The best deals of the racing season are just a few weeks away at the Charlotte Racers Expo trade show and auction on January 22-23. Both new and pre-owned parts and equipment will be for sale at the trade show (new) and up for bids in the auction (pre-owned and new). Racers from all disciplines will find something useful for their program.
Growing every year, the event expects scores of different companies to have representatives on-hand this year, and many of those companies will be selling new merchandise in the trade show for racers to carry home the same day. Manufacturers will also be on hand to educate racers on their products, most of which will be for sale through authorized dealers at the event. Among the new companies this year are major organizations like AFCo Racing Products, PRO Shocks and Diamond Racecars by Hornaday.
Bargain hunters will find what they are looking for not only in the trade show, but also in the auction. Over 1200 lot numbers will go across the auction block during the course of the two-day event. Overstock items from well-known parts retailers, pre-owned items from top-notch race teams, and manufacturer blemished or overrun products will all be available at the auction. Unlike other auctions in the region, the Charlotte Racers Expo features no buyer’s premium. Bidders pay the amount they bid in cash with no additional fees for buying. Buyers may also choose to pay with a credit card for a small processing fee.
“This event has continued to exceed my expectations for growth year after year,” said Larry McDaniels, promoter of the Charlotte Racers Expo. “We continue to have growing interest in the auction, and it’s all quality consignments – no junk or Cup stuff in our auction. The trade show has also quickly turned into a one-stop shop for racers, with numerous exhibitors selling items at the show and taking orders for larger and custom items on-site. It really is amazing how much a racer can accomplish at our event for the upcoming race season.”
“To help with the flow of the event, we have breaks scheduled in the auction so that auction buyers have time to also browse and buy in the trade show, plus eat lunch without missing lots they want to bid on,” McDaniels continued. “Most exhibitors are set up to take both cash and credit cards, so everyone needs to come prepared to buy so they don’t miss out on the deals.”
The auction portion of the Charlotte Racers Expo is filling up with consignments but plenty of high-quality lot numbers are still available. Last year’s event sold out of consigned lots prior to opening day and the show management is encouraging those with consignments to take advantage of the free pre-consignment process as soon as possible.
“We already have a large selection of quality auction merchandise pre-consigned for our event,” said McDaniels. “We had very high quality lots last year, and this year I think the quality will be even better. A lot of top-tier racers and teams have consigned items, as have retailers and manufacturers who needed to liquidate their overstock and clear their shelves.”
McDaniels reiterated that the auction portion of the Charlotte Racers Expo features no buyer’s premium for those wishing to bid on items for sale. The price that a buyer bids is the price that he/she will pay. Only bidders who use credit cards to settle their accounts will entail any type of extra fees: only 5% will be added to cover the credit card processing fees.
“We’re firm believers in only paying the price you bid,” McDaniels commented. “Anyone who’s been to an auction knows that figuring out any sort of extra fees or premiums is difficult. It can keep you from bidding on something you want because you’re not sure how much extra it’s going to cost above what your bid amount is. We’ve eliminated that fear by eliminating those extras.”
He also explained his consignment strategy. Unlike some auctions, Charlotte consignors do not get charged for advanced lot number reservations. To maximize variety for bidders and increase value for consignors, the lots are scattered throughout the two-day event where over 1200 lots will be auctioned.
“It’s not fair to anyone to have everything in one small chunk of time during the auction,” he explained. “Consignors want to have their merchandise exposed to as many people as possible, and bidders want variety so that the bid prices are as reasonable and fair as possible. So anyone who still has merchandise to consign, they can rest assured that their merchandise will be spread throughout the auction the best way we possibly can.”
The Charlotte Racers Expo will open to the general public on Friday, January 22, at 1pm and remain open until approximately 7:30pm. OnSaturday, January 23, the show and auction opens to the public at 8am and closes around 6pm. A more detailed schedule is available online at CharlotteRacersExpo.com.
Tickets for the event are only $10 per day with $5 discount coupons available from various speed shops, chassis manufacturers and racing parts retailers across the region. A list of those locations is also available on the event website. All ladies are admitted free. Fans can also “like” the Charlotte Racers Expo on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @CLTRacersExpo for insider information, contests, freebies and discounts.
