Beginning April 1 there will be a new venue in the area to independently sell your used recreational vehicle, car, truck, motorcycle, boat, all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile.
That's the opening date for Private Party Sales, a used-car lot that will function like a local eBay for vehicles.
"The concept is to get all the vehicles in one place," said Cameron Fryer, who is leasing the lot from neighboring Bullyan RV Center, at 4956 Miller Trunk Highway in Hermantown. "We're looking to accept any currently licensed, insured vehicles in good condition," he said.
A person who wants to sell a vehicle can drive it to the lot, and leave it there Thursday through Sunday, April through November, Fryer said. The lot will be closed Monday through Wednesday.
A sheet with the owner's phone number and other details about the vehicle will be placed on each vehicle. Between Thursday and Sunday, potential buyers can peruse all the vehicles on site, free of sales staff.
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For sellers, it creates a standard, public location to shop for a used vehicle. Fryer said he plans to be at the site at all times it is open, and will lock the gate at night.
"You see cars parked on boulevards and shopping malls," Fryer said. "This is just a venue to gather them all in one place."
No, the owners are not allowed to hang around their vehicles to make sales pitches.
"It's going to be advertised as no-hassle," he said.
Fryer will charge sellers $25 a week to place their vehicles on the lot, or $40 a week for sellers of RVs. Fryer will not receive commissions on sales.
Fryer said he has seen similar used-car lots in California, where he once lived, and in the Twin Cities, but said this is the first one he has heard of in the Twin Ports.
The concept of communal lots has taken hold in bigger cities with higher crime rates, Fryer said.
"A lot of people were uncomfortable advertising a car, and having people come to their house," he said. Though he doesn't think homeowners here are worried about that, he still believes the other benefits will make using his site a popular option for buyers and sellers.
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The idea did cause some concern from Hermantown planning and zoning commissioners, said John Klaers, Hermantown city planner and zoning director.
"There was a lot of skepticism about it. We really weren't sure what this was all about," he said. "The thing we feared the most is it would turn into a flea market."
After the commission was assured by Fryer that the site would be used only for selling vehicles in good condition and had proper oversight, they approved a permit for this year, with the intention of reviewing it before renewing the permit for future years, Klaers said.
