I started looking online, picking up car magazines, and looking in the local Pennysaver. An ad hit my eye, " All wholesale cars $2000 and under...don’t have time to look for a good used car? Let a certified mechanic help you. Call Larry." So I called Larry. A very soft-spoken, polite, kind gentleman answered the phone. I was thrown back. I was expecting some slick mechanic type. I introduced myself and told Larry I needed a reliable car for my kid to go to work and college.

Larry had a few cars for us to look at in his friend’s garage, but we didn’t like the ones we saw. We did see a Dodge Shadow we liked in the same lot, told Larry we liked that car and that’s when it all began.

"Well I wouldn’t sell you that car. I don’t like the way it rides and you need a dependable car for your son. Let me look around more. I’m going back out to the auction on Wednesday."

"Auction? What do you mean? That’s where you get the cars from?"

"Yeah, I go every Wednesday to a dealers' auction up in Newbergh. If you tell me what kind of car you are looking for, and your price range, I can get it for you."

"Wow, I know this might be totally out of line...but is there anyway, my son and I can come with you? I know you have to make a profit on the cars and that is fine...but if he can just look at it the car first, it would be better."

To my surprise, Larry said "Sure. Meet me up there on Tuesday at noon. You’ll have to wait outside the lot for me. You're only allowed on the lot with a licensed dealer. Then you can look at over 2000 cars, pick the ones you want me to bid on, give me a price not to go above, and I’ll do the rest."

"Great! You also mentioned in your ad that you're a licensed mechanic...will you be able to check out the car?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I have kids and so I’d pick a car that I’d want for my kids. We’ll get your son a good car."

Wow, this was perfect. Now I had to work on phase two of the plan...how to make this a special gift. I knew that the relatives were all planning on giving Spencer cash. So I called and asked them if they’d all like to chip in and pay for the car. We could have one big card and all of us would sign it. They liked the idea. His granny and pop-pop on his dad’s side, my mom, his uncle Selo, my friend, Ashrita, and myself all chipped in to get him the car.

With finances in order...we arrived at noon on Tuesday at the Newburgh auction. We were amazed at all the cars... there was everything from limos to taxis to vans to sports cars.

Larry showed his dealers pass to the security guard.

The security guard looked at Spencer. "How old are you son?"

"17, sir."

"Okay, you can go in."

"What was that about Larry?" I asked.

"No one under 17 is allowed on the lot, dealers pass or not. And no more than two people can be with one dealer. This is not used car lot, they have lots of rules here". I felt privileged as if I was in an inside world.

We spent two hours looking at cars. We eliminated cars quickly by look and price. We finally settled on three cars; a four door, black, 1995 Chevy Cavalier with 48,000 miles; a two door, red 1998 Ford Escort with 97,000 miles and our favorite a 2002, bright yellow Chevy Cavalier with 53,000 miles. The type of yellow you can’t lose in a parking lot. We were able to drive the black car and the yellow car around. The red was locked because it had a removable radio.

We told Larry we would trust him to check out the red car mechanically before the auction the next day.

Larry had the prices of the cars that sold the previous week. He’d look up a similar car and tell us what it sold for so we’d have an idea of how much these cars might go for this week. We decided after looking at all the features in each car, that we wanted the yellow car first, the red second and the black car third. I told Larry the highest I wanted to go was $3000 for the yellow...and $1500 for the other two.

He asked, "Do I lose a car for $100 dollars?"

I said, "No, bid the extra hundred". Spencer smiled.

Larry explained there was only one risk factor at these auctions, as far as selection. "The black car comes up first, the red second and the yellow third. We can’t control that. If you wait for the yellow car and you don’t get it, you lose your shot at the other two cars. I can however try to grab hold of the dealer selling the yellow car before the auction and make a deal before it goes on the block."

"Yes, do that. Then we have better odds." I envisioned sneaking into the auction myself, passing as an auctioneer (heck, I’m a fast talker I can do that), bidding on the car myself and then running out of there. But the plan seemed to have some flaws, so I nixed that idea.

With wild dreams in check all we had to do was wait. The next day Larry would attend the auction and keep us in constant contact.

At 9 a.m. the next morning Larry called from the auction. I could hear the bidding in the background. ‘Fran, I spoke to the owner of the yellow car, even though a similar car last week sold for three thousand dollars he wants a minimum of five thousand or he’s pulling it from the auction. What do you want me to do?"

"Bid on the red car. If we don’t get it, bid on the yellow car up till $3,000 and see if he really pulls it." I felt like a wheeler dealer.

Twenty minutes later he called back, "The black car is coming up on the block, are you sure you don’t want me to bid on that one. It’s a good car. Once it’s gone, it’s gone." The clock was ticking.

"If you bid and we win you have to take it right?"

"Yes."

"Okay, pass." This was better than monopoly. Another twenty minutes passed and the red car was up on the block.

"Okay, Fran you want me to bid to win on this?"

"Do you think the yellow car will come down?"

"Don’t know for sure. He could be bluffing."

"Okay, bid to win for the red, but don’t go too over the price. You said a similar car last time went for $1450. Go to $2100." I heard a click. I knew he was bidding. I was pacing. I had just upped my budget on that car by $600. I wished I could be there. It was exciting and nerve racking at the same time. It didn’t even seem like real money. I envisioned a giant silver shoe kicking me in the butt.

I had never bid on eBay or at an auction, so this was very virgin territory. My mom used to go all the time to auctions when she owned an antique store...now I see why.

The phone rang, "The car is up to $2,100 and the bidding is fierce, do you want me to bid higher?"

"Ahhhh. Okay, go another $200." Maybe I’ll get a chance card and my rich uncle, who I don’t have, will leave me $200 bucks in his will. The Kenny Rodgers song, The Gambler popped into my head, "Know when to hold them, know when to fold them...know when to walk away, know when to run."
Well if I didn’t get him a car he would be running to work and after all it was just another $200. Was I making a mistake going beyond what I had said? Jeez I guess this is how gamblers get addicted.

Another call, "Fran, we got it for $2300"

"YES!" I immediately text messaged Spencer at work. "We got red!"

I asked Larry to let me know how much the yellow went for. The guy got $5200. I felt good I made the right decision. $5200 is a lot for a bumper car.

Larry and I met the next day, I gave him the cash, he picked up the car, registered it, put two new tires on it and we were good to go. I told him that I never thought buying a used car would turn out to be so much fun.

"You know Larry, you really should let more people know about your service. Do you have a website?"

He laughed, "Ma'am you may be the fastest talker, but your son beat you to the punch this time. His company, Prowebchoice.com is going to build a website for me using my company name.

"And what might that be?" I asked.

"Gas with Class."

I laughed. "I like it, funny and to the point."

That evening, I drove the car to Spencer’s job to pick him up. The look of surprise on his face was priceless...or actually worth, $3080.75 when all was said and done.

A quick week, a done deal, a great car, a new client...what more can you ask for in a used car!

Let the rides begin.