well, it lives there forever. I go back
23:08
and visit some of my old cars on Bring a
23:09
Trailer every once in a while, so they
23:10
can always go back and look.
23:12
>> that's interesting. Yeah. Everything
23:13
there lives there forever, which is
23:15
pretty makes you think. Um
23:18
>> you can see every car that didn't sell.
23:21
part of the of the market.
23:23
>> Yeah. You you I presume you use Bring a
23:25
Trailer to help cars, right? Like all
23:27
the data is there that we have 200,000
23:29
>> I'm an appraiser. I mean
23:31
>> I I use it on all my appraisals.
23:33
>> I mean really it's the best of
23:36
>> It's the best tool I have in in my
23:38
>> We got to lock that data up and sell it.
23:39
Guys sell a whole cattle.
23:42
>> No, I mean just like you guys, full
23:44
transparency is so important. It's so
23:46
murky when you go to some of the
23:47
tentpole auctions. It's like, God, I
23:49
really want to know what that car sold
23:51
>> I don't whatever in a tadpole auction. I
23:53
would have to remember that.
23:54
>> Yeah. or you've got or you go to like
23:56
even other platforms where you can't
23:58
access that information. It's
24:00
frustrating for you got to log back in
24:02
>> or if you can't see the comments. I mean
24:04
>> this happens to you guys too. You know
24:06
once we've been doing this for 11 years
24:07
now a car comes through multiple times
24:10
and now the previous trailer auctions
24:12
are part of the history of the car. That
24:14
NSX is a perfect example. Your black
24:16
NSX, right? Like you guys knocked that
24:17
out of the park but the owner that
24:19
you're consigning it for obviously did
24:21
mods, drove it quite a bit, right? And
24:23
so it's so interesting to see, you know,
24:25
the old auction and the new one and what
24:27
has changed and that's all so important.
24:30
Like how can you be
24:31
>> an educated buyer if you can't see that
24:33
stuff? You know what I mean?
24:35
>> I know. I know that secondary market.
24:37
>> A lot of our job is right there on
24:40
>> We love alumni cars. I mean,
24:42
>> it's our favorite.
24:43
>> It does help us, but it also it's it's
24:46
great because you you can make decisions
24:48
based off of what happened before and
24:50
what happened now. I think we had three
24:51
or four alumni cars in this bad sale
24:54
>> which just Yeah, we like it.
24:56
>> Which I think each year is probably
24:57
going to be more and more
24:58
>> more and more. I mean, eventually we've
25:00
sold all the cars, right? That's what
25:01
we're trying to get there. 200,000
25:03
auctions now. We need a couple hundred
25:04
thousand more and they'll all have been
25:06
>> That's right. But just calling, you
25:07
know, cars that have run before an
25:08
alumni car. I mean, it's just one word
25:10
and it changes the whole
25:11
>> That's Randy. He'll be here shortly. You
25:13
can give him credit for that. I mean, he
25:14
loves the idea of it, right? It have
25:17
been four or five times on the site now.
25:19
>> and it's funny because when we first
25:21
started, you talk about us championing
25:23
BAT, people thought, well, if it doesn't
25:26
sell, you're going to tarnish the car.
25:28
>> That's right. It's all tarn. You're
25:30
going to ruin the car by putting it on
25:33
>> About 3 years ago,
25:34
>> maybe a little longer now.
25:36
>> they were afraid.
25:37
>> Yeah. You're afraid. And other, you
25:39
know, dealer buddies years ago, oh, if
25:41
you put it out online like that, you're
25:43
going to shoot yourself in the foot if
25:44
it doesn't sell. and then you get the
25:47
>> or they sell and
25:49
>> or even a few it's never a terrible
25:51
number. It's like you know that there's
25:52
a lesson to be learned there. You know
25:54
what I mean for all of us.
25:56
>> Now people go it's that was just the
25:58
day. So the perception of that
26:00
conversation has changed. Yep.
26:02
>> You know they can't really put that in
26:05
>> no they're running out of
26:07
>> excuses. We want everyone to know. We
26:09
want everyone to see the auction the
26:12
>> and also the post sale and sell the
26:15
>> It's like hey what'd you sell it for? Um
26:17
it's right there online.
