1,000 vehicles will be auctioned over three days in Schaumburg this weekend
For the seventh year in a row, Mecum Auctions will bring its “home game” Chicago show to the Schaumburg Convention Center Thursday through Saturday.
Though headquartered just north of the state border in Walworth, Wisconsin, Mecum Auctions has a large segment of its staff — including CEO Dave Magers — living in Chicago and its suburbs.
While some of the Mecum shows around the country exhibit regional distinctions in the vehicles they emphasize, Chicago's is more typical with its strong focus on '60s and '70s muscle cars, Magers said. This year's main attraction in Schaumburg will be the 1957 Chevrolet Corvette SRIII Chassis Serial No. 1.
A thousand vehicles will be featured during the three days of the auction, which can also be seen on NBC Sports Network.
“It's a great time, even if you're not in a buying or selling mode,” Magers said.
For many years before the move to Schaumburg, Mecum Auctions held its Chicago event in St. Charles. The Schaumburg Convention Center sets up very well and its connection to the Renaissance Hotel adds another layer of convenience, Magers said, though he wishes the exhibition floor was just a bit bigger to get all the vehicles inside.
Nevertheless, he said the village's early plans for a future parking deck should help overcome the loss of spaces caused by the auction's outside tented displays.
Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly said he's always loved the Mecum Auctions show, not only for his own interest in the cars but because of how well the event and its television broadcasts highlight what's going on in the village.
Among the things that make this show distinct, Magers said, is his ability to indulge such passions as his love for the Chicago Blackhawks and his alma mater, Illinois State University.
On Saturday, those who enter wearing Blackhawks or ISU garb pay only a $10 admission rather than the normal $30 and get $100 off bidder registration. Jim Cornelison, who sings the national anthem for the Blackhawks, will open each day of the auction that way.
Gates will open each day at 8 a.m. and close one hour after the last vehicle of the day crosses the block, whenever that is.
The vehicle auctions will start at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, and 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 25 and Saturday, Oct. 26.
The Schaumburg Convention Center is at 1551 N. Thoreau Drive in Schaumburg.
For more information, visit mecum.com/auctions/chicago-2019.