Most automobile and motorcycle collectors already know that Mecum Auctions is one of the largest, most active vehicle auction companies. But leading up to their big sales, how does all that auction inventory come together?
How are sellers and buyers brought together, and motor vehicles passed from one collector to the next? To understand, I flew into Bismarck, North Dakota, and met up with Greg Arnold and Craig Mallery, who are the key guys in Mecum’s motorcycle auction program. They were in town to work with Lee Mitzel, a motorcycle collector interested in getting some space back in a few of his buildings that now hold approximately 600 machines.
Packed with great motorcycles
It wasn’t easy doing a walk-through because Mitzel has his bikes placed very close together. But I saw some great motorcycles, and wondered how Mitzel decides what stays and what goes — that decision is always tough. One of the beauties of Mitzel working with Greg Arnold and Craig Mallery is that they have a strong working knowledge of collector bikes. They know what was hot last year, what may have been over-represented, what might need another year or two to mature in value, and what’s not quite ready to go to market. This sort of savvy can keep collectors like Lee Mitzel in a safe place, ensuring that his hard-earned money, now invested in old bikes, is well protected.
After some discussion and crawling around the machines, taking note of Lee’s interest in keeping or selling, Greg Arnold was at the ready to attach a distinctive white plastic tag to indicate a given bike was heading to auction. Tagged bikes were then moved to an area convenient for collection by Haul Bikes, Mecum’s favored transporter. This was Craig Mallery’s cue to make his way toward that machine, photograph that tag, which now had a number on it, photograph the serial numbers on the bike’s head stock and those on the engine, and make a couple of quick overall photographs that would all become part of his auction motorcycle database.
It was two days’ work to pull around 100 motorcycles and get them logged and ready for Haul Bikes to come in and carefully load them and transport them to the Las Vegas warehouse. This is another service that Mecum Auctions offers — transportation and storage until the late January 2026 auction. “Turnkey” is the best way to describe just what you can get from Mecum Auctions. They’ll help you decide which bikes are best sold at a given time, they’ll get them to the sale site, and they’ll represent them well with photographs, and possibly even videos. Mecum produces a 300-word write-up and will aggressively promote the sale months before it takes place.
As you look through photographs in the story, you may get the feeling that Lee Mitzel collects only Japanese bikes from the ’70s and ’80s, but, in fact, he has a taste for early American machines as well. These are his keepers — motorcycles that he has bought, not just at the sale in Las Vegas, but also at other Mecum Auctions, and even automobile sales that also include 50 to 100 motorcycles. A lot of car collectors have decided that a few motorcycles in their collection adds interest, but this has been going on for at least 10 years.
In these few days with Arnold and Mallery, I learned the Mecum process and the relative comfort a seller enjoys. I decided to sit down with Greg and Lee and ask them a few questions about how things go. Lee has been buying bikes at Mecum sales for many years, and he has also sold parts of his collection there. After buying voraciously for years, he’s ramped up to also selling 100+ machines a year, even more in 2026.
Limited storage — new bikes in, old bikes out
Simple math says if you have a defined amount of storage space, you can fit a certain number of motorcycles into that space. For one collector, the limit is about 600 motorcycles. Shocked? He’s among quite a few motorcycle lovers who have a habit: continually buying motorcycles. Luckily, there’s an easy solution this collector has for getting some space back: mass liquidation — working with Mecum Motorcycle Auctions… so more bikes can be bought.
Lee Mitzel has a passion for great old motorcycles. He is seen at many motorcycle auctions, and you may see him buying or selling the absolute finest Japanese bikes and fine American antique bikes as well. Lee’s collection includes a Pope, a Pierce 4, Indians, Harleys, Triumphs, and many other brands. Lee, you might say, is a connoisseur of near-perfect, low-mileage motorcycles, but especially Japanese bikes from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. He’s also speculating about the future of the Honda Rune and certain anniversary Harleys, so a few bikes are even newer. Of the hundreds of bikes in his collection, maybe half a dozen are less than perfect.