26:18
>> Yeah. I mean it was murky for us roll
26:19
for a part of that was us. We didn't
26:21
know what was happening after the fact.
26:23
I mean we would know when we could talk
26:24
to friends like you guys but for a lot
26:26
of us we knew cars were transacting
26:27
after the fact that was not visible to
26:29
people. So there's a transparency piece
26:31
in that too. People can now see what
26:32
happens after the fact.
26:33
>> Yeah. Right. Right. Yeah. We like it.
26:35
Yeah. But that was also handled right
26:36
too. Right. It's like, well, you know,
26:38
good luck. We'll put you together. We're
26:41
>> Best, you know. Yeah.
26:42
>> Whatever, you know, whatever you can put
26:43
together, great. But I mean, the the
26:45
offers program has been another I don't
26:46
know. It's been good to keep Bat still
26:49
>> Yeah. Uh so earlier, uh Steve, or maybe
26:52
it was you, Adam, one of you mentioned
26:54
the effort it takes to put one of these
26:55
things together. Now we're at 20 cars
26:57
for this newest collection. You put
26:58
together these awesome postcard things.
27:00
That's a hell of a lot of work, Steve,
27:03
You know, we always say Monterey Car
27:05
Week is, you know, a marathon to the
27:08
starting line, you know. So, we we just
27:12
>> I was going to say it's it's a long
27:14
time. I mean, you and I are we're
27:15
>> Yeah. It's it's kind of And you guys
27:17
here a little I mean, we're Memorial Day
27:20
starting to prep, hey, the conversation
27:22
for for that. So, we try to get some
27:24
early consignments as always. That way
27:26
we can get a lot of that front-loaded
27:28
>> Sellers want to be part of it now that
27:29
they know and you kind of have a
27:30
tradition of doing this every year.
27:32
Yeah, we we've got repeat sellers on um
27:35
a guy came in today and he said, "Hey,
27:37
remember me? I sold in your car week
27:39
sale and I just wanted to come by and
27:41
and talk to you." But it it is a
27:44
tremendous amount of work. But
27:46
>> the idea is, you know, we do all that
27:49
front-loaded work ahead of time as we
27:52
submit the car, before we submit the
27:54
car, and that, you know, we're not
27:56
adding so much during the week. We're
27:59
not adding paint meter readings or body
28:01
stampings and stuff. It's all done. You
28:03
got it done. So, when we're here during
28:05
car week and it's madness and we're
28:08
selling auctions, there's less questions
28:10
for us to answer. There's less for us to
28:12
do. And we we do that normally for our
28:14
auctions, but especially for car week,
28:16
it's and then you add in all the social
28:19
elements and all the creativity that
28:21
goes into maybe doing this. And maybe we
28:23
went a little overboard this year, but
28:25
>> no, I people have been talking about
28:27
like people coming up to me, they're
28:29
talking about how great it is, the
28:30
theme, the idea of having it on
28:31
postcards. I think it's really clever
28:33
and I think it's rad.
28:35
>> Well, it was, you know, we postards.
28:37
>> Yeah, postcards was something kind of
28:39
stuck in my brain for a couple years. U
28:41
our photographers walking around here,
28:43
Mike, he shoots all of our cars uh front
28:46
and back. And you know, we we have a
28:49
wonderful backdrop here, right? The
28:51
peninsula has got great beach spots and
28:53
we've got about 75 different location.
28:56
>> Where's the you Oh, you don't don't give
28:57
up the secret so I won't ask you where
28:58
it is, but the building with all the
29:00
sign, you know, the sign that's such a
29:01
great backdrop that you have.
29:02
>> Oh, like the murals.
29:03
>> Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Right.
29:04
>> Yeah. I mean, and then you know, you got
29:06
Baja Cantina and you've got Big Su and
29:09
and we we're ambitious in our
29:12
>> It's an embarrassment of riches for like
29:15
>> And this is like one of the car meas of
29:16
the world too, right? So
29:18
>> well yeah I think for for one week of
29:20
the year but I don't know maybe not
29:21
maybe it's just associated
29:23
>> it's a general freaking bridge on the
29:24
you know how many car commercials are
29:28
>> so then you know we get to locations and
29:30
the car gets set and we start and it's
29:33
>> and I just kept thinking boy this is
29:35
like a postcard you know and it stuck
29:38
with me and and I just thought well what
29:42
>> you know people I think it was Howard
29:44
who said you know not all your buyers
29:46
are here in Monterey for car They're
29:50
>> He did. He said that we were we wanted
29:51
um longer uh on premium listings. We
29:54
wanted more days or something. Okay.
