Background and Experience

How did you get started in the car selling business, and how did you become a power seller on BaT?

I was an institutional derivatives trader for over 20 years. I owned seats on several options exchanges and was a market maker on those exchanges. My trading career.

As a younger man, it was a great way of life. The trading floor was a hell of a place back in the day. All along the way, I was always a car guy. Since the '70s, I have been a Porsche 911 fanatic. I still am, and I own an '83 Coupe, an '88 Coupe, and a '76 Turbo. I much prefer the air-cooled cars.

I always loved the car business. One day, while playing golf at my club, I was paired up with a member who owned the local Porsche dealership and a few others. We got to talking about the business, and I was hooked. Before that, going back to the late '80s and into the '90s, I started flipping cars just for the fun of it. I would go to Manheim with a friend who was a dealer, buy a car, drive it for a few months, and flip it. Mostly 911s but some other stuff too. The last brand-new car I bought was a 1990 E30 M3. Sold it four years later for $16,500 with 40k on it—LOL.

Around 2006, I had a couple of partners, we put a trading firm together about 5 years prior, having 17 market makers on four different exchanges. I could see the writing on the wall—the markets were moving away from open outcry and towards all electronic. I wanted no part of that, so I started working my way out of the business. By late 2007, I was out, even though I still had some financial interest in our firm.

I wasn’t doing anything, so I decided to learn the car business. I walked into the local Porsche dealership that I did some business with and took a job for peanuts selling Porsche. I had never sold a thing in my life nor ever had a “Client.” I was strictly an institutional trader.

Over the next seven years, I learned the car business from the ground up. I found I was an excellent salesperson, but I knew I didn’t want to do that. I naturally gravitated to the used car side of the business. Before long, I was running the used car end for a group that owned a Porsche store and three Audi stores.

All along the way, I was in contact with an old friend of mine whom I played hockey with back in prep school (class of '83). He was in the car biz, as an indie dealer who specialized in Benz and Audi. He was a big seller on eBay, and when BAT started, he was there very early. I would wholesale him cars on occasion, and we would talk about the biz all the time.

Then one day, he approached me about putting capital into his business, and I liked the idea. I started funding his business as BAT started to take hold. By 2017, he was making a name for himself on BAT with my backing. I had had enough of the corporate world of Porsche by that time too.  I was the GSM at a different Porsche dealership. I came home from my first vacation in years, and promptly left that end of the business. Of course, I called Bruce to tell him I wanted to come on board full-time. I put in some more capital, and we were up and running on BAT full time.

Bruce_m was a budding BAT legend, we set out finding cars and exclusively selling on BAT. Bruce was a natural showman and a funny guy. He ran fantastic auctions on BAT back when it was the wild west. Funny how we used to shoot the cars ourselves, 30 or 40 pics, and that was it. We finally hired a photographer and upped the count to 60. No video, not even any underside shots. We were cooking.

Bruce loved v12 Benz’s, and we had a friend who was a long-time Mercedes tech, certified in v12 cars, so we bought loads of them all over the country. We had relationships with all the v12 specialty parts sellers, and our guy would work for us on the side. I did nearly 200 auctions with Bruce. Sadly, Bruce passed away in 2020, and howS imports was born. I opened my own dealership and forged on. He was a great guy, and he is dearly missed.

Can you share a bit about your background and what drew you to the automotive industry?

I have been a Porsche 911 fanatic since the '70s, and I own several models, including an '83 Coupe, an '88 Coupe, and a '76 Turbo. My passion for cars naturally drew me into the automotive industry.

After leaving the financial sector, I decided to pursue my love for cars, which led me to work at a Porsche dealership and eventually become a power seller on BaT. Bruce and I, and then sadly myself alone, totally embraced the BAT business model.

Selling Strategy

What strategies do you use to prepare a car for sale on BaT?

The strategy on BAT has changed over the years. The competition is much, much stronger now. The sheer number of auctions per day also forces certain changes. Bruce and I used to have a saying: for every 10 cars we sold on BAT, 7 would sell for fair value, 2 would sell for above market value, and 1 would be a loser. That worked out fine for us for a few years. The thing about the BAT model for us at first was how quickly we could turn the cars but also how much FUN the whole selling process was on BAT.