To meet with the two experts from Mecum Auctions, Greg Arnold and Craig Mallery, I flew to Bismarck, North Dakota, near Mitzel’s home and collection. Greg warned me about what I was about to see. “He has hundreds of bikes in a few locations, and they are packed so tight a business card barely fits between them.” Later, Mitzel added, “Footpegs and handlebars are nested, one bike to the next.” Lee is an efficient storer!
Collections and how Mecum sells them
I learned that Mecum works with collectors like Mitzel, people who are known in the collecting world, to heighten the importance of a group of bikes by promoting it as, in this case, the Mitzel Builders Motorcycle Collection. Typically, a “collection” is 20 or more bikes, grouped for the January sale in Las Vegas. The website, printed literature, and the sequence of lots sold are synchronized. Mitzel’s bikes will be displayed together at the sale, and travel to the auction stage in sequence, so bidders who know the quality of his bikes can easily participate.
The walkthrough
Upon arrival, there was a walkthrough so Greg and Craig could discuss with Lee what he wanted to sell, but there was considerable exchange regarding timing consignments against market forces and trends. In 2025, over 20 Kawasaki triples and many Z1s showed up for sale and did well. But will that cue restorers to build and consign some great bikes, and might we see a glut of these bikes in 2026? That’s something Greg and Craig discuss with Lee that impacts selection decisions.
As we walked around, Lee showed us some of the machines that he thinks he wants to sell. He’s looking for a total of about 150 machines from his collection of Harleys and Japanese bikes of every ilk.
I can’t say enough about the overall quality of Mitzel’s bikes and what he chooses to collect. There’s an early Honda CL450, the high pipe scrambler, half a dozen Sandcast CB750s, 12 CBXs, 1979 and 1980, and later, the range of Suzuki GS750s, 1000s, 1100s, 1150s, even a fine Wes Cooley replica, and several fine GT750s and GT550s, too. I get down close to examine, and all these machines are absolutely exquisite. The engine cases, the carburetors, the gauges, the paint, chrome, cables, and upholstery all make you feel you’re looking at a machine that’s just been rolled out of the crate contemporary to its manufacture. Though Mitzel occasionally buys a bike and hands it off to a trusted friend for restoration or a bit of tidying up, for the most part, his taste is for perfect low-mileage original machines; bikes needing no more than a battery, perhaps. I was amazed by what I saw while slipping through the closely packed bikes.
Lee Mitzel is an uncompromising collector, buying only the best, and if that means paying a bit more when he buys at auction, so be it. Of course, that also means the upcoming January Mecum auction in Las Vegas will feature about 150 motorcycles from the “Mitzel Builders Motorcycle Collection,” all in fine running condition and looking absolutely superb. As we walked through the shop, we had to be careful of extension cords running everywhere to power up the battery maintainers. Mitzel insists on having at least 30 machines ready to ride immediately. These bikes he also takes to meets where he enjoys winning awards. As we worked, he would randomly turn an ignition key and punch the starter button, bringing the machine to life instantly.
How to choose which bikes to sell when?
Lee offers, “Part of what’s helpful in the process is that the Mecum guys have ready in their brains prices that bikes have been bringing over the years and can make me feel comfortable that what’s being pulled out is going to sell well, that it’s trending so to speak, or they might politely tell me its value has gone flat, so I keep it. It’s Greg and Craig that both know the pulse, their finger is on what’s hot, what’s a little flat, so that’s a factor in pulling bikes to sell.” Lee pulled out an orange Honda CB550F, the four-into-one exhaust Super Sport. Lee asked Craig Mallery, “Maybe that’ll get sold adjacent to the 750 Super Sport? The Flake Orange bike? Beautiful.”
More on timing the sales, Lee offers, “Well, we watch the market on eBay, we watch Bring a Trailer, we watch Mecum Auctions of the past, we ask a lot of questions. We ask what Greg and Craig think would be selling well. I’m not always right. Picking bikes to sell, they give me good direction. They say maybe we should save this one for a year or two, and we’ll pull this one instead. They’re very helpful with their knowledge; it’s a great deal of experience they have. Selling at no reserve, they get the job done for you.” Pointing at two beautiful Yamahas, Mitzel continues, “They have not gotten any good money yet, so we wait on Yamaha FJs, and that’s too bad. Underappreciated. I don’t know what the hell happened. That’s a pretty one there, I’d like to get it out of here.” So, we move a lot of bikes, and just behind the FJs, pull out the low-mileage Suzuki GSXR1100, and it gets tagged by Greg and documented by Craig.