29:58
>> not even They're not even I don't think
30:00
your buyer's even in town.
30:01
>> I think a lot of them aren't probably.
30:02
>> We had some people are obviously, right?
30:04
>> Pick up a car. Hey, I'm down I just
30:06
bought this car. I'm down the street. A
30:07
guy bought a car today. He's at the
30:09
>> Do you drive it out there?
30:11
>> Uh we have we've driven them out to the
30:13
track before, but uh No. No. came right
30:17
>> But um yeah, so we were like,
30:20
>> let's let's make a postcard that we can
30:22
send to our buyers.
30:24
>> So, it was kind of got, you know, a
30:26
little sappy in the sense that we had
30:28
written these like letters like
30:30
>> we're in an experience and we want you
30:32
to hear about it and that we are
30:34
Monterey and we we felt like we're in
30:36
the fabric of the community. So, it it
30:38
kind of just grew and and we made each
30:41
car into its own postcard.
30:43
>> Be careful. People are going to start
30:44
asking you for big blown up maybe that's
30:45
already happening. Big blown up photos
30:47
of your uh of your shots for the for the
30:52
>> Yeah, we we definitely have all
30:54
>> everyone gets all the photos that that
30:56
we take. So each car in their glove box,
30:59
they'll get a USB drive of all the
31:01
pictures. So we're part of their the
31:03
history BAT auction is part of the
31:05
history of the car,
31:07
>> you know, and history of Providence is
31:09
is important. So, someone's going to
31:10
say, and we're not the ones to create
31:12
this. I mean, the the major auction
31:15
houses have created um you know,
31:18
standalone collection sales over the
31:20
years, and I watched that through Sports
31:22
Car Market. Yeah. You know, and you go,
31:23
"Oh, that's clever." The Don Davis
31:25
collection. Yeah. Totally. Or whatever.
31:27
And um they group these things together,
31:30
>> and I think we've done a dozen of them
31:33
>> Six car week. We do one now in January.
31:37
Yeah. The upshift sale. I used to be
31:39
more involved with it. Now I'm too
31:41
important. That's right.
31:43
>> I'm always happy to connect you with
31:44
guys. No, it's I actually love
31:46
>> Let me forward this email.
31:47
>> I love the way uh our staffs actually
31:49
work together. It's really good. Like I
31:50
hate to be a middleman. Like let me
31:52
connect you right with the person who's
31:53
going to Mike is here. Put a lot of your
31:54
listings competitive, right? Like it's
31:58
>> Well, we've met a lot of people. The the
32:00
connection is there. We've met a lot of
32:02
specialists. We're friends with some
32:04
guys that we know that dealt with a lot
32:06
>> Great. and throwing on a couple,
32:08
>> you know, you just get on social and and
32:10
people are just so it's fun. It doesn't
32:13
feel like this there's a wall there.
32:15
>> We hate that stuff. Nobody's a
32:16
suitwearing, you know, paperwork person
32:19
>> And everything's always positive, right?
32:21
The theme is always positive from the
32:23
first and you know, first interaction,
32:24
it's happy to work work with you on
32:26
this. Even if we've done a lot of cars,
32:29
hey, happy to work with you on this
32:30
>> new 535 or whatever it is, right? Looks
32:34
great. When I said I was coming over, we
32:35
said we'd bring a couple people. Every
32:37
single staffer was here was like, I want
32:38
to go. They love you guys. Yeah, of
32:40
>> That's pretty cool.
32:41
>> Well, we like that you guys, you know,
32:43
bought into our concept, too. And, you
32:45
know, you get you're we're like, I don't
32:46
know. Are they going to they going to
32:48
like this? Is this going to work? Fit
32:52
>> Absolutely. We're we're super aligned.
32:54
>> The viewership just goes up. I know.
