LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -

The delicious chicken wings and cold beer you might have enjoyed for Super Bowl Sunday likely are long gone, but Black Book’s experts are seeing the potential for something tasty cooking at the auction, with values declining at a pace much higher than seen before the pandemic.

After considering the data Black Book shared in its newest Market Update on Tuesday, you can be the judge if what’s on the possible wholesale menu will be to the delight of dealers or consignors.

Black Book reported the rate of week-over-week declines accelerated during the stretch that concluded the day before the Super Bowl, “exceeding the typical seasonal expectations for this time of year.”

Last week, analysts said overall wholesale values dropped 0.67%, nearly double the pre-COVID average decline of 0.36%.

In the latest report, Black Book said, “Volume in the auction lanes seems to be picking up, but that could be due to the large number of no-sale vehicles over the last several weeks. Witnessed sell rates ranged from 13% to 85% last week.

“According to remarketers, floor prices have finally started to drop and will continue to at least for this upcoming week,” analysts continued. “Independent dealers, franchise dealers and rental companies have all been competing for the best quality inventory that the downstream wholesale market has to offer.

“With floors dropping and competition increasing, it smells like a recipe for spring-market success, at least where auction houses are concerned,” Black Book added.

On a volume-weighted basis, analysts determined that car segment decreased more than the overall market, sliding by 0.84% last week. Car prices decreased by 0.53% a week earlier.

With nine car segments declining, Black Book said values for the prestige luxury car segment led the way at 1.51%, with values for midsize cars (down 1.08%) and near luxury (down 1.02%) also sustaining price declines exceeding 1%.

While still dropping, values for subcompact cars are staying the strongest in Black Book’s tracking with price softening of just 0.26% and 0.23%, respectively, during each of the past two weeks.

Not quite as robust as the overall decrease, Black Book indicated truck values on a volume-weighted basis declined 0.58% last week, topping the decrease of 0.47% registered a week earlier.

Analysts mentioned that 12 of the 13 truck segments posted value decreases with the lone one to move higher has done it for more than a year.

Values for those full-size vans rose another 1.00% last week, as Black Book pointed out that the segment has averaged a weekly increase of 0.66% over the past year.

Minivans sustained the steepest value decline among trucks last week, dropping by 1.13%, according to Black Book.