If you were in Kissimmee FL. last week looking for vintage Land Cruisers at Mecum auctions, you would have found plenty. There were at least 38 trucks to look at. Mecum's flagship auction started on Jan 2nd 2024 and ran thru Jan 14th. Of the 38 Land Cruisers, 22 were South American imports.
Of the 38 Land Cruisers that rolled across the stage, a whopping 58% of them did NOT meet their reserve price! Owners are not willing to take the loss and vintage Land Cruiser prices have been falling due to the plethora or vehicles being brought to the US to sell.
Sixteen (or 42%) of the Land Cruisers DID sell at Mecum. The average sale price was just a hair over $40,000 with the highest price reaching $68,200 for a 1981 HJ47 and the lowest a mere $17,600.
Gone are the days when everything that rolled across the stage at the live auctions like Barrett and Mecum was instantly snapped up at jaw dropping prices. Good quality vehicles are still selling but now it requires more experience, expertise, effort and vehicle knowledge to get results.
The good news is that you can have an expert like myself sell a vehicle for you and it doesn't need to leave your garage. You won't incur the expenses involved in live a auction including high transportation costs, only to have to bring it back home if it does not meet the reserve. My service is focused, efficient, more personal and provides maximum exposure. I can also source vehicles to purchase and help buyers avoid costly mistakes.
In closing, if you weren't in Florida for the auction, but rather in one of the many arctic areas of the US, buried in snow and facing sub zero temperatures like we are here in Iowa, think SPRING will ya! :-)
If you're thinking about buying or selling a Land Cruiser, I invite you to give me a call at (515) 864-1275 or email overton@aol.com.