We were lucky to have gotten in early with BAT, so when things started picking up and the wait times were measured in months for others, our cars were still getting up in a week tops. That was a huge advantage. Bruce's personality and following were a huge advantage too. Picking cars was fun, but BAT was also tougher in those days.

A credit to BAT how they have evolved over the years, and are more receptive to more years, makes and models. In the early days, they wouldn’t take just anything. I still remember them rejecting a 2017 Audi RS 7 I submitted. It was such a nice car, but they felt it wasn’t right for the platform, they were probably right at that time—times were different. In my opinion BAT has done a masterful job growing the platform and enhancing the market place.

The BAT market, like all markets, is always changing. These days, I am strictly looking for oddball cars, ultra-low miles older cars, and, of course, my bread-and-butter air-cooled Porsche. I do about 60/40 my cars versus consignments, and I have become much pickier with the consignments. I am moving to decease some of the consignments, but sometimes people bring me cars I just can say no to!

I am a one-man show for the most part. I am also 100% self-capitalized, so I cannot compete with the likes of some of the other big sellers who have many, many millions of dollars. I have to be selective because I don’t have the economies of scale some of the other guys have.

Don’t forget, just because they’re a big seller on BAT doesn’t mean they’re a good seller on BAT. There are some guys who have sold more cars than I have on BAT, who I probably wouldn’t buy a car from. Or, I would probably be cautious about buying from. They’re a very small number and that’s not to say all of their cars are not good cars. There are lots of others who I would buy a car from without even reading the auction— of course they’re just stand-up sellers whom I have come to know personally over the years.

I have also learned what names some guys buy under at wholesale auction, so I know who’s selling what, and who's doing the serious recon. It’s harder and harder to buy cars in the wholesale market, and most of the really interesting and unique  cars I sell are bought from other sources. A successful listing comes from knowing the immediate market trends, building your following and reputation. Being transparent and doing all the heavy lifting to make the car worthy of selling. I will not sell a car that I don’t think is as good as I can make it and worthy of being bought sight unseen.

At times I have spent too much money on the little details of cars, but it’s a labor of love for me and I really like to make them as straight as I can get them, within reason. I have cultivated a network of shops and parts sellers; the detail shop I use is otherworldly in prepping my cars. My long-time photographer, who Bruce found, recently moved onto a bigger paying gig, and now I am working with another old friend who is simply fantastic. He was a professional sports photographer for AP for years before he got into the car business too. Tom Silknitter knows the car business, and I enjoy working with him. His work is exceptional. Plus, he’s a friend, and I like to do business with friends.

How do you decide which cars to sell on BaT versus other platforms?

I primarily sell on BaT, I am committed to the BAT business model. I love it because of its large and engaged audience. However, I am selective about the cars I list. I try to choose cars that are unique, have a strong following, or are in exceptional condition. If a car doesn’t fit these criteria, I might sell it through other channels.

Some of the other sites have courted me but my people and my home is BAT. I had an opportunity to meet Doug DeMuro last summer and spend some time just hanging out and talking with him. Doug’s a great guy, and a hardcore car guy. I have sold a few on his site, and I have encouraged others to do so. In the end my people and my reputation are on BAT, so it’s hard to leave. Plus, they’re the biggest audience in the sector.

What do you think sets a successful listing apart from others on the site?

A successful listing is built on transparency, detailed descriptions, high-quality photos, and engaging with the BaT community. The community is key. I say it all the time but its worth saying again. No matter what year make and model I present on BAT there are community members who have an incredible depth of knowledge on the car and are happy to share it. That can be a double-edged sword, but the community is invaluable. Also, knowing the market trends and having a strong reputation play significant roles. I avoid selling cars that I don’t believe in, ensuring that each listing meets a high standard.

Market Insights

What trends have you noticed in the types of cars that are performing well on BaT?

