The CEO has the floor - June
"Wait and see" – a losing proposition
Look at the data from any auction, and the pattern is the same. Not much happens in the middle. Then, in the home stretch, everything comes to life. It’s no coincidence—research on auctions has shown this for decades. Bidders deliberately hold back, and the final minutes can cause the price to shift dramatically. There’s even a name for it: auction fever. As time runs out and someone else is poised to snap up the car, people stop calculating the cost and start wanting to win. Which brings us to the seller.
Your most important contribution comes here, at the end—not in sitting back and hoping for the best.
A safety net – not a plan
The most common—and costliest—mistake is the "wait and see" approach. Bidding stalls just shy of the reserve price—so close—and the seller waits it out. The hammer falls. A near miss. And the next day, when regret sets in—believe me, it happens more often than you’d think—it’s too late.
If you want to sell the car, the responsibility is yours: you need to meet the bidders halfway. A bid just below the reserve isn't a "no"; it’s an opportunity. Let go of those last few thousand, get that "reserve met" indicator to turn green, and watch the auction get a second wind.
And should things stall anyway, remember that with us, every bid remains valid for 24 hours after the auction closes. This gives our team a final chance to seal the deal after the fact. That’s what "aftersales" is all about—and more cars change hands this way than most people realize.
But view it for what it is: a safety net, not a strategy. You’ll get the best deal while the auction is still live—not afterwards.
Selected auctions
My thesis, illustrated. Six classics sold in June where a correctly set reserve price kicked off the bidding early—and every single one of them soared well beyond it.
Top 6 most interesting classic cars sold in June 2026 (model year ≤ 1996)
1. 1991 BMW 850i — 60 bids | Reserve: 200 000 SEK | Sold: 212 500 SEK (+6,2%)
The V12-powered 850i attracted the highest number of bids of any classic car in June—60 in total—testifying to an exceptionally engaged field of bidders. It sold just above the reserve price, but it was the fierce bidding battle, rather than the price itself, that made it the most active auction of the month.
2. 1992 Mercedes-Benz 300 TE — 28 bids | Reserve: 50 000 SEK | Sold: 80 000 SEK (+60%)
The big surprise of June—it sold for 60% above the reserve price, the highest margin over reserve of any auction. A wagon the market was evidently hungry for.
3. 1993 BMW M5 Touring 3.8 Manual — 54 bids | Reserve: 465 000 SEK | Sold: 535 000 SEK (+15,1%)
One of the most sought-after E34 variants—a manual M5 Touring with the 3.8-liter engine. 54 bids and a price exceeding the reserve by over 70,000 SEK confirm that the market recognizes its value.
4. 1983 Porsche 944 Targa "1.8 TFSI" — 53 bids | Reserve: 75 000 SEK | Sold: 89 000 SEK (+18,7%)
An exciting conversion project that drew a lot of attention—53 bids and a final price nearly 19% above the reserve. A 944 Targa with an engine swap clearly draws a crowd.
5. 1986 Toyota Celica Supra 2.8 — 43 bids | Reserv: 75 000 SEK | Sold: 93 000 SEK (+24%)
A70 Supra with an inline-six — an increasingly rare classic that sold for 24% above the reserve price. Its cult status is beginning to be reflected in the price.
6. 1975 Mercedes-Benz 350 SL — 20 bids | Reserve: 110 000 SEK | Sold: 145 500 SEK (+32,3%)
An R107 SL that exceeded its reserve by SEK 35,500—the third-highest amount above reserve among all classic cars in June. A roadster the market really wanted.
At the pen and the mallet
Jacob Odqvist, CEO Bidders Highway