Five Questions
Greg Arnold – Director, Mecum Auctions Motorcycles
Almost without fail, the same thoughts drift through my mind when first entering the Mecum Las Vegas motorcycle auction. Year after year I’m forced to pause and take in the scope of it all – from endless rows of glowing classics to the ravioli at Don Vito’s, there’s not a bad spot to land. And while it would be all too easy to go on and on about the South Point Hotel’s vast and ample amenities, it has been and likely will remain the motorcycles serving as the main draw of this internationally attended event. Always good but becoming even better, Greg Arnold and the team at Mecum manage to cover nearly every era, class and subclass by rolling literally thousands of classics across that nationally televised stage to let the bidding begin. Some six-weeks out at the time of this writing, Mecum’s 2025 Las Vegas docket is filling nicely. Go here to view the lots.
Starting every day with the national anthem, Mecum uses a time-tested methodology of auctioning both memorabilia and motorcycles. Giving each item proper stage exposure while having just four days to move thousands of them over it cuts a fine line, but unsold lots are returned to display for another chance. Serving to preview what promises to be another incredible event, this interview (kindly arranged by Communications and Event Marketing manager David Morton) reveals Arnold’s history as a life long motorcyclist; one with a passion for vintage classics. Soft spoken but confident, Greg is quick to credit his team and the company’s vision. “We’re constantly trying to improve,” Arnold says. Frankly, I wouldn’t think it’d be possible, but the effort helps to explain how Mecum Las Vegas became the world’s largest vintage motorcycle auction.
Nolan Woodbury: Let’s start with the big show; following Mecum’s 2025 auction, when do preparations begin for the 2026 Las Vegas event?
Greg Arnold: “Earlier every year it seems, and it’s multi-faceted. When Vegas concludes, contacts made both during and after are filed, then followed up. That’s basically a year-round thing for both the bikes and cars, and a foundational part of the process. We usually begin taking consignments for the Las Vegas auction in August, after the Monterey event, but we’re looking at moving that back to July, given the numbers. Every auction is unique. Naturally, logistics plays a big part in scheduling. For example, working with overseas sellers means sufficient time must be allowed for offshore shipping. This has always been “iffy” so to speak, and more of a challenge in recent years, but we always get it done.”
NW: Mecum Las Vegas has become wildly popular and well attended. What do you think is the biggest contributing factor to that?
GA: “I’m not sure I can pinpoint one singular thing, but it always has been where the world meets to buy and sell antique and vintage motorcycles. There’s no question the South Point Hotel & Casino plays a huge role. As does being in Las Vegas when much of the country and world are dealing with winter. Obviously, the bikes themselves are a tremendous draw, thanks to the great many enthusiasts who are willing to travel and see them. It’s a people business, and over the years we’ve put in a lot of time and effort into establishing the contacts for not just motorcycles, but the vendors and others who support the event. Another critical aspect to Mecum’s success in Las Vegas is our ongoing dedication to customer service and building trust. Those are priorities, with one example being the tremendous reach and scope of Mecum’s in-house marketing team. Set up as a true archive and free to use (register with your email) Mecum’s website database details auction lots all the way back to 2012. Generating 17-to-20 million visitors per month, www.mecum.com provides valuable information on a vast number of different vehicles. Finally, we’ve simplified and streamlined the buying process, making it more enjoyable for everyone involved. Going back to the South Point again, both visitors and staff benefit greatly from being just an elevator’s ride away from a hot shower and a warm bed.”
NW: Online bidding is growing in popularity. Do you believe that will continue?
“I think it will continue to expand. We’ve always had phone bidding, and internet as well, as soon as that became a thing. We’ve sold many thousands of Road Art memorabilia lots online through our On Time platform, and in the early phases of offering any motor vehicles online-only. We’re a live auction company, and I don’t believe anyone would argue that watching the auction on a screen is better than experiencing it in person. Things happen and life can be unpredictable, so it’s handy to have the digital bidding option. There’s another aspect of the live event that’s important to mention, and that is by acting as the intermediary we’re able to control the experience, making the process far more secure and safer for everyone. Online only auction company sales can force buyers and sellers together. Frankly, we’re not comfortable with that.”
NW: Have classic Japanese superbikes eclipsed popular British twins like the Bonneville and Commando?
GA: (Chuckles) “Yeah I think so, in an overall sense, and the demographics seem pretty obvious. There’s probably a larger percentage of bidders in Las Vegas that dream of owning a CBX then a Norton, yet the high end British stuff has retained, or even increased in value. I’m thinking it was around 1973, or sometime in the early 1970s, and I had bought a new Sportster. Back then, the Harley was still a pretty hot bike, but one day I pulled in to park somewhere and saw the new Z1 – root beer brown, black engine. I remember thinking ‘it’s over’ for bikes like the XLCH, and as many of us witnessed, that’s exactly what happened. I can report that Japanese superbike prices hold steady, regardless, but supply and demand can and continues to have a profound effect on selling prices. For example, a few years back the Triumphs began selling at impressive figures, which resulted in (if I remember right) something like sixty-five Bonnevilles listed in the 2017 auction! We’ve found that pattern repeats itself.”
NW: Mecum has auctioned some impressive Moto Guzzis the last few years too. Original and restored, plus some very rare bikes.
GA: “I’d always wanted a Guzzi, so when we listed a beautiful, white 1968 V700 (home market color) I ended up buying it myself. This is probably a good place to explain that Mecum employees can bid on and sell motorcycles, but we have to pay all the normal fees, like anyone would.”
NW: If it could only be one, what single piece of advice would you give first time bidders, and sellers?
GA: “For bidders, know what your looking for, and how much you’re willing to pay. Knowledge is a valuable asset. Study the schedule, arrive early, stay late. Pretty clearly, we get things started early on auction day with lower priced items and memorabilia, and values increase as the day progresses towards higher priced items. For sellers? My advice is to consign early, be ready when your bike rolls onto the stage, and have as much information available as possible on what you’re trying to sell. Good, clear photographs are critical, and stuff like cell phone videos can be placed on the website along with the photos. See, something like this is so common and easy to do, not including a video of the bike running means buyers might assume it doesn’t. It may seem odd to say, but in my experience it’s surprising the lengths some sellers will go NOT to sell.”
NW: So many talk about the headlining, ultra-exclusive, mega-dollar exotics, but ignore the incredible bargains that happen every year.
GA: “Bargains for buyers and home runs for sellers, every auction MUST have both. If you don’t have both, you don’t have an auction.”
Mecum – 34th Annual Vintage and Antique Motorcycle Auction
January 29th – February 1st, 2025
South Point Hotel & Casino
9777 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89183
https://www.mecum.com/auctions/las-vegas-motorcycles-2025/