Like I said earlier, the market is always changing and evolving. Not just the car market, but all markets. Right now, the really good cars and really interesting unique cars are still doing nice money. It’s the run-of-the-mill car that’s really been weak. The basic 996 or the non S 997 for example, has taken a hit. They’re great cars but there are a lot out there and the base cars are in a weak market.

I get two or three people a week that offer me a 997.1 or a 996 and tell me they just want to get out of it what they paid for it in 2022. I love all 911’s, but sadly I have to say  “Sorry, thanks, but I am not even close to that number. Yes, I see you only put 2k miles on the car, but the market's moved.” BTW, it’s getting harder and harder to find a really good 996 coupe with good miles, so keep what you got.

I just sold a low low miles 996 Turbo for a high price, but I am sure it's going to be worth a lot more in five years. The stuff that was easily sold a couple of years ago is a tough sale now. For example, a run-of-the-mill guards red '84 to '86 911 Targa is a fantastic car, it’s just that it is a tougher sale these days. If you have an '87 to '89 coupe in an interesting color, it’s a hot market. 964’s are not as white hot as they once were, but again, if you have the right one, the price is astonishing.

I have another 993S Vesuvio Edition just off the boat from Europe I am prepping. It’s one of 60 of which only 40 were manual, and I expect it to do well. But, a plain old 993 coupe with 90k miles, which was pretty hot for a while, has fallen back a bit. For me, the cabs present a really interesting proposition these days. If you have a low-miles '87-'89 911 cab, 964 cab, or 993 cab, and I am talking collector car low miles, that’s the last boat there is which hasn’t really left the port, so to speak.

I think the better ones in better colors are going to be six figures soon. Similar coupes have just moved out of the price range where they can be bought by all but the top buyers. I am talking about the 15k and less miles cabs. The 40k and 50k miles ones look like screaming buys if you want the 911 experience at what’s still a reasonable price and without having to put a ton into it after you buy it. The collector-grade cabs are the last of the air-cooled collector-grade cars you can buy reasonably.

How do you see the collector car market evolving in the next few years?

Having worked on Wall St, and now in the car market, people ask me all the time about cars as investments. My reply is always the same: cars are poor investments. Sure, if you owned a 964 or something like that eight years ago, you made out great. However, if you’re buying a car now as an “investment,” don’t forget to add in sales tax, maintenance, insurance, housing, and the cost to carry.

The risk-free interest rate is somewhere around 4 or 5% APR, so the cost to carry (meaning the alternative risk-free investment you’re passing up to buy the car) is pretty steep right now. You’re only fooling yourself if you’re not counting all the expenses in carrying that “investment” car. Oh, and I hope you don’t plan on driving it much at all. Sorry, but a couple of thousand miles a year is about 1800 too many miles for appreciation. So no, that 70k mile Z3 M Roadster is not going to be a good investment. However, it’s a wicked fun car to drive for a very reasonable price so why not buy it and enjoy it?

The simple way to look at it is this: if you like the car and you want to own the car and you have the capital, then buy the car and enjoy the car. If you back into making a couple of bucks when you sell it a few years later, that’s awesome, but it's not likely. The historical return on the S&P 500 will dwarf the return on nearly every car aside from the rare few.

Going forward, I don’t think things like the air-cooled 911s can keep the pace they had the last few years. Sure, the good ones will appreciate, but not nearly at the pace they have. It’s always tricky finding the next hot segment in a market, and the car market is no different. With the CAFE standards being pushed so much in the last 20 years, turbo motors have taken over. Smaller displacement motors with turbos that make the same or more hp and get better mpg is where everything has moved in the last 20 years.

So, maybe the desirable cars in their last normally aspirated iteration will become a hot market? Take the 991 market, for example. Maybe the 991.1 becomes a hot ticket as the last normally aspirated regular production 911? The same can be said about the more analog cars. With the explosion of electronics in cars, and the explosion of nanny aids, maybe the more analog cars see better interest? Good old hydraulic steering, cars without massive screens, the ones with real buttons, dials, and knobs are an interesting proposition.

