CLASSIC CARS TO GO ON SALE THIS WEEKEND

When Sherm Smith held his first antique car auction four years ago, 3,000 people were on hand as 160 cars went across the auction block during the one-day sale.

"We sold 40 percent of the cars that day," said Smith, of Dexter. "We were pleased. That falls within the 30-to-50-percent range of many major antique car sale companies."

That was in 1994.

Since then Smith, owner of Smith Auction Co.'s Classic and Collector Car Auction, has conducted a number of classic- and collector-car auctions attracting crowds of up to 5,000 and as many as 300 cars.

He was in Cape Girardeau Wednesday to announce an antique car auction to be held this weekend at the Show Me Center on the Southeast Missouri State University campus.

"This will be the largest auction yet," said Smith. "We'll have more than 325 cars. Buyers and sellers will be here from a number of states -- California, Florida, Michigan -- and Canada."

Also flying in for the auction will be a businessman and major car collector from the Cayman Islands.

The Saturday-Sunday auction will be the third annual show at the Show Me Center for Smith.

"We held our first sale here in 1995," said Smith. "Last year we had more than 300 cars and 5,000 people. This year's event should top that."

The doors open at the Show Me Center at 8 a.m. each day with the auction starting at 10 a.m.

"A lot of cars are already stored here for the auction," said Smith, who brought five units in Wednesday afternoon, including a 1951 white Cadillac convertible, a 1956 Buick convertible, and a 1941 two-door Ford coupe.

More cars will arrive today and Friday.

"Cape Girardeau is a permanent site for an annual auction," said Smith. He said he hopes to make the Cape Girardeau event one of the biggest car auctions in the Midwest.

Smith also conducts annual auctions at Jonesboro, Ark., and Columbia.

The Jonesboro auction was held in April. The Columbia event will be held in November.

Smith also hopes to add Murray, Ky., to the circuit in 1998.

"We want to conduct four auctions a year," he said.

Gene Radcliffe, an antique car auctioneer and winner of the 1995 Auctioneers World Championship, will serve as auctioneer.

"Radcliffe is known throughout the country for his classic-car auctioneering," said Smith.

A year ago small T-Birds were in the spotlight; this year it is Chevy Corvettes.

"We'll have as many as 20 Corvettes in the auction," said Smith. Also plentiful this year will be 1956 and 1957 Chevy convertibles.

One antique car buyer and seller -- Randy Blythe of Fort Smith, Ark. -- will bring in 24 cars for the auction, said Smith.

During the past two years we have sold 50 to 60 percent of the vehicles in the sale, said Smith.

Some sellers do put reserves on their cars, but "we'll have a number of vehicles with no reserve," said Smith. This means they will sell regardless of the final bid."

"We'll have cars here that will go from $1,000 to $60,000," he said. "We'll have some rare cars, lots of antique and collectible vehicles, muscle cars, and some street cars."

Admission fee is $6 for adults and $3 for children. A fee is normal for large antique-car auctions, he said.