There are two highly anticipated public auctions that take place during the month of January. Barrett-Jackson’s annual Scottsdale sale, in Arizona, is one of them. The often-hot gavel action it generates has become the anchor, so to speak, for other events that have sprung up in and around the desert city, such as the Arizona Concours d’Elegance relaunched in 2023. (Look for coverage in a future issue.)
Similar to another sale held earlier in the month on the East Coast, Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale event is a marathon: Nine days of action — including a dedicated preview-only day — were held from January 21-29. Once underway, the fast-paced action sent 1,907 vehicular lots across the block, all offered without reserve, bolstered by more than 1,100 automobilia lots. By way of comparison, there was an increase of just 50 vehicular lots over last year. It wasn’t a ton, but then again, a handful of other sales were in town, too.
Just like last year, bidders arrived by the hundreds and anticipation ran high. So high, that at the conclusion of the event it was announced that 200 world records had been set. Additionally, five charity lots raised a total of $1.89 million, helping the Scottsdale-based company surpass $150 million