I rail about the massive screens in my videos all the time. I also drop the line about things like “Lane Keep Assist” in my drive videos all the time: “If the day comes when I can’t keep a car in the lane, then maybe it's time to hang up the keys.” A good example is the W221 Benz. The earlier years '07-'09 cars are very analog with “okay” electronics. The last couple of years for the 221 have much better electronics without being overloaded with massive screens. It’s the last of the big Benz’s that’s mostly analog.

Challenges and Solutions

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a power seller on BaT, and how have you overcome them?

The biggest challenge by far is sourcing inventory and doing it at the right price. There are plenty of cars out there, but finding the really good, interesting cars at the right price is a challenge.

As I said earlier, with the market tightening up, presenting “just a car,” meaning just something like a run-of-the-mill W221 S Class isn't going to cut it. You have to bring something to the table. With the slower market and so many auctions running at once on BAT its easy to get lost in the crowd. In the old days, we could find a nice, clean, straight W220 or 221, and we’d do great with it on BAT. People wanted to participate in BAT, and those cars weren’t as old as they are these days. These days, it takes something special to make a splash.

I sold a 6500-mile W221 last month, which was a good sale for me. It was a stunning car and in “as new” condition. Today, I sold a W220 S600. I have owned it for nearly a year, and I did a massive amount of work on it plus added the RennTech Tune and a set of refreshed S65 wheels I had. I still lost money on it. It’s a nice car, but the 220 isn’t pulling the numbers anymore.

I have listings that don’t do the number all the time. That’s part of the business. Being a former floor trader, I know how to take a loss with the best of them! Some of the all-time best trades I ever made on the floor were locking in losses. I just had enough sense to get out of a bad position and keep myself from losing a whole lot more. The same holds true with cars. Sometimes I buy a stinker, the car wasn’t as described or it the seller was dirty and hid stuff. I cant sell it like that so I have to sink more money than I planned into recon and hopefully I can break even or take a small loss.

I am sitting on a w211 Wagon, which I foolishly bought without my usual DD, and I’ll take the loss on it. The alternative is to make it into a Safari Wagon or a Benz Chase car replica or something like that. Meanwhile, it sits in the back of the warehouse reminding me of my mistake every time I see it. Reminding me that I can never skip any part of my buying process.

Overcoming the difficulty in finding cars is all about keeping an open mind and leaving no stone unturned. I will listen to anyone who pitches me a car for sale no matter what the car or price. Having been a floor market maker, I will also make an offer on any car out there. Some of the offers I make may sound pretty cheap but that’s a number I will wire the seller on the spot, no fuss no mess. You never know, so give em a number on everything. If they lean on my number to get more from someone else, that’s okay, maybe they’ll give me another crack at that car or offer me others in the future.

Have you ever had a listing that didn’t perform as expected? What did you learn from that experience?

Yes, I’ve had listings that didn’t meet expectations. One recent case was the W220 S600 I just sold, it didn’t pull the numbers I hoped for despite significant investment. I held it too long and added too much. A few years ago, I sold a Plymouth Prowler with a crate hemi in it. Well, that was a fun build but in the end, I took it on the chin. From these experiences, I learned to quickly assess and move on from underperforming cars, much like trading on the floor—wholesale it, take the loss and focus on the next opportunity.

Customer Interaction

How do you handle questions and interactions with potential buyers during an auction?

When I started in the business, I had never sold a thing in my life. I went to work at Porsche; all of my sales training comes from Porsche. PCNA has a pretty rigorous program, and the group I worked for did the same. My former sales manager, who is now a close friend, also taught me a huge amount about dealing with customers and the public. As a trader, I had no clients; I was an institutional trader, and I didn’t care about anything but making money for the firm. That actually gets old, but that’s another story.

