You could easily get the impression these days that auctions dominate the collector car news. The business just keeps growing and growing, with more new events regularly announced in every country where enthusiasts buy and sell classic autos. While auction companies love to quote total sales (profitable for them, of course) and boast of phenomenal numbers paid for rare classics, the little guy gets left out as the selling price of undistinguished cars that should be affordable gets jacked up by all the hype. To the uninvolved observer it seems a little crazy, but eventually a changing world economy should bring prices back to reality. Meanwhile Gooding & Company, whose Pebble Beach auction broke records in August, has announced its intention to participate in the Scottsdale classics week, January 14-20. The company has chosen a convenient downtown site adjoining Scottsdale Fashion Square, home to a number of upmarket shops and restaurants and only a few blocks from the Arizona Biltmore where RM holds its annual affair. With two quality auctions being held in the heart of the city, will Barrett-Jackson find itself mired in the mud?