The LeMay museum's annual auctions cater to classic collectors of all types

Bidders and spectators look at the vehicles for sale at last year's LeMay car auction. (Richard Beatty)

When Sue Limbo attended her first LeMay car auction in 2007, she pictured herself buying a 1930s fixer-upper she could rebuild. But as she strolled through the rows of classics, something else called to her, and it was love at first sight.

Some of the high-end cars for sale at last year's Bonhams and Butterfields auction. (Richard Beatty)

"I bid on a '51 Nash," the Puyallup resident says. "Believe me, that was not the car I thought I'd buy. The body was in great condition, but the interior needed work and we had to drop in an engine. It has since won 10 trophies, and I couldn't be happier with it."

Next weekend's LeMay Car Show and Auction in Spanaway is expected to draw more than 6,000 car enthusiasts and collectors like Limbo -- people who are looking for fixer-uppers and parts cars from the auto museum's extensive collection. Every car sold is being spared from the crusher. Some have more rust than paint, and many have to be towed off the lot.

Bidding begins at last year's Bonhams and Butterfields auction. (Richard Beatty)

"This year is our 33rd car show, and we've been having auctions for the last nine years, since my dad passed away," says Doug LeMay, son of Harold LeMay, the collection's founder. "He owned a large number of cars in need of restoration, so we've been selling them at auction every year in an effort to get these cars in the hands of people who will use them."

Bidding starts at noon, but arrive early for the preview, which begins at 9 a.m.

"That gives everyone plenty of time to check out the cars, register with the auctioneer and ask the staff any questions," says Stacy Vogel, event and volunteer coordinator at LeMay. "In fact, even if you're not planning on buying, you should register just in case."

Just in case?

"More than once, people have arrived with no plan to buy, so they don't register," Vogel says. "Then they leave kicking themselves because they couldn't bid on that perfect car."

Bids vary widely depending on the car. Prices can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.

Janece Perry, of Harold Mather, Inc., the auction company that handles the LeMay auction, adds one more tip for bidders: "Know your limit and stick to it," she says. "It's easy to overshoot your budget in the excitement of an auction."

That advice is especially important for the Bonhams & Butterfields Collector Car Sale, a car auction that lies at the opposite end of the spending spectrum. It takes place next month in Tacoma and puts 50-60 fine classics from the LeMay collection and other consigners up for bid, fetching prices that can top $100,000.

The Bonhams & Butterfields auction attracts hundreds of spectators and serious bidders from around the globe. The world-class event is to next weekend's auction what fine Champagne is to beer. But first-timers shouldn't let the posh surroundings and cars intimidate; if you have the finances, you can bid.

Pat Estes, a self-described "hard-core car collector" in Tacoma, has attended both auctions.

"At the annual LeMay auction in Spanaway, the cars are in rough shape," he says. "At the Bonhams & Butterfields auction, they're in close-to-pristine condition -- between 7 and 9 on a 10-point scale."