Well this is it - our final blog article in the series of how to use Specialty auctions most profitably. We hope you've learned a few things and are taking advantage of how Specialty auctions can help Power Your Profits. In this article we want to take a look at auction Remarketing Technology, and Condition Reports, along with brief videos to give you a little more background on how these tools help our buyers and sellers.
When an auction receives a pre-owned Specialty vehicle for sale,
the unit is checked in and an electronic condition report is created along with digital images and certification if applicable. In addition the unit is cleaned, minor mechanical work can be performed, and the unit is set for sale.
It is made available online on presale list
s and PowerSearch tools, and can be purchased through Simulcast. Auctions market the product through a variety of channels, including telemarketing calls, faxes and email. This increases the dealers’ chances of selling the vehicle the first time. At Manheim, once the unit is sold the buyer receives a guaranteed title and funds are transferred to the seller.
As always, we want to hear from you. Please contact us at specialtyauctions@manheim.com or 877-704-INFO (4636) to tell us how we can help you get the most out of your auction experience.
Karen Braddy is the General Manager of Manheim's Specialty and Heavy Truck & Equipment business. She has been with Manheim since 1990, and launched the Specialty initiative for Manheim in 2005.
We're now more than half way through our series on how best to utilize Specialty auctions profitably. Manheim auction locations talk daily with customers who are looking to auctions to help them buy and sell used inventory. We want to help dealers new to auction and those who utilize auctions but are looking for that extra edge with information to help them Power Their Profits.
Now, more than ever, Specialty customers involved in trading and 
selling previously owned Specialty vehicles are making auction their number one method of buying and selling. And they're finding that auctions are by far the most efficient and cost-effective way of managing, shaping and re-shaping their inventory.
Manheim writes white papers periodically to assist dealers, and we also encourage you to view these brief videos for additional thoughts on how to use auctions for both buying and selling inventory.
Good luck, and please contact us at 877-704-INFO (4636) or specialtyauctions@manheim.com to discuss how else we can serve you.
Karen Braddy is the General Manager of Manheim's Specialty and Heavy Truck & Equipment business. She has been with Manheim since 1990, and launched the Specialty initiative for Manheim in 2005.
Welcome to the third installment of our series on how best to utilize Specialty auctions profitably. We've created this series to help dealers who are new to auctions grow their comfort level and to offer some tips and tricks to those who have visited auctions.
The auction process is easier that some might expect. If you are new to auctions or simply new to a particular auction location, go ahead and plan a visit. Auction location personnel will gladly show you around, explain the details of the operation, let you meet the people, and get you comfortable with the process. Here are some tips on what you can do to get the most from your auction experience.
- Choose an auction that matches your needs. Manheim, for example, offers eighteen auction locations nationwide that specialize in monthly (or
more frequent) Specialty sales.
- After deciding on an auction to attend, you will need to register in order to buy and sell.
- Preparation before attending an auction greatly affects a dealer's experience. Preview units for sale and set realistic buying expectations to increase your chances of successfully purchasing the unit you want at a fair price. It's fairly easy to gauge pricing expectations when you plan your visit. The best gauge are the Market Reports from previous sales. These lists are available on-line in real time, as well as in print. They describe the unit and what it sold for most recently.
- Consult with the auction staff about your specific needs. Employees are there to help dealers enjoy a positive customer experience.
We look forward to helping you use auctions to Power Your Profits. Please contact us at specialtyauctions@manheim.com or 1-877-704-INFO (4636) with additional questions.
Karen Braddy is the General Manager of Manheim's Specialty and Heavy Truck & Equipment business. She has been with Manheim since 1990, and launched the Specialty initiative for Manheim in 2005.
We recently launched a blog series to help answer many questions we receive from dealers new to auctions. Manheim has produced an Auction Handbook designed to walk a dealer through the auction process, and we've also broken down the Handbook into a series of brief videos. A brief description of and link to the video is below. We hope you find it helpful!
Section 2 - How An Auction Operates
Today there are a variety of ways dealers, banks, rental companies and
manufacturers can take advantage of the opportunities auctions provide. By buying and/or selling pre-owned vehicles online or through the auction lanes, buying dealers can supplement their inventory during the busy sale months and continue to meet the ever-growing demand at the dealership. Selling customers can offer their inventory more often in the vehicle life cycle.
While we encourage you to spend some time with our http://www.manheimspecialtyauctions.com/ web site, we're also available to help you take advantage of all that auctions can offer you. Please contact us at 877-704-INFO (4636) or at specialtyauctions@manheim.com with any questions.