32:56
>> They all rise with the tide. They all
32:58
feed off each other. So, if you're in
33:01
our if you make our collection sale, you
33:03
know, your viewership is gonna it's
33:05
>> The only problem now is you have to up
33:06
yourself next year. So, what is
33:08
>> right? I don't know. You have some idea,
33:10
but I'm not going to say
33:13
>> I won't. I got a good one. I haven't
33:14
told anybody yet. So, I got next year's
33:17
>> Yeah. So, watch out.
33:20
>> What else should people know about? What
33:21
else do you want to talk about, guys?
33:22
What What else should our community know
33:24
about you? Either you personally or the
33:26
business or what you guys are up to?
33:29
I don't know. I I think just how much
33:31
we're appreciative of what, you know,
33:33
Bring a Trailer has put together and and
33:36
has made it um I mean, we cl our clients
33:41
you know, from from the relationship we
33:43
have and and the platform that that has
33:46
has put together, you know, and so it it
33:48
makes it easy for people to um get good
33:53
values out of their cars and they and
33:55
and it's uh I think we're just I people
33:58
come in and they go, "Well, if If I
33:59
don't do it this way, how else do I sell
34:03
>> You don't have to think about another
34:04
way. You know, so I don't know. I think
34:07
just just how much we're,
34:08
>> you know, we don't take any of it for
34:09
granted. It's it's pretty great what
34:11
what is been put together, you know, and
34:14
>> part of it. I don't know. As far as
34:15
anything specific that we've
34:17
>> I don't know. I just want to talk about
34:18
our team, honestly.
34:20
We we really feel and I you know it's
34:24
>> anything more than just keeping that
34:26
confidence alive with us, but we're the
34:28
we're the best team on BAT this week.
34:31
>> You know, and that's how I want us to
34:33
>> probably the best photographer, one of
34:37
>> Shut these guys up.
34:38
>> Yeah. Mike Graham Bush, he's he's my
34:40
best friend. And uh we go out there and
34:42
and we're shooting cars and and doing
34:45
this content together.
34:46
>> Is it usually you as a team?
34:47
>> Yeah. Yeah. We drive out and and we do
34:50
everything in basically one day in terms
34:52
>> Do you do them in batches? Do you take
34:54
>> two two car days?
34:55
>> You take max out of two.
34:56
>> Yeah, we've we've done some three three
34:59
car days before, but that's it's all
35:01
about really about quality and timing
35:03
and everything else too. All plays into
35:07
>> but you know between him and um Addison
35:12
his his son, he's you know a major
35:14
buddy. He stands in sometimes on step,
35:18
>> but he know he he knows more than we do
35:20
about stuff that we don't know about,
35:22
you know, so he fills the gaps.
35:25
>> retention is unbelievable.
35:26
>> A car shooter kid plus.
35:29
>> But has the the understanding. So seeing
35:32
him kind of grow into a better role. Um
35:35
and then the back end of the house with
35:37
um you know with Katherine Moore. So it
35:39
is a family affair. Um Saul, our
35:42
>> there for 17 years, 15 years. I mean,
35:47
>> yeah, he's been a been I mean, a long
35:49
time. And you don't years ago, we would
35:51
when it was a car was done, you know,
35:53
I'd go back out and all right, let's
35:55
take a look at it, you know, let's make
35:56
you know, and and now I don't even, you
35:58
know, don't even have to look. I mean,
36:01
>> It goes through this process that's more
36:03
detailed for us. It's hard. We're like a
36:06
band, you know. Yeah, totally. You can't
36:07
just break in and be a saxophone player.
36:10
Like you got to show us.
36:11
>> No, you guys have got it all in jammed
36:13
together for a long time.
36:15
>> Been together for a long time.
36:16
>> That's right. Yeah. The years keep
36:19
>> each one goes faster. I don't know.
36:20
>> I love it, though. This week is the time
36:23
>> That's what people want. That's what
36:24
they're looking for. That's the trust.
36:26
That's where it comes from.
36:27
>> I think so. I And we're just a good
36:29
team, too. We're a two-headed monster
36:31
when it comes to the the comment
36:33
section. You know, it's like
36:34
>> I was going to ask who's in there, who's
36:36
who's who's banging away.
36:37
>> Oh, yeah. I know.
36:39
>> he's taking the lead on that. Yeah, for
36:41
sure. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. But
36:42
>> yeah, I might be clicking might be
36:44
>> might come off sounding right all the
36:46
>> but I don't either. So, I go, hold on a
36:49
second. How How do we want to say this?
