InThe $50 k – $100 k band—the gateway to “investment-grade” collector cars—quietly extended its post-pandemic run in the first half of 2025. Dollar volume, unit sales and sell-through all nudged higher even though consignors trimmed catalogues, confirming that demand at this price point remains both broad and price-sensitive.
Key Stats – $50-100K Tier (H1 2025 vs H1 2024)
Dollar volume reached $419 M (+1.7% YoY) on 5,949 sales (+2.3%) generated from 7,876 listings (-1.5%). That lifted the sell-through rate to 75.5%, reversing roughly half of the four-point dip we saw in 2024 but still sitting a well points below the 2021-2022 peak (when STR briefly touched the low-80s with a similar sale volume). In turn, given the reduced supply and increased sales for more money, average price held essentially flat at ≈ $70.5 k (-1 %).
Kissimmee supplied most of the absolute growth: volume rose 5 % on a nine-point jump in efficiency (to 76% STR) without a major catalogue expansion. Online platforms added the most incremental dollars (+6% volume) while pushing their STR past 57%, selling 3,229 cars—more than every live venue combined—even though they listed 1% fewer lots. Sales from live auctions (other than headline events) were essentially flat (-0.2% volume) with sell-through steady near 77%. Both Amelia–Miami and Scottsdale shrank by roughly a third in catalogue size and dollar volume but still achieved perfect 100 % clearance, underscoring how ultra-curated dockets can sell every car at this price point.
Liquidity, not price inflation, is powering the $50 k–$100 k segment. Consignors who right-size reserves—especially online or at high-energy live shows like Kissimmee—are moving metal quickly, while oversize catalogues see diminishing returns. With buyers proving willing to chase well-priced cars sight-unseen and curated live events maintaining perfect clearances, the tier looks set to hold its “high-throughput, flat-pricing” equilibrium through Monterey and beyond.
Top Markets
Using our CLASSIC.COM Market Benchmark*, we’ve analyzed over 5,000 individual markets** to pinpoint the top Growing and Slowing Markets so far in 2025 in the across five distinct value tiers: Over 1M, Between $500K-1M, Between $100K-500K, Between $50K-100K and Under $50K. To qualify for this list, a market must have more than one sold listing between January-June 2025.
Note: CMB is an indicator of how recent market activity has impacted typical market values. It does not guarantee individual vehicle appreciation.
Out of 394 individual markets that recorded at least one auction sale in the first half of 2025, 161 (≈ 41%) show positive six-month momentum. Gains concentrate in two sweet-spots: late-analog 1980s performance icons (15 of 28 names, +10% average L6M) such as the BMW M3 Evolution I and Land Rover OneTen Soft-Top, and driver-grade 1960s sports cars like the Nissan Fairlady Z S30 (several of which jumped well over 100 % on a single sale). At the opposite end, losses pile up among 1950s luxo-barges and high-maintenance modern exotics; the Porsche 997 GT3 Cup and BMW Alpina B12 each slid more than 35 % over the same window.
The data confirm that supply caps appreciation: markets with fewer than three H1 sales averaged +1.4% over six months, whereas those with three or more sales slipped -0.8%. Sales-weighted era figures show the only clear winners are the ’80s (+3.0%) and, to a lesser extent, the ’90s (+0.8%); everything older than the ’70s or newer than the early 2000s is flat to negative. That pattern feeds straight into the CMB: the tier-wide CMB is -3.4 % versus Q1 2024, yet the ’80s and ’90s pockets remain fractionally in the green. Notably, the top-decile growers averaged $92 k per sale—near the ceiling of the band—while the slowest decile clustered around $55 k, underscoring a price-point premium for scarce, higher-value lots.
Late-analog cars are having a moment. Think 1980s and ’90s driver’s cars and early-2000s exotics—raw, engaging, and now officially collectible as they cross the 25-year mark. But in thin markets, one big sale (or flop) can swing values fast. And buyers are getting picky: if a car is a pain to keep running or can’t be driven comfortably, it better have perfect history or super low miles. Otherwise, people will steer clear. Fun matters—but so does cost.
Top 10 Growing Markets
Top 10 Slowing Markets
*The CLASSIC.COM Market Benchmark (CMB) is a benchmark value for vehicles in a given Market based on data accumulated by CLASSIC.COM and calculated by a proprietary algorithm that takes into account volume and recency of each data point. CMB can be used to assess the performance of a market over a given time period. However, it does not represent the value of a specific vehicle.
** A Market on CLASSIC.COM is a grouping of comparable vehicles that have, at a minimum, the same Make, Model, and Model Generation. When relevant for purposes of valuation, a Market may be further segmented by Model Variant, Trim, Transmission Type, Body Style, and other factors.