Karen Braddy is the General Manager of Manheim's Specialty and Heavy Truck & Equipment business. She has been with Manheim since 1990, and launched the Specialty initiative for Manheim in 2005.
We've seen significant growth in both the number of dealers utilizing Specialty auctions and their comfort level with auctions over the past several years. There are still many dealers, though, who have questions about how to get started and may be nervous about the process.
Manheim Specialty Auctions has created an Auction Handbook to help dealers who have yet to discover auctions (and to provide current customers with tips and tricks to maximize their auction experience). We've also taken the key points from our Handbook and converted them to a series of short videos. This article will be the first of a series designed to introduce you to the videos.
Section 1 -- About Auctions
Auctions are one of the oldest forms of commercial exchanges. They create a dynamic marketplace where bidding is fast paced and true market value is determined with each transaction. Auction remarketing services work well for Specialty customers who want to move their inventories quickly and get full market value. The following is a link to a video that tells you a little more About Auctions.
As always, please contact us at specialtyauctions@manheim.com or 877-704-INFO (4636) with any questions about how we can help you succeed at auction.
Karen Braddy is the General Manager of Manheim's Specialty and Heavy Truck & Equipment business. She has been with Manheim since 1990, and launched the Specialty initiative for Manheim in 2005.
"Buy exactly the right style and type of pre-owned RVs when you need them, and 
sell inventory that's taking up space for too long (and costing you money)." Easier said than done, right? RV Pro turned to Manheim Specialty Auctions General Manager Karen Braddy to address the topic in their May, 2010 edition. Click here for the full article, and see below for highlights:
- More consumers are looking for pre-owned units: from retiring baby boomers looking to make those trips they've been dreaming about to younger families wanting to experience RVing for the first time, "RV professionals generally agree that the increased demand is very much focused on quality pre-owned units."
- Auctions are increasingly focusing on RV dealers. At Manheim we have 11 locations specifically branded to sell RVs. These locations have dedicated staff - from inspection and reconditioning to sales and marketing to titles and documentation, these auctions have staff trained in the RV space.
- Sourcing and selling inventory 24/7 - Auctions allow dealers to preview and buy inventory online, and they offer dealers opportunities to research condition reports and pricing. At Manheim, we post inventory online and offer buying opportunities in-lane and online. We also produce a monthly market report available at no charge so dealers can see recent sale prices.
Auctions are a dynamic stage where buyers and sellers can maximize profitability. We encourage you to visit a sale, get to know the staff, and learn how you can take advantage. We're always available at specialtyauctions@manheim.com and 877-704-INFO (4636).
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing
We at Manheim are constantly touched by how active our customers are with community and charitable giving programs. We do our best at the local and
national levels to support charities that matter to our employees and our customers, and one of those charities is the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Ride for Life. This year's event, the largest annual charity ride in the U.S., raised more than $978,000 for MDA this year and has raised more than $15 million since 1986.
A group of 38 Harley-Davidson dealers from the Eastern Harley-Davidson Dealers Association in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia 
organized the event, which began and ended in Reading, PA. More than 1,000 motorcyclists participated in this year's Ride for Life. Congrats to Schaeffer's Harley-Davidson in Orwigsburg, PA for raising more than $235,000 and to Classic Harley-Davidson in Reading for raising more than $117,498. Wow!
"I can't think of any group of business owners that's more active in charitable giving than motorcycle and car dealers," said General Manager of Manheim Specialty and Heavy Truck & Equipment Auctions Karen Braddy. "Manheim is proud to support the MDA Ride for Life and is touched by the generosity of the event organizers and participants."
So who else participated in this ride? Any interesting stories from the day you'd like to share? What other upcoming events would you like fellow Manheim Specialty customers to know about?
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing
Recent years have seen strong increases in Specialty auction dealer participation and vehicles sold. With these increases come the need for larger facilities to host dealers and inventory and more ways for dealers to access inventory.
Manheim Indianapolis is doubling the size of its motorcycle and PowerSports auction space and is hosting a PowerSports Expansion Super Sale February 2-3, where it will show off its 40,000 square feet of auction space.
Manheim New York is doubling the size of its Specialty sale in 2010. Manheim has committed to adding an additional Simulcast lane to allow the New York 17k location to offer double the amount of consignment during their regularly scheduled Specialty sale held the 3rd Wednesday of the month.
So as 2010 progresses, how will your auction habits change? Do you plan to visit more sales in person? Will you research and/or buy more units online? Beyond trade-ins, how else will you grow your used inventory?
Karen Braddy is the General Manager of Manheim's Specialty and Heavy Truck & Equipment business. She has been with Manheim since 1990, and launched the Specialty initiative for Manheim in 2005.