Manheim Specialty Auctions has a strong focus on booking out all 
of the Specialty units (RVs, Boats, Motorcycles, PowerSports) we offer for sale with NADA values. This allows us to track our Specialty locations performance against NADA, understand current market conditions, and look for trends in performance from year to year.
Here are a few key points about our Manheim Specialty NADA performance for RVs in the second quarter of 2010. For reference, we track our RV performance against the Used Wholesale Trade-In NADA value.
- On average, RVs sold at Manheim Specialty locations in Q2 2010 achieved 91% of NADA
- Q2 2010 NADA performance (91%) was slightly lower than
Q2 2009 NADA performance (92%)
Are you interested in receiving our monthly market report for RVs? The market report shows unit information, NADA value and auction sale price for recent Manheim sales. Email us at specialtyauctions@manheim.com to request to be included on the RV market report mailing list.
Kelly Miller is the Business Manager at Manheim Specialty and Heavy Truck & Equipment.
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.
While the primary audience for an Economic Forecast and Financial Forum earlier this month in Chicago was automotive, the speakers spent much of their time on economic trends that impact Specialty dealers as well. Check out a full report here, and below are some highlights:
- Melinda Zabritski, director of automotive credit at Experian, said that while
30- and 60-day delinquencies are still increasing, the rates at which they're going up are decreasing. And the highest delinquency rates are on loans originated in 2006 and 2007.
- From Ellen Hughes-Cromwick, senior economist for Ford Motor Co.: "Chronic deficits and debt" continue to drag down the economy and challenge retail sales, we've seen consumer spending increase in recent months
- Mark Vitner, managing director and senior economist for Wells Fargo Securities, cautioned that unemployment is likely to remain close to 10% through 2010. The economy is adding jobs, but that growth will be offset by more job hunters entering or re-entering the market. "High unemployment won't keep the economy from growing, but it may keep it from growing very fast," he said.
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing
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
It's time for our third blog article designed to help you take full advantage of Manheim's online tools (the entire series is available here). Approximately 40% of Manheim Specialty inventory sells to online bidders, and well over half of our customers go online to do anything from preview inventory to view condition reports to bid and buy.
One of the more popular manheim.com features is the "Saved Searches" portion of 
PowerSearch. With the Saved Searches tool, you can tell us the types of vehicles that interest you. Then when vehicles that match your interests are available, you'll receive a notification by email or text. Please click here for a brief overview of how Saved Searches work and how you can allow manheim.com to make your inventory searches more efficient and profitable.
Whether it's more convenient for you to buy in-lane or online, we hope you'll take a few minutes to learn how to make Manheim work harder for you. Please contact us at specialtyauctions@manheim.com or 877-704-INFO (4636) for more details and to walk through web site features one-on-one.
Kelly Miller is the Business Manager at Manheim Specialty and Heavy Truck & Equipment
Manheim Consulting Chief Economist Tom Webb writes a monthly Industry Brief targeting Manheim customers, media and analysts, in which he relates economic
trends to the remarketing business. Many of these trends have a direct impact on the retail Specialty business as well, so we encourage dealers to view a recent article featuring report commentary. The monthly report is available for purchase from Manheim Consulting.
On the whole Webb pointed to numerous signs the economy is strengthening, although not as rapidly as many would like and not without some concerning trends. Highlights of the report include:
- Positive economic signs include increasing total household net worth and retail sales, as well as gradual employment gains
- Negative economic signs include recent declines in consumer mortgage debt occurring in large part due lenders writing off mortgages due to foreclosure and bankruptcy as well as a February decrease in Vehicle Miles of Travel (VMT) versus a year ago
There is no shortage of economic news, but ultimately we want to hear from dealers. What are you seeing and hearing from customers at your dealerships? What changes in customer confidence, ability to receive retail financing and interest in buying vehicles are you experiencing?
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing