I've never been to one. I've watched on line a few times when friends are there bidding on stuff.

LTG : )

Watch them on TeeVee sometimes but always feel the urge to go
buy lottery tickets after. Already have too many classic cars as it
i but fun to see that they sell for now.

For the vast majority of folks these are spectator events.
Steve

It’s fun to watch and have been there too. It’s crazy how so many cars you see lol great on screen but crap in person. Same for BJ: fun to watch but better to be there and part of it. Understand the wallet part.

I can't watch them on TV, but in person. Super fun. Dangerous though. There are some decent deals and then once you start drinking while your there you end up with a vehicle real quick.

I love the auctions because 10s of millions of cars were produced and many destroyed
or used as intended to go to and from work. The cars were destroyed by use by design.
Pinball is not much different, just in numbers. The auctions are a fun thing to watch, as
is pinball and arcade, government surplus, and other auctions. What someone wants
today is long lost and gone tomorrow. Ebb and Flow.

Heck yeah! I watch both - Mecum and Barrett Jackson. Have been for years. I'm going to buy something one of these years for sure.

I have it set up to tape and like watching it. I’ll FF a lot of it as I can only take so many Camaros and Mustangs and 80s corvettes. I also went to a Mecum a few years ago when they came around local. That was fun, I always enjoy seeing the cars up close. There’s lots of stuff to see at the show and you can also kick back and watch the auction. I go to different car shows whenever I can. I like the muscle era but I don’t have anything, I drive a boring Toyota. I also like to do some photography of the cars.

Mecum has a somewhat dicey reputation in some circles. If you watch it very carefully sometimes you can spot some of the stuff that goes on, like deals being made with the seller on the spot to change the commission charge in exchange for getting it sold at a lower price than wanted. I wondered about some of the bidding I saw and that’s when I learned what a chandelier bid is for the first time. It’s a legal practice but seems a bit sneaky.

I actually worked one with my camaro club in Anaheim CA a few years ago. A lot of fun. Drove some real cool cars or at least sat in them on the block!!

I like watching, or at least having it on in the background. It's like being at a car show while still in the comfort of your home, with Hoke and Kraman adding some interest by revealing history, low-production options, past experiences, etc.

A buddy and I used to go just to look but never to bid. Now I just watch the various auctions on the 80" flatscreen in my family room. I still like to look at the '60s and early '70s musclecars. They remind me of cars I used to own: '62 'vette, '69 SS396 Chevelle, '70-1/2 Camaro Z/28, '76 limited edition Trans Am, and '64 'vette coupe. But I like the modern musclecars I have now better, such as my '13 Mustang Boss 302 and '08 Shelby GT500 (see my Pinside avatar) and '13 Camaro ZL1.

I think they are here in Schaumburg twice per year. I went to the one in the spring and plan on heading to the one this fall. Lets go Kev!

Wow you had some great cars. But let's face it, modern cars are just lightyears beyond the cars of that era. The modern muscle like you have are like unleashed bullets compared to that old muscle. After all a 2019 Toyota Camry sedan with a 6 cylinder runs the quarter mile the same as that 1970 Z/28

Mecum is good but if you have the chance to go to Barrett Jackson Scottsdale, do it, it will blow your mind. Ive gone 5 times and it just keeps getting bigger. Last year there were over 1500 cars...

I'm in. I do have a specific vehicle I'm looking for but haven't seen pop up yet. You'll never guess.

Is it like arcade / pinball auctions where you are always over-paying due to exorbitant fees, incurred taxes otherwise avoided in private sales, and cash-flush over excited bidders driving prices beyond actual market value?

I love watching them too, but my god the prices never seem aligned with actual market value on private sales.

Hoping this coming recession will lower prices.