Mecum Auction Observations?????????

[stevekleincustom]

Am I the only vintage motorcycle enthusiast who thought last weeks Mecum Auction coverage and commentary fell way short? Sure... We all know Mecum bought out Ron Christianson's Mid-America Auction Company last year. We all realize that corporate America believes bigger is better... Mergers and acquisitions are good for the consumer? Sure.
But commentator Gavin Tripp (spelling?) did a bad (horrible & embarrassing) job talking about vintage bikes.

Examples as follows:
On a 1913 Harley..."Looks like the transmission is missing?"

On a vintage racer..."The owner is a UK frame builder." Hmmm... How about the fact that he was also a seven time champion sidecar racer? Would buyers prefer to know that perhaps? And many, many more!

Oh well, all the "car guys" at this "car auction" that were paying ridiculous prices for "bitsa bikes" and "fake board track racers" probably did not notice that Gavin Tripp is very well-misinformed about our sport!

How bout it Mecum? Can we raise the bar and hire someone(s)who actually knows something about what gets pushed up on the block? Our Sport certainly deserves it!

[AFJ]

Am I the only vintage motorcycle enthusiast who thought last weeks Mecum Auction coverage and commentary fell way short? Sure... We all know Mecum bought out Ron Christianson's Mid-America Auction Company last year. We all realize that corporate America believes bigger is better... Mergers and acquisitions are good for the consumer? Sure.
But commentator Gavin Tripp (spelling?) did a bad (horrible & embarrassing) job talking about vintage bikes.

Examples as follows:
On a 1913 Harley..."Looks like the transmission is missing?"

On a vintage racer..."The owner is a UK frame builder." Hmmm... How about the fact that he was also a seven time champion sidecar racer? Would buyers prefer to know that perhaps? And many, many more!

Oh well, all the "car guys" at this "car auction" that were paying ridiculous prices for "bitsa bikes" and "fake board track racers" probably did not notice that Gavin Tripp is very well-misinformed about our sport!

How bout it Mecum? Can we raise the bar and hire someone(s)who actually knows something about what gets pushed up on the block? Our Sport certainly deserves it!

If the person you are referring as doing "a bad (horrible and embarrassing) job talking about vintage bikes." was Gavin Trippe who, beside a long career in motorcycle journalism and motorcycle race development and promotion in Britain and the USA, is a member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in the racing promotion field, and used to run the Monterey Classic motorcycle auctions, you should also note that he is the Manager of the Mecum Auction company's Motorcycle Division. You could, no doubt, contact him directly with your concerns through the Mecum website.

I have very mixed views on the motorcycle auction situation - none of which are pertinent to your post. However, I would note that most firms in the business seem reluctant to obtain and present to potential buyers the whole history and provenance of the motorcycles which are consigned to them. And often this can make a great deal of difference to the price the seller ends up receiving.

AFJ

[fciron]

I've only been following antique motorcycle auctions for a few years, but I'm inclined to agree with AFJ that it's a problem across the industry rather than an issue with any particular auction house.

We often forget that businesses not only want to maximize their profits, but try to do so with as small an investment as possible. Auction houses seem to have concluded that their time is better spent promoting the collectibility of motorcycles than researching provenance.

Caveat Emptor!

[Spag]

I agree with AFJ. If one disagrees with Gavin Trippe's description of a motorcycle at auction (which criticism may be justified), why not approach Trippe at the auction site or later in private conversation. The AMCA Forum does not offer Trippe a way to respond to such criticism here unless he is an AMCA Member and registered on this Forum.
Richard

[stevekleincustom]

If the person you are referring as doing "a bad (horrible and embarrassing) job talking about vintage bikes." was Gavin Trippe who, beside a long career in motorcycle journalism and motorcycle race development and promotion in Britain and the USA, is a member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in the racing promotion field, and used to run the Monterey Classic motorcycle auctions, you should also note that he is the Manager of the Mecum Auction company's Motorcycle Division. You could, no doubt, contact him directly with your concerns through the Mecum website.

I have very mixed views on the motorcycle auction situation - none of which are pertinent to your post. However, I would note that most firms in the business seem reluctant to obtain and present to potential buyers the whole history and provenance of the motorcycles which are consigned to them. And often this can make a great deal of difference to the price the seller ends up receiving.

AFJ

AFJ.... I guess I am at fault as well for not researching Mr. Trippe's austere background in motorycle journalism. For this I do apologize to all. But if he has such long history of knowledge in the sport, he certainly did not display such while performing his duties for this comany. To comment that a 1913 HD seems tohave the transmission missing? Certainly...HD did not have a transmission until 1915.

It seems that all replies to this post so far apparently missed my intended focus? "Bigger is not Better..Better is Better." This was predominately a car auction and the cameras showed that when the bike auction started the seats were almost empty with bidders for motorycles. My point is only that machines with great provenance should get the at least some of the most important provenance commented on? Prices are going through the roof on significant motorcycles and much of that is attributed to non-motorycle buyers with larger pocketbooks pushing prices up by payig too much for put together 4 cams, fabricated stories about pedigree etc... Yes all auction houses are guilty it seems.
The Times we are Apparently In?

[stevekleincustom]

I've only been following antique motorcycle auctions for a few years, but I'm inclined to agree with AFJ that it's a problem across the industry rather than an issue with any particular auction house.

We often forget that businesses not only want to maximize their profits, but try to do so with as small an investment as possible. Auction houses seem to have concluded that their time is better spent promoting the collectibility of motorcycles than researching provenance.

Caveat Emptor!

