RADwood Launches Online Auction Site

If you didn’t already understand that cars from the 1980s and 1990s were coming on strong in today’s market, here’s your next wake-up call.

RADwood — that celebration of cool cars from the days of neon style and touch-tone dialing — has jumped into the online auction world alongside Bring a Trailer and Cars and Bids. Their site, RAD For Sale, will be open for business soon and will feature a laser focus on cool cars from the 1980s and 1990s.

In addition to that, they’ll offer other things deemed radical from the era — bikes, car parts, motorcycles, etc. If it screams nostalgia to Gen X or Millennial sensibilities, expect to see it listed on RAD For Sale. 

“As Gen Xers and Millennials have become more established, there has been a renewed enthusiasm for cars and culture of our youth,” said Art Cervantes, CEO and co-founder of RADwood and RAD For Sale in an interview with The Drive. “We have created RAD For Sale as a way for our community, and beyond, to continue to celebrate the RADwood Era in the virtual space. Have an ’80s or ’90s car and/or a period BMX bike you want to sell? RAD For Sale is the place to list it!”

The site was set to go live on March 1, but the date has been pushed back “to ensure our users have the best experience possible.” It’s not clear when they’ll be live with their first auctions, but you can expect the site to grow quickly among RADwood devotees — while the auctions may be new, this is already a known brand with a big following.

Listing fees range from $125 to $45, with a 4.5% buyer’s fee (minimum of $150 and maximum of $4,500). That’s nearly the same as Cars and Bids, which just notes a 4.5% fee and $4,500 max, and slightly cheaper than BaT, which has a $99 listing fee and a 5% buyer’s premium (with a $250 minimum and $5,000 maximum). 

What’s this mean for the market? More competition for the best ’80s and ’90s cars around, both at online auctions and land auctions, and even more focus on this emerging collector era.

If you’ve always secretly wanted a Porsche 944, a Volvo 242 GT, an E30 BMW or a Mitsubishi Starion, you’re going to see more of them highlighted soon — and I expect they’re all about to get just a little more expensive.