1969 Munch Mammut to be auctioned at the Jan. 7-9, 2010 MidAmerica Vintage Motorcycle Auction. This Munch has a claimed 1,722 original miles.
January is right around the corner, and that means it’s time for MidAmerica Auctions’ annual, highly anticipated classic motorcycle auction in Las Vegas, Nev. The MidAmerica Las Vegas auction is widely seen as one of the most important auctions of the year, with many collectors viewing it as a barometer against which to gauge prospects for the coming year. The 2010 event is no different, with collectors around the country anxious to see how the market is holding up in an uncertain economy.
Although the economy has taken a beating over the past year, classic motorcycle values have held up fairly well. The high-end of the market has remained fairly stable, although so-called “near collectibles,” mostly Japanese bikes from the 1970s and 1980s, have seen a drop in interest. Overall, however, the market has remained quite healthy; if anything, the poor economy has actually increased interest in classic bike auctions as people look for safe havens of investment, something classic bikes have long represented.
The 1976 Yamaha TT500 we featured in the November/December 2008 issue belonging to Gordon Mizuhara will be looking for a new owner, one of a dozen or so Yamahas scheduled to cross the auction block.
MidAmerica anticipates a lineup up of around 500 bikes, plus memorabilia. The auction kicks off at 7pm on Thursday, Jan. 7 (doors open at 10am), and then continues all day Friday and all day Saturday. Admission to the auction is $15 a day; three-day passes are available for $30. There’s also an auction dinner on Thursday night.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to take in some short track racing on Friday and Saturday night, as the West Coast Flat Track Series debuts its 2010 season at the South Point Casino Arena adjacent to the South Point Casino where the MidAmerica auction will be held. Spectator gates open Friday and Saturday at 6:30pm, with the first race at 7:30pm.
If you’re in the greater Los Angeles area or have reason to be around Las Vegas, this is an auction not to be missed. Cool machines, interesting people, and it doesn’t hurt that it all happens in Las Vegas, where folks tend to let it all hang out.
More details on the race and the auction can be found at www.WCFTS.com and www.MidAmericaAuctions.com — Richard Backus