I agree sir. All delivered with much clarity and commonsense. Especially the Caveat Emptor
They are just after the sale at the highest value and the Buyers and Sellers Fee thereafter.

[stevekleincustom]

I agree with AFJ. If one disagrees with Gavin Trippe's description of a motorcycle at auction (which criticism may be justified), why not approach Trippe at the auction site or later in private conversation. The AMCA Forum does not offer Trippe a way to respond to such criticism here unless he is an AMCA Member and registered on this Forum.
Richard

Spag
1) Sir... I was not at the auction.. I viewed it electronically.
2) Yes the Auction Company(s) can be contacted directly... all in due time...
Again..I simply wanted to see to what level others in our sport are tiring of the misinformation, wordsmithed or fabricated pedigrees et all? And at the time..whether it was a correct assumption or not, I did feel that asking such within our membership on this Forum seemed to be appropriate? Of all the post's in this Forum, of which many are simply very personal, negative or to varying degrees inappropriate... I find it hard to fathom that this topic falls in that catagory?

Note: Just my perosnal opinion here, and I am only one Vintage enthusiast, I do believe more enthusiasts should communicate to companies that operate within our sport. Pressure from "purists in the sport (like us)" can be delivered to any company "encouraging them to provide a higher level of integrity" to those within in our sport. (I agree it is most likely a waste of time with auction houses though.) The last time I was "outbid by a chandelier in Vegas"...I stood up and walked off the block immediately. The next year the owner of the auction house took my bid personally as he knew I would not stand for it.
They are not dumb... just have a bad habit of being caught up in the moment of greed?
3) Thank you for suggesting that I am not bright enough to know Mecum and Mr.Trippe cannot respond unless they are AMCA Members and regitered on this site. It infers I would never have figured that one out all by myself?

Once again..The #1 AMCA nameplate comes across wrong in printed format with this AMCA Member. It is probably my fault also.

[jwl]

I have attended many auctions and I know what the original poster is talking about. However anyone who attends an auction and is interested in a high priced old motorcycle had better do his own homework and not rely on anything that the auction commentator has to say. Before Mecum, MidAm auctions was no better. Some of the things Ron would say would actually make me laugh. I don't know if he knew better or not but sometimes he came across as not too savy. Paul d'Orleans did some commenting and he is very knowlegable but the auction companies are so interested in selling fast that Paul was many times cut short by the auctioneer. Most times the commentator is reading from a script and really has no time to think because of the very fast pace of an auction. He just reads what someone else wrote so he will only seem as smart or as dumb as the author. Just my thoughts and opinion. Take it for what is worth. John Lindemann

[rickgeo]

I've seen a couple if Mickey Mecums's auctions on TV where he had a few antique bikes on the block also Barret-Jackson occasionally trys to do the same. But,,I don't think either one had any success in there discriptions of the bikes (pity the seller!) They probably should stick to cars & automobilia & let folks like Jerry Wood handle AMC stuff

[stevekleincustom]

I have attended many auctions and I know what the original poster is talking about. However anyone who attends an auction and is interested in a high priced old motorcycle had better do his own homework and not rely on anything that the auction commentator has to say. Before Mecum, MidAm auctions was no better. Some of the things Ron would say would actually make me laugh. I don't know if he knew better or not but sometimes he came across as not too savy. Paul d'Orleans did some commenting and he is very knowlegable but the auction companies are so interested in selling fast that Paul was many times cut short by the auctioneer. Most times the commentator is reading from a script and really has no time to think because of the very fast pace of an auction. He just reads what someone else wrote so he will only seem as smart or as dumb as the author. Just my thoughts and opinion. Take it for what is worth. John Lindemann

In hind sight I probably should not have posted the obvious. It just was painful to listen to the commentary on this auction though.
Oh Well? The smoke and mirrors will continue.

[PRG]

Howdy chaps,

Kinda reminds me of my one (and only) invitation to present at Amellia island wherein a vary nondescript C series Black Shadow won over a a stunningly original B Shadow documented (listed in all the riders manuals) as the first production machine made of this legendary marque. The report back was that owner had a "better story".

As auction houses focus on fever pitch via story - one of one, OP, original/celebrity ownership, barn-find and technical details are just an opportunity to trip over. Can only think of one, Barrett Jackson in the U.S., whose addressed the technical side, even that evolved having shuffled off the charming generalist Alan Decadanet to be replaced by specialists such as Steve Magnante at greater expense.

But that only addresses one side of the presentation, there's still the goods on offer. In the September issue of Car and Driver Craig Jackson's response to the toughest part of his job, "trying to clean it up" in reference to questionable provenance of the machines. And that's with his resources to ferret out the miscreants. Outside of elite machinery, with the lower values involved in general can't see the average m/c auction environment get much more polished in the near future.

[KNUCK]

I have attended many auctions and I know what the original poster is talking about. However anyone who attends an auction and is interested in a high priced old motorcycle had better do his own homework and not rely on anything that the auction commentator has to say. Before Mecum, MidAm auctions was no better. Some of the things Ron would say would actually make me laugh. I don't know if he knew better or not but sometimes he came across as not too savy. Paul d'Orleans did some commenting and he is very knowlegable but the auction companies are so interested in selling fast that Paul was many times cut short by the auctioneer. Most times the commentator is reading from a script and really has no time to think because of the very fast pace of an auction. He just reads what someone else wrote so he will only seem as smart or as dumb as the author. Just my thoughts and opinion. Take it for what is worth. John Lindemann

As I prepare for the Vegas event I had to respond, and totally agree with what is stated by you. I have gone to Mid America auctions from the start.