I think it’s safe to say that the majority of The Autopian staff watch auction sites like hawks. I probably check sites like BringATrailer.com and CarsAndBids.com about a dozen times every day, even though I’m in absolutely no position to purchase a car right now.
Why? Well, if my bosses are reading this, it’s because, as an auto journalist, it’s supremely important to be aware of current market conditions and pricing for significant vehicles, to be better informed as a writer of said vehicles.
But really, the main reason I’m constantly on these sites is that I like to dream. To think to myself, “Man, it sure would be cool to own a Toyota Mega Cruiser or a 2003 Ford Taurus with 15,000 original miles.” So I click through the pictures, imagining a scenario where I’m driving the car and enjoying myself. There’s no harm in that, right?
If you’re reading this site, chances are you’re a lot like me. If that’s true, boy, do I have the job for you.
Be The Leader Of The Auctioneers
Bring a Trailer and Cars And Bids might be the biggest online car auction platforms, but they’re not the only online auction platforms out there. There are smaller platforms, like PCar Market, Collecting Cars, and BarnFinds.com, that have carved out small portions of the market. Hell, even Supercar Blondie has an auction site (there are currently eight cars up for bidding on the site, which is way more than I expected).
Hagerty, a car insurance provider that, in recent years, has expanded into the automotive media and events sector, also has an auction site. Launched in 2022, it’s called the Hagerty Marketplace, and in addition to cars, you’ll also find a healthy amount of rare parts of memorabilia up for sale. Hagerty Marketplace is where that 1,300-car barn find collection, known as The Generous Collection, was sold back in October.
Okay, onto the job. Hagerty is looking to hire an Editor of Online Auction Listings, a title that spells out the responsibilities of the work as plainly as possible. Your main role, as you’ve probably guessed, will be to lead a team and manage a team of auction listing writers. Like any editor, you’ll be responsible for holding those writers to a certain editorial standard and making sure each listing is accurate and presented according to Hagerty’s expectations. As the auction editor, you’ll also have to approve every listing before it gets published.
Because you’ll be in a leadership position, Hagerty also wants you to create and maintain a “comprehensive internal guidebook” for auction writers to reference when creating new listings, communicating with sellers, obtaining the correct photos, and even a guide for resolving conflicts with buyers and/or sellers. You’ll be the person pulling the strings.
As for the job details, Hagerty doesn’t list a pay scale, but notes the job is fully remote, which is nice. The only bad news is you’ll need some experience—five years of working in the online auction field, specifically. If you don’t have that, you should definitely have a “deep understanding of digital-first automotive auction platforms and the current industry landscape,” which should be easy if you’re as obsessed with watching cars sell online every day as I am.
Top graphic image: Hagerty, DepositPhotos.com
It’s going to be interesting where these sites go over time.
In the past… 15 months I’ve both sold and bought a car via online auction.
On the car I sold the buyer (as well as the owner of the collector barn he rents) was shocked. The car was MUCH better than they appeared. They were staggered. He was utterly floored by how complete and meticulously organized the documentation was. In the end, he felt the car went too cheap.
I agree. It came down to A) timing (sold in November) and B) the photographer I hired through the contracting service most of the sites used… couldn’t give a shit. I should’ve fired the guy in the first 60 seconds of our interaction. Photos were of good quality, but the composition of the shots was fuck all. He actually refused to take “the money shot” angle of the car, which is THE ANGLE. He also took most of the photos with the top in place, not down.
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The car I bought… I’d say he took better care of it than 85% of owners. No question. The guy did as best as he could, on what he made, with the knowledge he had, and honestly for most people it would be fine. Though it was a great example of how far standards can differ. There was a lot done “for a good price” that ultimately is going to cost 4-6 times as much in the end to “fully correct for the sins of the installers.”
We’re talking PPF that was done THREE TIMES, to have them CUT OUT ON THE CAR, scoring the clearcoat to where it can’t be compounded out. So it went from “good deal” to “double what I could’ve paid for someone competent” to after repainting the hood (and bumper), easily five times what it would’ve cost to have done it right with an experienced installer the first time around.
I’ve got a repair that has to be done again, because again, they focused on lower price. Etc. Moreover, the laundry list I’ve drastically expanded for when it’s going out (in the next week or so) because I expect there’s been lots of trying to shave a few bucks here and there that I’m going to have to deal with now to get it to my standard.
… granted, my standard is insane.
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If anything, I’d say what auction sites could use is a Feedback or Reputation score. I’m aware, they don’t want to piss off their sellers who provide the inventory, but it’s also important to minimize the chance of buyers being disappointed. This is because buyers themselves may have expectations that are too optimistic, as they just don’t have a ton of experience buying vehicles in this manner.
For me? I’m not disappointed! Given the sale price (a steal), it’s fine. In the end, even bringing up to my gold-plated standard of insanity, I still likely came out $10K+ ahead of buying a MUCH nicer car, and I got a DRIVER, not a bubble car.
Though other people aren’t me, and likely would’ve been miffed. Moreover, if you get enough miffed people, they’ll sow dissent. All the major platforms have seen these start to foment, and they should consider a way to start to address this in a way that doesn’t spook sellers, but ensures buyers to better gauge the quality of a seller’s wares.
I got blocked by BAT a few months ago. Doing my simi-daily sweep of what I had missed, after going two pages back the page would go no farther. Walked away for a while and have mostly stayed away.
I would get pretty excited if I spotted a rodent in one of the photos, so I may fit the bill here.
Rat rods. Volkswagen Rabbit. Fiat Topolino.
Ooh, now you’re making me hungry
I once watched a hawk “waterboard” a bluejay until it stopped moving, then lifted off from the water and flew away to feast. Only knew something was going on by all the noise the other bluejays were making… after the hawk left, they were silent.
Toyota Mega Cruiser, sure, but I don’t believe anybody else has ever thought it would be cool to own a 2003 Ford Taurus. It could have 666 or 69,420 miles on the odometer, and it still wouldn’t be cool.