Kruse made his discovery 20 years ago, when as a young real estate auctioneer in Auburn, Ind., he was approached by the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber was losing $4,000 a year running the local Cord Duesenberg Club's annual reunion and wanted Kruse to help auction off some donated items to defray expenses. "I'm a third-generation auctioneer," Kruse explains. "My father said, `Why don't we sell the cars?'" A letter to club members brought in 73 responses, the Kruses did some advertising, and on the morning of the auction, they found the roads blocked by 30,000 people.

"They came for the cars. But they also ate all the food in every restaurant in Auburn, all the food in every store, every food locker," recalls Kruse. "We knew we were on to something." Before long, car auctions had created a new investment market in the classics. Last year, Kruse International knocked down 13,750 cars for $375 million, with an average of four bidders for every car. It held 50 auctions around the world; 150,000 people alone attended the now-annual Auburn event.