Bring a Trailer king: The largest seller of interesting, odd and weird cars in America!

Welcome to another episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast.

Today’s guest is Andrew Glaser, Founder of Vantage Auto, sits down to share his insights into one of the most unique markets in the entire auto industry: classic and rare vehicles.

You can stream the full episode now on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple.

1. Early life.

Similar to many in the car industry, Andrew Glaser grew up in a dealership family. Although he was destined to join the business, he notes his mother would have preferred him to follow a different career path. Already familiar with entrepreneurship by the time he became an adult, Andrew started out in the hospitality field. However, he realized that his side hustle of selling used cars was more profitable than his other business ventures. In his early twenties, he would quit hospitality and join the car industry full-time.

2. Getting into classic cars.

It was around 2014 when Andrew joined the auto industry, starting off in wholesale. He notes that, at the time, being on that side of the business came with a lot of stigma. “I was a good person in a bad industry,” he remarks. But, since he came from outside the sector, Andrew was able to bring a fresh perspective, eventually transitioning the business from wholesale to retail. “Things really changed for us when COVID hit,” he notes. At the time, it was impossible to obtain inventory through normal avenues. So Andrew came up with an idea to take advantage of an entirely different market: “Let’s make it the goal to be the largest seller of interesting, odd, weird cars in America.” Selling collector cars would soon become his primary business, although he admits it was quite a gamble.

3. Sourcing inventory.

Andrew relies on a wide variety of sources to find interesting vehicles. While his buying team is always on the hunt for new opportunities, he notes that he has recently started to receive calls from sellers due to his reputation for paying a fair price. The cost of acquiring inventory can be quite high, he admits. “A lot of the cars we buy we’re paying full retail from dealers across the country, paying their dock fee, paying tax if we have to.” Andrew’s buying team is made up of employees working remotely across the country, who can choose to be paid a flat fee for each vehicle they find or a percentage of the net profit from the sale. When the vehicles sell at a loss, Andrew requires his employees to pay him back, although he notes that it’s extremely rare.

4. Digital sales.

While Vantage Auto owns physical storefronts, Andrew’s primary resource for selling online is through the digital platform Bring a Trailer, a vintage and classic car auction site on which he has sold roughly 1,400 vehicles. While it may not have the largest following, he believes that it has one of the best communities of collectors on the internet. Selling digitally also allows Andrew to turn cars around quickly, typically within one to two weeks, avoiding depreciation as much as possible.

Lotlinx - Get the best possible market advantage on every vehicle transaction. Optimize operations and boost profits using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Learn more at lotlinx.com.

DLRdmv - Everyone knows out of state titling is a major headache. It doesn’t have to be this way. Our friends at DLRdmv have created a program called DLR50 - A revolutionary approach to 50 state titling. With DLR50, your dealership now has 24/7 portal access to calculations, pre-filled forms, checklists, inquiries, plus white glove processing and specialist support. You can even acquire duplicate titles in all 50 states directly through the DLR50 platform! Visit www.dlr50.com/ to learn more.

CDG Recruiting - Building on the success of my industry job board, I’m launching CDG Recruiting — a more hands-on, white-glove automotive recruiting service. Our team has decades of experience and has successfully placed over 1,000 roles in the automotive industry. So if you’re ready to find your next rockstar employee, try CDG Recruiting today by visiting cdgrecruiting.com

5. The classic car demographic.

Andrew’s team specializes in modern classics, which he notes is intentional. “The bell curve of people that are coming into wealth are really in their thirties, forties, and early fifties,” he explains. This means that vintage cars, those made in the 50s or 60s, are too old for most consumers’ tastes. However, vehicles from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s are primary sellers for Andrew’s target demographic. “Whatever was cool when you were growing up,” he adds.

6. By the numbers.

Andrew’s business continues to grow, generating impressive profits. In 2023, it sold roughly 3,300 vehicles, making an average of $5,500 in retail gross profit per unit and $1,508 in wholesale gross profit per unit. This year, demand has slowed slightly, but the brand’s earnings and sales have remained stable. As of this August, the company had sold 1,329 vehicles, making $5,129 per unit on the retail side and $1,484 per unit on the wholesale side. Andrew adds that pricing collector vehicles is challenging since the value is less about what the car is worth and more about what a specific customer is willing to pay. “It’s hit or miss, we’re talking about cars that we can’t value.”

7. Marketing and social media presence.

Originally, Andrew hired a marketer to take professional videos of his vehicles and promote them on social media. Unfortunately, this strategy proved to be ineffective, as the posts failed to gain much traction. On a whim, he decided to post a short video of a car to his own social media. Despite not putting any effort into the content, his post went viral overnight. The vehicle he posted sold almost immediately, purchased by comedian and actor Gabriel Iglesias. Andrew continues to see success leveraging his personal accounts and making down-to-earth videos that quickly showcase the rare vehicles he acquires without unnecessary flair. “The cars are the stars,” he quips.

8. Other revenue streams.

In addition to selling vehicles, Andrew generates profit through selling warranties and other financial products. However, he clarifies that he only sells products that he himself believes in. While he admits that certain items like window etching can drive revenue for dealerships, he notes that most consumers will regret spending money on something they won’t benefit from. Andrew also offers customization options for certain models, which he goes to great lengths to keep affordable. 

9. Pros and cons.

The classic car segment is surprisingly resilient but challenging, with its own ups and downs. While he wouldn’t call it “recession-proof,” Andrew does believe his niche is more safeguarded from economic headwinds than the rest of the used vehicle market. This is due to the limited availability of the models he carries. Typically, consumers can go from dealer to dealer to find the best deal on the model they want. But with collector’s items of the sort carried by Vantage Auto, buyers usually only have one seller to choose from. That being said, when the economy is performing poorly, even wealthy buyers are likely to hold off on exorbitant purchases, leaving Andrew’s business just as vulnerable as other auto retailers. Another challenge Vantage Auto faces is finding employees who know how to value the unique vehicles it sells. Most buyers only have experience with general wholesale, making the recruitment process long and painful. Andrew recalls interviewing up to one hundred candidates for one position before finding the right fit.

10. Closing thoughts.

Andrew’s goal is to sell more of the vehicles he has come to feel so passionate about. One avenue for achieving this is hosting events. Car clubs, shows and other auto-focused meetups became extremely popular following the pandemic, bringing people together who love classic vehicles. Andrew plans to use these events to strengthen the car collector community and bring in more customers. He also hopes to be a resource for other used car dealers, many of whom he believes have yet to fully maximize their profit margins in the post-COVID economy.

Become an automotive insider in just 5 minutes.

Get the weekly email that delivers transparent insights into the car market.

Join 77,000 others now, it's free:

Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here.

Want to be considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here.