36:51
>> Yeah. Right. Yeah. Right.
36:52
>> And and read the voice where we're the
36:54
voice for the seller, too. Right. So,
36:56
>> that's what I'm saying. Exactly. Right.
36:59
I'm commenting is bring it together.
37:01
It's interesting. I've been doing it for
37:02
a long time. on their when I have to
37:04
jump in, it's usually cuz something bad
37:06
has happened. So, at least you guys get
37:07
to answer questions that people
37:09
>> Oh, yeah. You get to be the the man
37:11
behind the curtain.
37:12
>> That's right. Everybody
37:13
>> need to talk about that. That's a whole
37:15
>> That's a whole other podcast, right?
37:16
We'll stay out of that.
37:17
>> But we kind of talk It's funny you
37:19
mentioned that we we usually talk more
37:21
third person as as a business, but this
37:24
sale actually allowed us to kind of
37:27
>> crack open and be a little more
37:28
personable. Yeah. Good.
37:29
>> With the postcards because we kind of
37:31
>> Adam and Steve. So, we've been kind of
37:33
addressing awesome a little bit more
37:36
because we're not about the We don't
37:41
likes on our profile. Like, we don't
37:42
chase followers or likes.
37:48
people want. That's what people want.
37:49
Teach me about the car.
37:50
>> We'll throw in some fun stuff and, you
37:52
know, try to get a yellow box here and
37:55
>> Yeah, we car that had every comment was
37:57
yellow. We did have a immaculate auction
38:00
where every comment
38:03
>> every comment was a yellow box car
38:06
>> Cadillac CTS-V wagon
38:08
>> although the crowd loves us. That's one
38:12
>> I don't know. I've never seen another
38:15
>> That's the kind of stuff you just you
38:17
don't even realize. Some of these
38:18
auctions will just surprise us and just
38:20
be an absolute blast or a treasure trove
38:24
>> Those are some of that's the magic.
38:25
Those are some of the most fun ones. A
38:28
>> when they surprise you
38:29
>> guys a guy came with an R32 right when I
38:31
vote like ah it's a Volkswag oh my god I
38:34
mean the attention was
38:36
>> they need to start knowing about it in
38:39
>> unlock a new enthusiast car we were
38:40
talking about R32s at dinner last night
38:45
>> you guys mind doing a little lightning
38:46
round here at the end I'd actually love
38:47
to dive a little bit personal like what
38:50
>> what are some of the it's a good segue
38:52
Adam what are some of the cars that you
38:53
guys have either have surprised you the
38:54
most or have been the most exciting to
38:56
have passed through here in the last few
38:58
years. They're like ones that come to
39:00
mind where you're not even necessarily
39:01
if they were on a V8 auction, but where
39:03
you're like, "Oh man, that's a car I
39:04
fell in love with or that's a car that I
39:06
didn't think I was going to like that."
39:08
>> Are there certain cars that we're
39:09
talking about? Is it is it like, you
39:10
know, the Cadillac coming through or um
39:13
>> we we know what we like individually,
39:15
right? There's certain cars that
39:16
definitely come in and we just go, "Oh,
39:18
like that's that's I'd like to have
39:20
that." And that's that's an abundance of
39:22
wealth here of of of different cars, but
39:24
>> that happens frequently.
39:26
>> Usually it's like the photo sets that
39:29
really set me off. Like I really go
39:31
that's my favorite photo session there.
39:33
>> And because I'm on that side of it more,
39:36
so we take a lot of pride in just how
39:38
something might look or something might
39:40
feel. So like even this 993 Carrera RS,
39:45
>> um it So in these car week, I'll be
39:47
quick with it. With these car week cars,
39:48
we we really try to make each spot
39:51
really special. You know, this is the
39:53
week we do our best,
39:55
>> but sometimes the weather doesn't work,
39:56
the timing, and you're trying to force
40:00
>> So, we're ripping down. We had one idea
40:05
>> and it didn't work out. We go to a
40:07
second location and it's not working
40:09
>> And we're going, "Oh my god, this is
40:11
like star car of our sale." We're we're
40:14
out here in the middle of nowhere trying
40:15
to find a spot to take photos and we
40:18
pulled off on this spot that we knew
40:20
about in Big Su and we just kind of were
40:24
like, "Oh, well this is it." And it was
40:26
literally the postcard shot for us and
40:30
out on the coast and the highway and the
40:32
fog was coming in and we weren't
40:34
convinced it was the deal and it just
40:37
unraveled into our favorite shot that we
40:40
ever did. And that was just uh this last
40:42
told me, "Hey, this is
40:43
>> I know. Now you're selling me all that."
