Kruse Auction this Labor Day or Not?

proscriptus wrote: Where is that quote from?

The Star newspaper

I was just told there are lots of rumors flying around on just how many vehicles were out there. I've heard stories from 30 - 100. But all auction vehicles and the car coral / swap meet stuff were all inside the buildings.

I drove by multiple times over the weekend, to and from my hotel, and the place was dead...I would never have guessed an auction was going on. The only old car I could see was an Oldsmobile on a trailer that turned in ahead of me Saturday morning.

Odd, because the auction was heavily promoted around town...brochures everywhere, even at restaurants. The brochures were crudely printed on newspaper-grade paper, with blurry pictures and misaligned text. Some cars were previously seen at last year's Labor Day auction, and the captions that went with the headline Thunderbird custom were verbatim what was in the Labor Day catalog.

I drove by the auction park on Fri. at 5:00PM and the place was deserted. Friends went out on Sat. afternoon and there was nothing.
CORDially Mike

Where is that quote from?

Jernigan said Rick Rowe of Ohio sold 16 out of 16 cars Saturday and said he was happy and leaving with cash in hand.

?He?s been coming 25 years,? Jernigan said.

Jack and Nora Baker of East Peoria, Ill., have been selling cars in Auburn since 1972. While taking a break Saturday afternoon, Jack Baker said his experience at the auction was like taking a step back in time.

?They?re running with less people, but they?ve got a handle on things,? Jack Baker said. ?It?s almost like we?re going back 15 years ago. They?re not selling a ton of cars. It?s smaller and more personalized.?

The Motorfair offered 60 cars for sale Friday, with 150 scheduled to cross the auction block today. Collectibles and repeat cars will make up Sunday?s sale list.

Auburn Auctions is currently accepting consignments for the 40th Annual Auburn Auction - September 1st - 7th, 2010. Please check back frequently for updated auction status. theauburnauction.com/sale1/

I have heard that the sale on May 15 weekend ran through 31 cars and 1 sold.
CORDially Mike

Another article from "The Star"....


Kruse sees future in promoting park Print
Staff Reports
Saturday, 15 May 2010 00:50

AUBURN ? Friday at the Auburn Spring Motorfair, Dean Kruse settled into his new role as an auctioneer only.

In the event?s 19th year, Kruse is calling bids and giving advice at a sale he founded and ran in the past.

Signs sent the message that new Auburn Auctions LLC is operating the Motorfair, and the Kruse name refers only to Kruse Auction Park ? the site of the sale.

Going forward, ?What I?m going to do to make money is I?m going to promote this park,? Kruse said. ?This is a big facility that I?ve let sit empty. I want to get something going on here and utilize this property.?

Kruse said he is working on plans for a country music concert, corporate picnics, sports car rallies and sales of motorcoaches, antiques and antique tractors.

The 40th annual Labor Day weekend collector car auction remains in the plans, although who will operate the park?s major event is undecided.

Whoever runs the sale, Kruse said, ?I?m going to make sure Labor Day is the biggest one we ever had.?

From "The Star"[/url:303p8010]

The new Classical Event Auctions company will conduct a car auction north of Auburn on Labor Day weekend, the Star in Auburn reported. The event would become Auburn?s third collector-car auction held during the September holiday.

Classical Event Auctions will stage its sale at the Classic City Center on C.R. 427, directly across the road from DeKalb Middle School.

?Our objective is to have a truly family-oriented auction that will definitely be two days ? possibly three,? said Greg Peterson of Hamilton, who founded Classical Event Auctions with Frank Parr, also of Hamilton.

Classical Event Auctions will join two existing sales that take place south of Auburn on Labor Day weekend: the Kruse International auction that began in 1971 and the Worldwide Auctioneers sale that started in 2008. Worldwide Auctioneers recently announced plans to expand this year?s sale from 80 cars to 530, and from one night to three full days.

?We believe that two or three very strong auctions in Auburn would only make the whole thing better,? Peterson said April 9. ?Make Auburn bigger and better than it?s ever been ? that?s our ultimate goal.?
Comments

What is the third?

Here's some breaking news about the new Kruse auction: www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs ... e=printart

My understanding: there will be THREE classic car auctions going on in town.

Given that four of the five people involved with the Auburn Auction are named Kruse--and that their phone numbers are Kruse's phone numbers--it's safe to say this is a version of Kruse Intl. John Kruse of Worldwide is Dean's nephew, they are definitely competitors.

Chris,

Yes we always stay in Ft. Wayne, although I've taken advantage of the hotel availability to move 14 miles north of where we usually go to the north side of town. That's another half hour per day to spend in Auburn!

If Auburn Auctions is a competitor to Kruse then I wonder why they advertise their spring auction at the Kruse auction park? It isn't clear what the relationship is.

John Kruse, Dean's nephew, is affiliated with Worldwide Auctions which also seems to be a competitor. I have never visited Worldwide but may this year since their event is much expanded.

Whatever the situation is it seems that it needs to be communicated more clearly to the public or there may be a precipitous drop in attendance at the auctions this year. Hopefully that wouldn't impact the Club events, but it may and that is my primary concern.

Justin

First of all, Justin, I highly recommend staying in Ft. Wayne. The short commute is worth the money you save not being gouged at one of the Auburn hotels. (More money for the swap meet and/or ACD Museum gift shop and/or Club souvenirs.)

As for the auction:

When I was "in town" in March, I was told that The Auburn Auction was a new competitor to Kruse and WorldWide.

I heard that Victory Power Auctions, as seen on the Kruse site, is what Kruse International has been reorganized as; but I don't know if there's any truth to that or not.

Then, of course, there's Dan Kruse Classics, which seems to be handling the former Kruse International events on the West Coast.

Rumors are abundant.

Regardless, the place needs to stay in business somehow. Northern Indiana doesn't need more job losses.

recently received a brochure from
Auburn Auctions www.theauburnauction.com
1-888-968-4444 conducting the spring motorfair auction
may13-14-15-16
at the kruse park the booklet does not mention dean
or the Kruse name
maybe a call would have some light on the Laber day sale
greg

Granted it's after business hours but just for grins I called Kruse and got a generic voicemail message. Nothing in it even mentioned the words Kruse, Auburn or auction. Something doesn't seem right.....

Justin

Based on the information available on the web I can't find any solid evidence that Kruse is going to hold an event this year. From their own website:

"Kruse International has no current auctions scheduled at this time. For assistance from a Kruse representative, please call 260.925.5600."

Anyone know anything about this? I'm familiar with the financial problems and unpaid sellers but I am really surprised their bread & butter event isn't being aggressively advertised. I do see that Worldwide is expanding their auction to 3 days this year. Is this a changing of the guard?

Of course I was calling around for some hotels for the Reunion and was astonished to hear that the Auburn Inn and other hotels in Auburn still have rooms available! So perhaps the landscape is changing for our most important weekend.

Justin