I also learned a huge amount from Bruce Mendel, aka bruce_m, my former partner. He was simply a master at dealing with the BAT community. He almost never took on the trolls. He would kill them with kindness and humor. He would remind me of that lesson anytime I would call him and tell him to bury some jerk who was posting BS about a car we had up. He had a funny backhanded way of putting people in their place and getting the crowd on his side. It's one of the greatest lessons I learned from Bruce. Most people and most BAT community members are true car people and love the site. Like any other form of social media there is a percentage of the population that is there to disrupt. There is no way around it, you just learn to deal with it politely and professionally.

I will almost never say no to a request in an auction, and I’ll do it with a smile. If you cross the line, I will very, very politely and with a little sarcasm, on occasion call the person out. I sold a stunning Pantera last month. It was a 2.5-year odyssey for me, from purchase to restoration to sale. I did my standard cold start video, just like hundreds of others I have done. One of the commentors complained and told me that grabbing the tailpipe to show the engine was cold is not good enough and I needed to make a new video where I open the rear deck lid, grab the header, hold it for something like a 10 count, and then go start the car, showing the tailpipes and engine. Then I needed to let it run so he could hear it idle for a while.

I politely said, I had been doing it my way for hundreds of auctions, and this was the first time I had ever had someone tell me it was not good enough, if I had some time, I would make another for him. Well then, he proceeded to make nasty remarks and comments about me and the car. I have kept my cool for so long and cultivated a devoted following of really great people who follow my auctions, so much so that before I could even write a well-thought-out reply, the crowd was all over him, flagging his comments, calling him out for being a troll, and eventually running him off. I was choked up at the crowd’s support.

My tips for building trust and credibility are simple: don’t lie, don’t ever BS anything, don’t cover up anything. If you miss something in a car, make it right assuming it's reasonable, and don’t make a fuss about it. Don’t take on a troll. There is nothing to be gained. No matter how right you are, it won’t matter because they’ll never apologize, and they’ll never stop—they have nothing to lose, but you do. This goes for the after-sale too. Bruce laid out those rules and I live by them.

Every once in a while, I will get some buyer who didn’t think he was buying a used car and will complain about everything, then make threats about posting attacks on BAT or calling a lawyer. In hundreds and hundreds of auctions, I have written a grand total of two checks to people like that, and only as a last resort. It helps that my wife is an attorney. Most times I can work out a fix in the event I missed something, especially if its a safety issue with the car. Never mess with a real safety issue. There are people who like to complain about everything; there is no pleasing them, but you have to cut them off eventually. Just do it politely.

Believe it or not, there are people out there who will lie through their teeth to chisel $200 to $500 bucks out of you on a $50k car—it’s a game for them. Six months after the sale, a car needs a battery. When they go to replace it, they see the battery is 5 or 6 years old, so they call and complain and say, “How can you sell a car as a dealer with a 5-year-old battery?” You have to decide quickly whether to send them 200 bucks or politely say, “I’m sorry. Had there been a problem when you received the car or right afterwards, I would have been happy to replace it, but I don’t know what you’ve done to the car or how you’ve used it since you bought it six months ago.” For $200 I would usually just send a battery, but it also depends on other factors.

The other thing I say in auctions all the time is, “I don’t use words like perfect or flawless; those cars don’t exist, and certainly not in the used car world.” There are several variations of that sentence I use all the time.

What tips do you have for building trust and credibility with bidders on BaT?

Don’t lie or BS. Be transparent about the car’s condition and history, and if you miss something, make it right. Engage with the community positively and avoid confrontations. Cultivate a following by consistently providing quality listings and excellent customer service. I can’t tell you how many people I have sold cars to on BAT who I keep in contact with and are friendly with.

Memorable Sales

Can you share a story about one of your most memorable sales on BaT?

Hands down, the best auction I have been involved with was when Bruce was still alive: the 1985 Winnebago LeSharo 4-speed manual!!! All I can say is just read the full comments section. Bruce and I would meet and discuss cars we wanted to buy. Before he showed me that one, he told me to keep an open mind. I laughed my ass off and said let's do it. Bruce was at his finest in the comments section; to this day, it was my favorite auction.

Last year, I imported and sold one of the 40 993S Vesuvio Edition manual coupes. Such a stunning and beautiful car. The final price far exceeded my highest expectations. So much so, I now have another that I just imported and which will be up in a few weeks.

Have you had any particularly interesting or unusual vehicles that stood out in your selling career?

Yes, I’ve had several unique cars, but one that stands out is the Pantera I recently sold. It was a 2.5-year project, and seeing it sell successfully was incredibly rewarding. Clearly the most fun was the Winnebago I mentioned above. I still laugh when I go back and read Bruce’s comments.

Advice for New Sellers

What advice would you give to someone who is new to selling cars on BaT?

If you’re a new seller on BAT, it’s a crowded field now. If you’re an individual just trying to sell your own car, the competition is so deep now, you really need to study the other auctions because you cannot afford to get lost in the crowd if you present your car poorly. Pro photos and good ones, not just some college kid from Snapper, are a must.

The more documentation, the better. Don’t skimp, and don’t try and hide stuff. If you come across as defensive or not responsive, you’re toast. The common and biggest mistakes haven’t changed. Don’t be afraid to be very active in your auction, have some fun with it, joke around, but don’t engage with a troll. Be as transparent as possible; don’t think you can BS someone because there is always someone out there that knows more about any make and model you present than you do.

One of the great things about BAT is no matter what year, make, and model I present, there are real experts who know more than I do even if they never owned one. You want those guys on your side; you need those guys on your side.

Are there any common mistakes you see new sellers make, and how can they avoid them?

Common mistakes include poor presentation, lack of engagement, and being defensive. Insist on real quality photos and lots of them. Get it on a lift and show the underside. Make that video, etc etc.  Be as transparent as possible, provide detailed information, and respond to comments positively. Avoid trying to BS the community—there’s always someone who knows more than you do.

Personal Preferences

Do you have a favorite car that you’ve sold on BaT? Why was it special to you?

The Pantera I just sold was pretty special; it was a 2.5-year journey for me, so I was glad to see it work out. I made some money but not nearly enough to justify the time and expense. Just such a cool car. I may sell one of my own 911s soon; I think that will be a fun one too.

The other really special car was the 1988 R107 I set the BAT/world record with. A dealer friend and I, bought 20 cars out of a collection, and the '88 R107 with 1800 miles was the crown jewel. I had to consult Dean Lowenbach on just how to approach that one. I know Dean first through Bruce and now for many years. Great guy. Massive sale on that car and a fun one. While the auction was ending, I was in NYC in the middle of two nights of seeing Dead and Co at Citi Field.

I was holed up in our hotel room with my laptop, waiting for the auction to end so I could sprint over to CitiField and find my wife so we could pregame a little before the show. We’re both huge Deadheads. The cars I like to sell are the cars I love the most, stuff like air-cooled 911s. The fun cars aren’t just the expensive ones; it’s the oddballs that I have never owned or driven and that I get to experience before I sell them. I sold a fully restored TR4, and it was a really neat car. I knew a lot about them but never saw one that nice. It was a consignment, and the owner was a super guy, so that made it fun too.

If you could sell any car on BaT, regardless of price or rarity, what would it be and why?

There is a limo floating around that reportedly was owned by the Grateful Dead in the early 70’s. It was offered to me through a trusted source. I have been researching for a while to make sure I can be 100% sure of the history. Being a Dead Head for decades, I think that would be really cool.

Platform Experience

How has your experience with BaT changed over the years?

BaT itself has changed so much over the years; you have to be nimble and roll with the changes. It’s a business model choice as a dealer, not just a platform. When Bruce and I started, it was really the wild wild west. We would get by on 40 pics and Bruce’s funny commentary. Before BAT, Bruce used to sell exclusively on eBay. After about a dozen sales on BAT, we almost never posted another car on eBay.

Like I said, it’s a business model, so you have to be committed to it, and you have to roll with the punches. As more and more competition came on board, we had to improve our listings. I wish Bruce could see how much time and effort goes into every listing I do now. We shoot hundreds of photos and then we have to pare them down. We put every car on a lift, clean the underside, mostly with steam and elbow grease. We now shoot elaborate movies too. That’s what the public demands.