40:45
>> Oh my gosh. I mean, it was just one of
40:47
those moments and we're we're driving
40:49
back and we're looking at each other
40:51
like, "Man, that was like a career
40:52
moment for us." So sick.
40:54
>> To me, that's where the connection lies.
40:56
N the cars, they they come and they go
40:58
and I like a lot of stuff, but it really
41:00
comes down to like how well we presented
41:04
>> Yeah. I wonder if you guys get jaded. I
41:05
mean, I walked in here, I was like,
41:06
"Every car here is rad." So,
41:07
>> do you sound jaded?
41:08
>> No, you don't. You sound enthusiastic
41:11
>> Yeah. That Oh. Yeah, you got to keep
41:13
that going. I don't know. Yeah.
41:14
>> Well, there's some tiring days all day
41:17
long on BAT. I like I've found it's hard
41:20
>> I mean being at car week is great for me
41:22
because I'm like, "Oh gosh, I do like
41:23
cars. I remember that. I really like
41:24
them, right? There's the whole reason I
41:26
even like wanted a job bring a trailer."
41:29
>> there are days when you look at them in
41:31
and out uh day in day out. You're
41:32
looking at cars all day long and you're
41:34
like, gosh, I don't know if I do even
41:35
care about anything anymore.
41:37
>> But I have found some things that I used
41:38
to like I don't when I look at them a
41:40
lot. cars that like that R32 that you
41:42
were talking about. Cars surprise me now
41:43
that I find interesting, right?
41:45
>> I find I am particularly attracted to
41:47
history. So like your 356, how do I look
41:49
at that and I'm like, "Oh, that's
41:50
amazing." Like the the little parking
41:53
pass from a you know,
41:54
>> you look for that stuff, right? A
41:56
sticker in the window. Get me excited.
41:58
>> Yeah. Right. Well, that's what keeps us
42:00
that means you're a car enthusiast.
42:02
>> Oh, I come back to Adam plenty of times
42:04
and go, "Dude, look what I just found in
42:06
this thing." or whatever, you know,
42:07
photos or old, you know, oil change
42:10
receipt from some place that's been
42:11
closed for 50 years or, you know what I
42:13
>> Or it's the Yeah. the guys that keep
42:14
track of their mileage and the gas fold
42:16
and they just log books.
42:17
>> The log books that you go and kiss I do
42:20
all the documents. I can do that.
42:22
>> And I just I'd lose it after I geek out
42:24
and I would do it for 20 years on some
42:27
of these cars and it's, you know, five
42:28
bucks to fill the whole tank, you know?
42:30
I mean, it's unbelievable.
42:31
>> That's crazy. Yeah, that's right.
42:32
because it it tells a history of the of
42:34
America on top of being a history of
42:36
that car, you know.
42:38
>> Yeah, that's true. That's totally true.
42:39
We all love the story. You know,
42:41
everyone, you know, has a story whether
42:43
it starts in the parking lot or if it's
42:46
posted online. You know, I think it's I
42:48
think it's important element because you
42:50
do have a little bit of a boilerplate on
42:52
the auction write up and and we tell our
42:55
clients on almost every auction. Listen,
42:57
we we'll bring a lot of these things to
42:59
the comment section throughout the week
43:01
because we know it's important and we
43:03
just keep reinforcing or adding on to
43:06
the story that you can't just put in the
43:10
>> But that's our job is to is to tell that
43:12
story through the comments and uh keep
43:14
everybody just listing too. I I I want
43:17
it to be better than boilerplate
43:18
ideally, right? Like we want rich
43:20
information in the in the in the listing
43:22
as much as we can, even though it's
43:24
>> One of the things that frustrates me
43:25
about the kind of classic auction write
43:27
up is they give you a thousand words on
43:29
the history of Fiat, but like 10 words
43:31
on the car in front of you.
