When Roger Judski of the infamous dealership that bore his name, Roger’s Corvette Center, made the announcement to retire in April, I don’t think any casual observer knew just how many Corvette parts (both classic and modern) he had amassed during the six decades of serving our community. As the no-reserve BaT auction started to gain traction and go viral, and the hundreds of parts pictures began to circulate around the internet, the excitement was palpable. In my exclusive interview with the buyer, I was surprised to hear he wasn’t too thrilled at first–more on that in a moment! [Author’s Note: This article is FREE and not behind a paywall. Yes, FREE! If/when any pop-ups appear, please click to dismiss them and continue enjoying the article. One may require two steps–first, the arrow on the left, then the x on the top right.]
When CorvSport began our coverage mid-auction last Wednesday, only a handful of hopeful opportunists had placed bids, and this remarkable collection of Corvette parts was sitting at $11,000 with just 8 bids. But as the hours and days moved towards the Saturday closing, those who were watching the auction witnessed the internet auction version of Ali vs. Frazer, with big-gloved heavy hitters like C&S Corvettes and Crane Corvette Supply entering the big-dollar ring. After the cuts were treated and blood wiped away, one man was left standing following the Corvette community’s version of the “Fight of the Century.” It was truly amazing to watch these enthusiasts duke it out in real time.
What’s Inside This CorvSport Exclusive
- Meet The Buyer, Tom Payne
- The Final Auction Stats
- CorvSport’s Roger Judski Archives
- Pictures & Details From The Historic Roger’s Corvettes Parts Collection
This juxtaposition between the heydays of Roger’s Corvette Center and now is worth sharing before we dive in. I have been to Roger’s beautiful, spacious showroom numerous times and had no idea what parts lay in the crevices of his large compound.
What the expansive lobby looks like now.
1) Meet The Buyer, Tom Payne
As the auction progressed and I got sucked into the excitement and drama, I knew I had to meet the man who went toe to toe with the heavy hitters, so reached out to him after the lights dimmed and dust settled. But first, let’s get the obvious question out of the way–how much did Tom have to pay to acquire this extensive, decades-long-in-the-making parts collection?
$143,000!
Dayum! This is the figure many at the beginning of the auction thought it would take to have the honor of taking home a piece of Roger’s Corvette Center–a piece of Corvette history that will bring smiles to enthusiasts for decades–smiles because they finally found that hard-to-find part for their classic. It’s worth mentioning that we weren’t compensated by Tom’s company, Vette Masters out of Virginia Beach, but if the Vette passionate team at CorvSport can help just one enthusiast in our audience find that rare Corvette part, we too are smiling.
Before I called Tom this week, I did a little “journalistic digging” and the first thing that stood out was an exchange he had with a Facebook lead, where it was very apparent with his attentiveness that customer service was important to him–and came naturally. I discovered that Vette Masters is a true family business, with many members taking part in the fun. During our phone call, I learned Tom is a soft-spoken mid-60s Christian who wears his faith proudly, and his BaT and eBay username, jhn317, speaks to his faith. John 3:17 is actually his company scripture, with the theme of love flowing through what can be a tedious and trying industry.
One of my favorite questions to ask when given an interview opportunity like this is: “How did you get into the business?” Tom’s answer came quicker than most, and was shorter, as he simply remarked, “My mom and dad told me to do something I enjoy” then he went on to jokingly say it’s probably the only parental advice he followed. Like many of us enthusiasts, Tom was into cars from a young age, and it did not take long for his Corvette love affair to launch… “I was always into Corvettes.” Tom’s love affair led him to not only supply parts for enthusiasts but also to create and manufacture exact reproduction fiberglass Mid-Year front ends (among other unique products).
When the auction launched, Tom wasn’t even aware of the historic collection until two buddies in the business reached out and were like, “Woah, have you seen this auction?!?” At first glance, Tom wasn’t thrilled. But this is where the professionalism and salesmanship of the seller, Fuelieguy, entered the picture. The seller, George, had known Roger for decades, and in addition to the numerous pictures, stepped up his auction game and provided three YouTube preview videos.
The potential of this collection began to brew inside, and before long, Tom had a partner who was eager to jump into the opportunity. And as they say, the rest is history. In line with Tom’s gracious nature, he invited me to meet him, his partner, and the seller George (Fuelieguy) at Roger’s old showroom in the beginning of June.
Although these parts are weeks away from landing in Tom’s warehouse, he did want to give the community an opportunity to reach out before the parts officially land on his eBay page and the other various sites and methods he’ll utilize. You can email Tom directly at this email: [email protected]. You can also check out his bustling eBay store at jhn317.
2) The Final Auction Stats
- Views: 19,813
- Watchers: 663
- Comments: 187
- Bids: 74
- WINNING BID: $143,000
- Link to original listing
3) CorvSport’s Roger Judski Archives
- Roger’s Race Car: Meet The #98 Corvette Challenge Champion
- End of an Era: Enthusiast, Collector, & Entrepreneur Retiring & Closing Roger’s Corvette Center
- CorvSport’s Collector Spotlight: Roger Judski’s 1 of 2 1969 ZL-1 Corvette
- Iconic Retired Corvette Dealer Is Selling The Most Insane Parts Collection You’ll Ever See
4) Pictures & Details From The Historic Roger’s Corvettes Parts Collection
First, a picture from the seller, summarizing most of the parts included in the auction.
- Posted by Fuelieguy: “29 C4 94-96 nos Bose radios and 14 amplifiers included.”
- Posted by Fuelieguy: “With all there is to take in here, it could be easy to overlook this very rare and genuine set of 1967 Corvette Kelsey Hayes excellent condition aluminum bolt-on wheels and center caps mounted with NON-DOT Firestone SuperSports redline tires. Perfect addition to achieve a high point count in NCRS Top Flight judging. Sets like this routinely sell here on BaT between $15/25k without the tires.”
- Posted by Fuelieguy: “The collection includes three sets of new old stock 1996 Grand Sport red leather seat covers, four door panels and a new GS rear bumper cover. Additionally there is a new pair of one year only 1988 35th anniversary door panels and 1993 40th anniversary door panels. Where else could you find them?”
- Posted by Fuelieguy: “Several sets of used and new old stock side exhaust components for 65-67 and 69 Corvette are included. Also, several new in the box glass tops. Pretty hard to find stuff.”
- Posted by Fuelieguy: “Two pairs of aluminum big block heads with GM casting number3819842. One set is bare and the other is complete. Date codes 9/25/68, 9/27/68 and 2/3/69, 2/5/69. Good luck finding anywhere else other than here. Worth a small fortune.”
- Posted by Fuelieguy: “Here is a NEW hardtop removed from a new 1993 40th Anniversary Corvette sold by Roger. The buyer didn’t want the hardtop. Can you imagine that?!”
- Posted by Fuelieguy: “Sale includes a new old stock GM 61-62 Corvette Harrison radiator #3150916. Another site has a similar item currently listed for $1,250.”
More interesting photos from the BaT gallery…
Thanks for joining CorvSport for our exclusive interview with Tom Payne. Are you CORVETTE OBSESSED like we are? The team of renowned authors and contributors at CorvSport hopes you sense our passion for the iconic Corvette, and our vast database of articles and guides should prove it–5000+ features since Scott Kolecki founded CorvSport over 15 years ago! Join the fastest-growing Corvette community on our Facebook page, with over 170,000 followers (51,000 since January 2023!). Meet other hardcore enthusiasts and say hello. This is Douglas B. signing off–click here if you would like to view more of my features.
