Three lines of vehicles snake their way towards the open garage doors, exhaust fumes trailing on a bitterly cold morning.
The chugging conga line will run continuously till late in the day as more than 800 vehicles — cars, pick-up trucks, vans, SUVs, ambulances, emergency vehicles and heavy trucks — are sold in the public vehicle auction at Innisfil’s North Toronto Auction.
More than 1,000 bargain hunters register for each of the day-long sales held every third Saturday in a 26-acre fenced compound in the industrial area north of Innisfil Beach Road.
“Everyone brings a friend, so there are between 2,400 and 2,600 people milling about despite the freezing cold weather,” says North Toronto Auction’s Stuart Ralph. “In total, we had 870 sales — 850 vehicles and some other stuff including snowmobiles, even weed-whackers.”
North Toronto Auctions is where government vehicles (and weed-whackers) go when they’re no longer wanted by various levels of government.
“Our number one contract is the federal government and that encompasses all the departments — fisheries and oceans, RCMP, attorney-general and national defence,” says Ralph. “The province and the City of Toronto send vehicles here and we have contracts with Simcoe County, regional governments, police forces and all the townships around here.”
Outside, the auto lines, each about 10-vehicles long, are funneled into three passageways — lanes W, X and Y. In the auction building, three auctioneers, and their ringmen, take part in an awe-inspiring din of competing shouts, encourage the jam-packed crowd of buyers to buy this 2000 Malibu LS, this 1996 Acura or, over in lane Y, that 2000 Volvo S70.
In each lane, there are about 30 sales per hour and within minutes of the “sold” call, buyers are handed a package to take into the office, where they will stand in line for up to an hour to process the sale, pick up a temporary travel permit for their new purchase and pay North Toronto Auctions a buyer’s fee of $300, plus GST.
Whether you buy a $500 beater or top North Toronto’s highest-ever price of $174,000 for a Porsche, you still pay the $300 buyer’s fee.
Robert and Elaine Collicott of Barrie are happy with their purchase — a 1997 Mercury SUV. “I got it for $3,400,” says Robert. “That’s a good price.”
In addition to the eight harried clerks trying to process all those sales, North Toronto Auctions also provides day-long employment to about 35 regulars who drive the vehicles back and forth in those conga lines.
“I’m retired and I do this just to get out of the house, out of the kitchen,” says Innisfil’s Doug Kimpinski, as he pilots a white Ford van towards the gaping garage doors. “You’re not with Revenue Canada, are you?”
Even as the vehicles roll towards the auction block, would-be buyers walk alongside, making last-minute checks before getting in line and joining the bidding.
As with all auctions, everything is sold on an ‘as-is’ basis. There are no guarantees.
“You have to be careful to check out the cars,” says Rick Granner of Mississauga. “I’ve bought two cars here in the past and they didn’t need any repairs. But you should go to the preview days (the Thursday and Friday before each public auction) and check out the cars you’re interested in. Make notes and bid accordingly. Everything is buyer beware, but not all cars are junk.”
Today's Weather 
Clear and 23°C
Clear and 23°C