43:33
>> And it's like, dude, you want the
43:36
>> people can go to Wikipedia and read
43:37
about Fiat. Tell me about this car. This
43:40
>> No, we get that. And we we like the
43:42
process of going back and forth on uh on
43:45
a draft. Yeah, absolutely.
43:46
>> He's in the background, but we've got a
43:48
draft back this morning on a car and the
43:50
sent it to him and the client's here
43:52
making more notes. He was there making
43:53
>> He's literally walking around during
43:54
this podcast look and and he's going to
43:58
>> tell that story. So,
43:59
>> sometimes it takes people seeing a first
44:01
draft to kind of jog their memory and be
44:03
like, "Oh, I you know what I mean?" Like
44:04
>> it does. Yeah. And they always want a
44:06
lot of times they want it to be more,
44:08
you know, hey, this is a great looking
44:09
or this is very rare. And I go, "Oh,
44:11
well, we can't get into that yet, but
44:12
we'll get into that in the comic for You
44:13
know, so tells like the buyers want the
44:16
>> It's so hard I find, and you guys must
44:18
struggle with this all the time, to get
44:20
a seller to put themselves in the minds
44:22
of a buyer, even though they are often a
44:24
buyer. It's like, dude, what would you
44:26
want to know about this car if you were
44:27
buying you, you don't want somebody to
44:29
tell you it was nut andbolt restored or
44:31
that it's freight? You want somebody to
44:32
tell you what was done during that
44:34
restoration. Show me the receipts. Show
44:36
me the bills. Show me tell me what was
44:38
>> Well, they're all different. And I and
44:40
we have to the the hardest part maybe of
44:42
our job is is buffering
44:44
>> the comments about the comments.
44:46
>> Oh, that's tough.
44:47
>> So we we direct them to a personal you
44:50
know uh comment box which is our inbox
44:53
or our text message and just say spell
44:55
it all out here and we regurgitate it
44:57
into such an important service
45:02
>> Know the comment section is the catch 22
45:03
of BAT. It's the thing people hate the
45:05
most. It's also maybe the most
45:06
>> I love it. I love it. I wake up every
45:08
day in that comment section.
45:10
>> Hey boy, sellers watch out. They take it
45:11
personally when they get comments. Who
45:13
wa I mean people would love to.
45:15
>> It's just a comment.
45:16
>> Yeah. They'd love to they'd love us to
45:18
eliminate it. And like a lot of people
45:21
>> it's hard to tell somebody who's upset
45:23
often rightfully so about somebody
45:25
picking on their car that it's like
45:26
that's actually given the people
45:28
confidence to bid on your car, right?
45:30
Like it's like a it's
45:33
blessing in disguise.
45:34
>> Yes. Right. M but it's hard for to see
45:36
it at the time when you're caught up in
45:37
the zic and your car is not at a number
45:39
at once yet and you're all scared. It's
45:42
why it's so low. Why is my car so low?
45:44
>> Why isn't Why isn't that one I was just
45:48
my client's rating this?
45:51
>> Oh my god. Yeah.
45:52
>> By the way, there's like no auction that
45:54
closed where somebody won't be like
45:55
stolen and then somebody else is like
45:57
>> Yeah. Why is that? That is just
46:00
>> every I mean it's the same thing when
46:01
you're dealing with a client. It's like
46:02
everybody has their own idea of what
46:04
things are going on.
46:05
>> People say all the time, "Oh, the
46:07
market's this or the market's that." And
46:08
I go, "But so what are you watching?"
46:10
>> And they and they kind of look at me
46:12
like, "What do you mean? I'm looking at
46:13
everything." There's no way. Yeah.
46:14
>> There's no way you can look at
46:16
>> I truly understand the market, but but
46:17
you don't understand, Steve. My car is
46:19
different than the rest of
46:20
>> It's like, but but pockets. Have you did
46:23
you see this car? This pocket is going
46:25
that went crazy. And maybe it's a little
46:27
softer on what you own, what you know
46:29
about, but you know, but BAT gives you
46:32
that opportunity to look at so many
46:34
different cars that you might never look
46:36
at on the daily. So our buyers and
46:39
sellers are much more educated. Yep.
