Silver Auctions stirs up Reno again
Silver Auctions and Reno’s Hot August Nights fell out publicly and protractedly in 2010 and 2011 (see Hemmings Classic Car issues #81, 82 and 83), with Silver moving out of town to Carson City for a couple of years while they faced an injunction against holding a competing event. At the time, Mitch Silver said he would be back at the Reno Events Center in 2012 with a new auction two weeks ahead of HAN, but that’s changed with a new plan to go head-to-head with HAN.
The Reno Journal Gazette reported last night that Silver had filed an application with the county to use Reno’s Bartley Ranch Regional Park from August 7-13 for an auction scheduled for August 10 and 11. That’s right in the middle of HAN, with the HAN-associated B&T auction running August 9-12.
HAN officials are not happy. While Silver can now legally hold an auction in Reno in August, according to HAN’s Roxanne DeCarlo, “The bottom line is, Mitch decided to walk away from the auction… that was his choice.” While Mitch Silver has previously offered a competing version of the events of the last two years, HAN has called on more than 500 volunteers, board and staff members to protest today’s city council meeting. They’re not offering a legal challenge; instead, “We’re hoping the city council show favor to the event that’s been in Reno for 26 years,” Roxanne said.
The meeting is at 10 a.m. Mountain Time today, and we should have updates and photos later this afternoon.