“We sold 104 motorcycles last January [2025], and I’m very pleased with Mecum, the way they handled the sale. There were only four motorcycles that didn’t sell at the Las Vegas auction, and we moved them on to Glendale, Arizona, and they were sold there. And with the way they handled 104, I’m gonna try to put in about 180 this year. They’re here to help me right now. I’m very grateful for the help I’m getting.”
The database keeps things organized
On day two, more bikes were tagged and given a temporary file number, 1-150. Craig takes the tag number and starts a spreadsheet that also has photos of the frame and engine numbers, plus a couple of quick identification shots. Later, the bikes will be shipped to storage in Las Vegas. The quality photos are taken there, and the 300-word write-ups are created. The photos and descriptions populate the Mecum website and illustrate their big, printed brochure that they mail to thousands of past customers.
Backing up a bit, I asked Craig and Lee their thoughts on Mecum’s general care and honesty in dealing with consigners like Mitzel. “Dana said that if you want to be in business next year, you gotta be honest this year.” I also asked Greg and Lee about the January timing of the Las Vegas sale and why it works. Lee offers, “You know why it’s good that it’s in January in Vegas, when you think about it, Mecum Auctions is always in Las Vegas in January, and it’s cold in many parts of the country, including Canada. It’s cold. It’s cold, of course, in North Dakota. So, it’s pretty easy to talk your wife into going to an auction sale in Las Vegas to buy a motorcycle, and they make a vacation out of the trip at the same time. It’s just perfect timing. A lot of us are busy in the summertime with family things. I’ve been a contractor all my life, but even for farmers and tradesmen, things are quieter for them in the winter. We can get away. Mecum’s got perfect timing.”
Documentation requirements in Nevada
I asked Greg about bike paperwork, documentation, and what happens with bikes that don’t have titles. Should people try to sell those through the auction, or what’s a good approach? Greg offered, “For motorcycles that are not titled, we have a couple of avenues. Competition motorcycles, strictly offroad motorcycles, we can sell on a bill of sale. Many of them did not have titles when they were new. We can also sell motorcycles produced before 1945 with a bill of sale, no formal title. Otherwise, any street-legal motorcycle produced after 1945 has to have a title in the seller’s name. We are required by law that whoever’s name is on the front of the title is our seller. They need to keep that in mind. Get the title in your name. If a title doesn’t exist for a motorcycle which we require a title for, we can help steer you toward different legal avenues that you might be able to go through to obtain a title. But the title is the seller’s responsibility. Some states just have no provision for a motorcycle that has no paperwork to title it. It’s nearly impossible. Sometimes Saints Titles in Tennessee can help.”
How does the collection sale approach work?
“Mecum is a good match for selling large numbers of motorcycles because we have the venues to move a large number of motorcycles. Every January, of course, is the obvious one in Las Vegas. It’s the only all-motorcycle auction we have, with approximately 2,000 motorcycles. So that means we can fit large collections in without burying the other bikes people consign. People who want to consign a collection, a large number of bikes, contact me, Greg Arnold. I’m the director of the motorcycle division, or Craig Mallery, the consignment agent for the motorcycle division. We can help. We work with people like Lee Mitzel, but with smaller collections as well.”