46:41
That's the difference too
46:43
>> from 15, 20 years ago. The education
46:46
level and the understanding is it wasn't
46:49
this bit that understands everything.
46:52
>> That's what I mean. Like you have to
46:53
assume the buyers are super educated.
46:55
They can go to all these places and
46:56
learn. So like you can't fool them. You
46:58
need to like tell them the truth, you
47:00
>> Yeah. And the knowledge is out there. I
47:02
>> Right. Years ago, people only a few
47:04
people knew where to go get maybe a CN36
47:06
tire. You had to know something. Now
47:08
it's just information is out there. It's
47:10
the same when they come in on the cars.
47:12
They see everything and again easier, I
47:15
>> Yeah. And most of our buyers aren't the
47:18
>> right? That's interesting. I always
47:21
remind that to to private party sellers
47:23
who aren't using a a local partner or
47:25
don't have a you know somebody helping
47:26
them on the site. I'm like
47:28
>> look at the guy who has 97 wins and has
47:30
never left one comment. That's the guy
47:32
that you need to be thinking about.
47:33
>> How you're thinking of and you have to
47:34
get through this guy that's coming on
47:36
him without spinning out of control to
47:38
>> By the way, you're you've been in this
47:39
industry your whole lives and I've been
47:41
around cars my whole life. Like those
47:43
people are annoying in real life, too.
47:44
like they come up to you and you know
47:45
they want to tell you about the day
47:49
>> we get them just on online.
47:51
>> People come in here and start picking
47:52
the cars apart in person.
47:53
>> They don't they don't No, we got so much
47:56
respect. I think honestly I I really
47:58
think that people don't and I I tell
48:00
people that all the time. So we're not a
48:02
target. Our account is not a account
48:04
where people come and lay out all their
48:06
dirty laundry. I mean we put out fires
48:11
>> But it's it's true.
48:12
>> It's true though. I think it's true. I
48:13
think what do you say
48:14
>> again? It's a lot of work to get to that
48:16
point, but it's those people who
48:19
>> yeah don't respond or sidestep it and
48:22
they they're the ones that just get
48:23
derailed some and uh and it's for us we
48:26
just go, "Hey, look,
48:28
>> this is what we're prepared to do and
48:31
>> and this is what we know."
48:32
>> It's really easy for someone just to
48:34
click away from an auction if they see
48:35
something where it's getting weird on a
48:36
on a comic section. They go,
48:38
>> "Yeah, this is something else."
48:39
>> Yep. That's right. So, you don't want to
48:40
keep it every day. Keep it on on track.
48:44
>> Yep. Positive, upbeat, engaged. People
48:46
just want to know the facts.
48:48
>> Well, what a pleasure, gents. Uh,
48:50
parting shops. What else we got to close
48:53
>> It's lovely here in week.
48:55
>> I can't believe car week's almost over.
48:57
It's I guess. Yeah. I mean,
48:59
>> you got plenty to do, Steve. Still
49:00
>> right. Yeah. You guys don't go home and
49:03
we're still here pushing into work.
49:05
>> Monday mornings on trucks.
49:07
>> Monday morning, he's like, "Oh, it's
49:08
reality again." Yeah, I know. It's a
49:10
pretty good reality.
49:10
>> It's a pretty good reality.
49:13
>> Monday's when you knock back a couple
49:15
drinks and pass out on your bed for two
49:17
>> Tomorrow even more.
49:19
>> Yeah, there is a day that you just go
49:21
that's it. That's it, man.
49:23
>> I hit I hit the I hit the spot
49:25
>> and we pick up the slack and you know
49:27
>> we keep on going
49:29
>> on our way to a thousand. That's kind of
49:30
my goal. Thousand. That's where we're
49:32
>> I know the others have reached that
49:33
point. For sure. I want you guys, but
49:36
>> Yeah, we're working on it.
49:37
>> Takes time. on our way.
49:38
>> Well, thanks Adam for hosting us, Steve.
49:40
Really appreciate it. I'll see you in a
49:41
couple weeks in LA hopefully. Looking
49:44
>> Appreciate you guys.
49:46
>> No, thank you for Thank you for uh
49:47
spending the time with us. This is super
49:49
fun. This has been great. Awesome. And
49:50
thanks to everyone for listening and uh
49:52
we'll catch you next time.