Recently, I saw a seller of a car near and dear to me - a Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Cosworth - get eviscerated by a specific member of the commenter illuminati of Bring A Trailer. The seller represented a business that allowed well-heeled “members” to borrow exotic and sports cars for a fee, and because one commenter in particular disliked the concept of someone outside of the 1 percent class from having access to such vehicles, it was decided his business was not trustworthy - certainly not up to the standards of BaT.
Now, don’t make me laugh and ask if said commenter entered a single, solitary bid: oh, get out of here! He wasn’t there to do that! His solitary goal was to defend the honor of Bring A Trailer and to ensure anything short of an acid-dipped, full-metal-respray with glass out contender was forbidden from seeing anything approaching a reasonable bid.
This is now an honorable past time on BaT and reflective of our broader society wherein you earn a social credit gold star for preventing the sale of a car (or really, any opportunity, be it a date with a target of your affections or a business deal with a potential partner) that doesn’t meet your own ridiculous standards. Never mind whether said vehicle was actually a wonderful driver that would have given the next owner pleasure for years to come.
And because of the social construct BaT has allowed to fester, which, ironically, is the exact dynamic the original website intended to revolt against, it’s no longer a seller’s refuge - because, as the old saw goes, it’s a big club and you ain’t in it.
As you can see in the attached screen grabs, the commenter (@UncleFred1) who goes after the seller of the Cossie Mercedes pitches a broker who makes regular appearances on BaT, a guy by the name of @Dean_Laumbach. Now, Dean does a nice job presentation-wise, with Mr. Fred noting that he once “….repainted the sides of a car because he didn’t like the marks left by a removed pinstripe.” Well, to me, Dean sounds like a man who was once touched inappropriately by a pinstripe artist, but to each his own. I mean, who among us hasn’t sanded down the side of a car to eliminate the pesky glow of a pinstripe from years ago? Haven’t you all had the tattoo’d initials of a lost love laser-burned off your lower back?
All kidding aside, this Fred fellow not only loves a good ‘ol Dean Laumbach detailing session, but also sells his own cars with Mr. Laumbach. Therefore, he slobbers all over the listings belonging to the broker who hawks his wares but shits all over the guy who maybe could steal a bid or two away from his own auction, which apparently was going live in a few days.
Do I like conspiracy theories? Yes, and you should, too, because your government lies to you every second of every day. But in the case of BaT, you - the “ordinary” seller, the citizen enthusiast who doesn’t have homes on opposite coasts like Uncle Fred (get a load out of his condescending comment about visiting his second home - what a jag-off), will forever be an unwitting participant in a game of Russian roulette played out in the comments section merely for the satisfaction of the guy holding the revolver.
Stop selling your cars on BaT and start selling elsewhere - or, better yet, yourself. The Common Gear can help, as it gives you a free platform to upload photos of your restoration, invoices, receipts, and all the granular details that get rendered irrelevant after a guy like Uncle Fred sets his sights on your listing.