Hemmings Launches HemmingsPRO Online Auction House

A slow juicer, a first edition of The Little Prince, Chanel free-weights and this very important hat.

These are among the items that, after a half (or so; who’s keeping track?) bottle of wine, I deemed completely necessary and justifiable online purchases. But now, the fun, fuzzy world of online shopping has seeped into treacherous waters.

Because it wasn’t too long ago that the only way to bid on a ‘69 Camaro in Fathom Metallic Green was to head to an auction and hope for the best. You certainly weren’t doing it from the comfort of your home office at 2 A.M.

But now, renowned auction house Hemmings has launched Hemmings PRO, an online version for both buyers and sellers. While entities like Bring a Trailer have been successful digital destinations for the classic car circuit, Hemmings is doing their due diligence to put their stamp of approval on the digital market.

HemmingsPRO (3 images)

Before anyone chimes in, I don’t even want to hear mention of eBay or Craigslist as viable entities for such an undertaking. Craigslist and eBay are for deadbeats and lemons. Steer clear.

HemmingsPRO, on the other hand, nails it. It’s vetted, rock-solid safe, speedy and convenient, with reps at the ready to answer any questions. We caught up with director Daniel Stoner to answer a few.

InsideHook: Why launch?
Daniel Stoner: Hemmings basically invented and perfected the concept of the classic car classifieds marketplace in 1954, so we’ve had a great vantage point to watch — and participate — as online became a viable space to do business. We looked around and found some unmet needs in the online classic car auction category and decided that we could fulfill them with PRO.

IH: How is this going to change the game for traditional auction houses?
DS: We don’t really expect PRO to compete with the auction houses, because their model is based on the sensory experience as much as the actual cars going across the ramp. Ever catch one of those auctions on TV? For gearheads, it’s riveting: we could watch that stuff all day (and sometimes we do).

IH: Why buy or sell online with such a large-investment commodity?
DS: The person who’s buying or selling online does it primarily because they are looking for a specific car, they live in a remote area, they want to monitor several auctions at once or they find it emotionally or physically satisfying. For some, the frenetic energy of a live auction is really stressful — classic cars are supposed to be the opposite of that, right? The 900-lb. gorilla in the room of the online auction is the trepidation tingling in your lower spine when that transport truck shows up and unloads the car you just bought online (via whatever form). “Did I get what I paid for?” We built PRO to specifically manage that risk.

IH: For your launch, you pitted two great rivals against each other — Camaros v. Mustangs. Who’s the winner once and for all?
DS: Ha! Now, you’re tapping into an argument that’s as old as the first race between a Ford and a Chevy! I’m a dyed-in-the-blue-wool Ford guy, so I’d have to say the Mustangs. And that’ll always be my knee-jerk reaction. Probably the same for the Chevy people. And the Mopar folks, while we’re talking about it, are like Switzerland: neutral territory.