Greg explains more about sale logistics, noting who is responsible for transporting the consigned bikes to the auction site in Las Vegas and storing them. “Transportation of collections, a large number of motorcycles, of course, takes a special company. We use Haul Bikes generally, sometimes Schumacher Cargo Logistics, but we will handle the contact on our end, and the scheduling for the consigner. Most people know that Mecum has 12 sales a year across the country. We have motorcycles at every location where we have a car auction. There are always motorcycles, but the number of motorcycles varies. The strong sales are the Kissimmee auction early in January, with about 150 motorcycles. Next would be Glendale, Arizona, a little later, on towards the spring. That one always draws a good number of motorcycles, 80 to 100. Then next up is our Indianapolis auction around Memorial Day. That one will draw 100 motorcycles as well. After that, our Monterey, California, auction in August takes place on the Pebble Beach Concours weekend, and we’ll have 75 to 100 bikes there. But after that, we’re pretty much turned towards Las Vegas. Las Vegas just happens sooner than you ever think as far as consignments and gathering each bike’s information, like make, model, year… all the paperwork, mechanical condition, and then photography after it arrives in Las Vegas.
What work does the customer have to do?
“The short answer is we need year, make, and model. For a general description, we will put that together — the bullet points to present on the website — but the consignor can give us material to work with as long as it can be substantiated. For cataloging, we have professional staff writers who will write approximately 300 words about each bike. What gives comfort and assurance to those bidding at a distance, not on site, is that they will have access to the information, plus excellent-quality photos. We can also do a FaceTime call with a bidder that’s interested in a particular bike and go over a motorcycle, answer their questions, and get a closer photograph or a video for them. But like any auction, it’s “as is, where is,” though we will stand behind the buyer if anything is misrepresented. But the buyer has to do their own due diligence, and they have to bid according to the information they have.
What’s next?
“We have an annual storage arrangement that runs through February to service the January Las Vegas motorcycle auction. A collection like Lee Mitzel’s will be transported to Las Vegas and stored at the warehouse. Later, if somebody can’t immediately pick up the bike they bought, it can sit there through February. They do have to be out of the Southpoint, where we have the auction. If the buyer wishes, there’s a removal fee, and that includes a week of free storage at the Haul Bikes shipping facility. After that, they start charging for storage.”
Estate planning
I asked if Mecum can help when a collector is doing estate planning or simply “getting his things in order.” Greg Arnold explained, “Sure. We also offer an arrangement for people who are planning their estate. They are not ready to sell yet, but they know their motorcycles are going to have to be sold at some point; they’re just not quite ready yet. They can continue to enjoy them, but we will set up an agreement that can be executed whenever the seller decides, or his heirs decide. It’s a standing deal we put together that lays down the terms of the agreement, what the commission is, and how transportation is going to be handled. It’s reassuring for people who are trying to plan for the disposition of their estate, but don’t want to sell their motorcycles yet.”
Of course, Lee Mitzel is an outsized collector and not typical of Mecum’s customers, but Greg and Craig are on the road about 140 days a year working with customers and producing the auctions. From here, they’ll check in with a person who has about 20 British bikes. He’s considering consigning, but figures it will be a few years off. There will be discussion of creating an agreement that can be executed at any time that the collector feels he needs to act and reduce his collection. Another visit will be someone ready to disperse 180 British bikes to new owners. In this case, the widow of a big collector will be given comfort that her late husband’s bikes will be sold through Mecum’s careful systems, and she’ll be assured of optimum proceeds.
After Greg and Craig finish in the two large storage buildings, Craig is off to go through about 25 bikes in a very long trailer, squeezing in and out of packed motorcycles, getting photos of the bikes, all of which will be sold, and adding them to the Mitzel Builders Motorcycle Collection spreadsheet.
Though I’ve been to over a dozen Mecum Motorcycle Auctions in Las Vegas and been part of consigning and paying for bikes with the Mecum staff, I learned a lot from Greg Arnold, Craig Mallery, and Lee Mitzel in my days working with them. I think we all know there are some risks involved with selling at auction, but I witnessed and learned that Mecum’s system gives sellers and buyers assurances, with a lot of history and refinement. They will work to make both buyers and sellers happy, encouraging them to return year after year. MC
If you have one or more motorcycles you are considering selling through Mecum Auctions, contact:
- Greg Arnold, Director, Mecum Auctions Motorcycles, Email: GArnold@Mecum.com, Phone: 815-382-8284
- Craig Mallery, Mecum Auctions Motorcycle Consignment Agent, Phone: 262-275-4277
- Mecum.com