There is a downside to BAT becoming so big too. The experience has changed; with so many auctions, you don’t get the eyes on every car the way you used to. The interactions are muted as well, meaning the number of comments has fallen. The banter has fallen. Some of the fun is gone. As a seller whose full-time (well, as full-time as I want to be) is devoted to bringing cars to BAT, the best aspect of BAT is, and I say this all the time: no matter what year, make, and model I bring to BAT, there are always people who are true experts, and even though they may not be bidders, they are typically happy to add value to the auction and share their knowledge.

That’s it in a nutshell, that’s what makes the platform so great. Sure, I am very knowledgeable in a lot of makes and models, but I often rely on the community to answer some of the intricate details that I don’t know. It's pretty rare that the crowd doesn’t step up. The other part of that aspect is, for the most part, the crowd is self-policing. It's pretty rare that I have had to contact my auction specialist and have them review some nasty and outrageously wrong or inflammatory comment. The community usually steps up and takes them down. That’s why it's important to be as transparent as possible and interact with the crowd as much as possible.

Sellers get to cultivate an audience and build their reputation over time. There are some sellers who have sold more cars than me on BAT whom I often wonder how they get away with some of the stuff they sell. It’s none of my business. I don’t disparage them because I don’t need any reprisals. Speaking of which, that’s the check and balance system in action. Sell good cars, be transparent, be polite, be honest. If something goes wrong, make it right in a fair way. You’ll never please all the people all the time. All of the big sellers who I speak with every day can tell you stories about nightmare buyers, but fortunately, if you sell good stuff and are honest, those kinds of people are few and far between. It’s a sport for some of those kinds of buyers, but that’s part of the car business in general.

The support BAT gives sellers and not just the big ones has changed and improved every year I have been on BAT. They have done an excellent job with the platform. Its not easy to walk the line between being a true enthusiast platform and having even broader appeal. There are a handful of people at BAT who I have come to know well over the years and no matter how much BAT evolves, they’re stand up people who are just as willing to help me with a situation as they are a first time seller. Through hundreds and hundreds of auctions its been many of the same people there and they are a dedicated crew.

What features or aspects of BaT do you find most beneficial as a seller?

The knowledgeable community and the platform’s transparency are invaluable. The feedback and expertise from the community help improve listings, and the platform’s reputation ensures a wide audience of serious buyers. The behind the scenes people at BAT are the backbone of the platform. So many great auction specialists and on up the chain at BAT that I have received help from over the years. Their dedication is one of the most beneficial things as a seller.The support BAT gives sellers and not just the big ones has changed and improved every year I have been on BAT. They have done an excellent job with the platform. Its not easy to walk the line between being a true enthusiast platform and having even broader appeal. There are a handful of people at BAT who I have come to know well over the years and no matter how much BAT evolves, they’re stand up people who are just as willing to help me with a situation as they are a first time seller. Through hundreds and hundreds of auctions its been many of the same people there and they are a dedicated crew.

Future Plans

What are your future plans or goals in the car selling business?

I like where I am now. As my son gets older, I hope to have him come on board, which will allow me more time to find cars and let him handle the grunt work. As I said earlier, it takes a LOT to prep a car and run a good auction. Those who think you snap 100 pics, send them in, and that’s it, are never going to have a really top-level auction or outcome.

I have been dabbling in some of the live auction events. I placed a handful of cars at Mecum, a couple at RM Sotheby’s in the past too. I always have conversations with people in the collector car community who would like to partner up on things. I am open to some of that; I just don’t like to give up too much control.

As far as upcoming stuff, that Pantera I just sold was a biggie. Last year, I sold one of the 40 manual 993S Vesuvio Edition cars. I have another I imported from Europe which I am prepping right now, and I think it’s a really special car.

Are there any upcoming auctions or cars you’re particularly excited about?

I’m particularly excited about the upcoming auction of a 993S Vesuvio Edition. It’s a rare and special car that I’m confident will attract a lot of interest. I have 2 other special ones but I don’t want to spill the beans yet!