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FEATURE INTERVIEWS:

Gus Kozarzewski – MECUM Auctions Consignments:

This week I sent Bernie out to talk with Gus Kozarzewski from MECUM Auctions to find out more about the consignment side of the business and see how they can help someone looking to sell a classic without a lot of hassle. Gus was raised in an automotive sales household and he would hang out with dad in his car restoration shop where he would fix the future classics. Gus would do prep work on the cars as a fun thing to do with the staff and later on he figured out that he was actually helping them get the cars done faster and thus make more money. It is no wonder why they were buying him lunch but they were also giving him a lifetime of lessons on how to work on cars and things to look for in bodywork and paint to make a quality vehicle.

Gus was approached by a friend one day thirty five years ago, to go to a MECUM auction and pick up a 1952 Cadillac convertible for his wife. She was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and he wanted to cheer her up with a car like the one she remembered riding around in with her dad as a child. Gus agreed and thought it sounded like a great road trip so he picked up a bag of money headed off on his first time to a Mecum auction. Later that saturday he was happy report back to his friend that he had just won the auction and would soon be driving the caddy back home. He also noticed it was looking like rain so he quickly approached the seller to get assistance with putting the top up and was handed a tarp. After some back and forth he figured out that the car did not have aa top and was considered a “parade car” that was never driven in rain, because it had no top. As he was paying for the vehicle he mentioned his experience to the clerk who then encouraged him to talk to her husband outside, Dana Mecum. He related the story of the missing top to the founder of the auction and was offered his bidding fee back as a consolation for the miscommunication and was assured that this would be rectified in future auctions. Gus kept in touch with Dana after that and was offered more and more opportunities over the years to work with and grow with the company.

For most people the thrill is in the purchase of their classic car. They drive their new prize for a while and then the buzz wears off and the car gets put away and soon it has been sitting for decades and now either they or their family needs to sell it and share it with the world again.Gus says that is where the consignment service comes in to help with the retrieval of the vehicle from storage and getting it back up and going and into full auction sale status. There is usually a lot of cleaning and maintenance updates to get an older car ready for a primetime event such as a MECUM auction. Gus and the people in consignments offer many services that can relieve stress from the family wanting to sell and also create a better experience for those buying the vehicles and leave them with a higher level of trust in the transaction. Gus said some people buy cars at MECUM and later sell it through the consignment group just so they can experience both sides of the transaction.

Gus has sold many kinds of cars from the Bullitt Mustang to a toy collection containing pedal cars dating back to 1905, and has the experience in both automotive knowledge and sales history to help navigate the process and make the sale a great experience. He said that there are two different values gained from an auction, the monetary value in the money from the sale, and the emotional value from the experience of the event. It is very valuable and important to have a great experience and look forward to returning to the event in the future.

If you would like to find out more about the consignment services available at MECUM Auctions you can call Gus at (262) 275-6734 or email him directly at gkozarzewski@mecum.com . Of course you can always check out the website at MECUM.com where you can find out more and get engaged with their social media outlets to find out where you can experience a MECUM auction yourself.

Thanks for the interview, Gus!

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This interview sponsored by our pals at National Parts Depot – your premier source for muscle car restoration parts!