#edit: i added a little more info with v and jerry

[i-am-very-heck]

okay well, immediately my brain shot to ibis being like. chief milkman or something. which like. he still would probably be, but. thinking about it, he'd probably be like the evil fda or something. making sure food is just tolerable enough for human consumption, yknow? the food is just shit enough for most people to dislike it, but not revolting enough for people to cause an uproar about it. government cheese hoarder. he would likely be in charge of things like cigarette production too. i would compare it to the food that people are given in the book 1984, but technically that didn't come out until 1949. ibis would hate the food too, but hey, it's part of the job.

if jerry was part of the shadow gov't i feel like it would be like. much more of a creature than anything. like, yknow like the myth about gremlins who got into your airplanes and messed up the machinery to sabotage you? that but like, she does good for the government's machinery and messes up anything that doesn't belong to the government. she would probably be considered a cryptid to anyone who isn't high up in the chain of command and is in the know about it. it's a literal cryptid to the gov't valley working class. jerry would also be queen of contraband. revoking anything she finds that breaks a rule or is off limits and just throwing it in the collection.

deliri... i feel like he would work with designing things for the shadow government, specifically the uniforms for various areas. as i've stated previously, he has experience with designing clothes since he made his usual outfit by hand, so designing government mandated clothing doesn't feel off the mark. he would be focused on making designs that are cheap and quick to produce, but still practical in a sense. wouldn't want your ballet outfit to tear on you in the middle of a performance, right? or for your army uniform to be easily slashed through by a knife. and of course, starched and stiff suits for the office workers are a must.

v is the only one i don't have a good idea for though sljdfssl.. like, sure they could be the person in charge of the fine arts enrichment areas (the amphitheater and ballet stage), but where's the evil in that? my other thought was like. they're the one they send traitors to in order to get secrets out of them. the interrogator, if you will. using various cruel and unusual punishments to get people to confess. a bit of mind fuckery too perhaps. or maybe, they could just. possess the person they're interrogating, since ghost, force them to admit it outright. or maybe, to reference 1984 again, they would be considered the room 101. (aka, the room where your fears are used against you in order to gain information.) v would be very sadistic with this tbh.

Weekly question(s) time again!

Given that this would be an alternate timeline or universe, what kind of position would your OC hold in the Shadow Government? [Ex. Valentine being a (Well, Bruise assigned it so it IS technically military... Guh.) Military postal officer; Jimmy the janitor a la @ samthecookielord ]

As a follow-up, if your OC would replace one of the main four completely, what would they do differently than the rivals in base-game? How about their motivations? How would they feel about their coworkers?

EDIT:

YOU DONT HAVE TO BE LIMITED TO GOVERNMENT POSITIONS IRL NOËL IS LITERALLY THE OFFICIAL WIZARD. Make up new positions or whatever but you can base them off irl since. Well, something has to work around here.

These maybe-swaps are not meant to be 1:1 replacements either! And heck, maybe your character can multiclass stats too lol. Valentine is Mysticality and Moxie. The possibilities are endless and you can make a fresh timeline where everything since the beginning of the game has changed bc of your characters' interference.

The world is your oyster. Get cracking!

Be sure to reblog and/or reply to this post! Maybe even comment on some other people's interpretations? I'll be doing the same here all week as long as there's new responses!

[itsworn]

Scottsdale 2017: What’s Trending in the Muscle Car Market?

Over the last decade especially, the high-profile Barrett-Jackson auction held each January in Scottsdale, Arizona, evolved into one of the best-attended spectator events on the classic car calendar. It is the 800-pound gorilla of all the Scottsdale auctions. But Scottsdale is not just Barrett-Jackson. Another half-dozen auctions compete for attention and the business of buyers and sellers.

Looking to make a bigger mark in the muscle car category is Russo and Steele, whose event had a new venue this year. Russo and Steele’s innovative auction-in-the-round brings buyers and sellers closer together than competing auctions do.

Three top-tier auction houses primarily specializing in high-end exotics share the Scottsdale stage: RM Sotheby’s, Gooding & Company, and Bonham’s. Each occasionally serves up tempting muscle cars. Longtime participant Silver Auctions tends to cater to the more accessible (read: affordable), part of the market. And Scottsdale newcomer Worldwide Auctioneers had a strong showing for its initial auction.

The numbers for the week in Scottsdale are staggering. According to valuation and insurance provider Hagerty, 3,489 vehicles crossed the various auction blocks over the seven days with total sales approaching $260 million. Sales were up over 2016’s down year owing to a greater number of lots offered and sold, although average price per sale declined 11 percent from 2016. So looking at the week overall, results were something of a mixed bag for sellers. Certainly there were plenty of bargains, especially early in the week.

Barrett-Jackson

“The market for American muscle cars remains incredibly resilient,” Craig Jackson, Barrett-Jackson’s chairman and CEO, told us. “Demand for blue chip American cars from the 1960s to 1970s continues to grow, especially for ‘survivor’ vehicles. I think the current muscle models are helping drive the market. For example, Chevrolet recently announced the 50th anniversary of the Camaro. As a result, I expect interest in the first-gen cars to pick up, just as the rebirth of the Hemi cars created new interest in 1960s-era versions.”

What surprised Jackson at the recent sale was demand for muscle cars that fell outside the classic era. “Strong demand for the 1980s and 1990s Mustang really took hold, as several world records were set at auction for the Fox-body Mustang, as well as the SN95 models.”

Many of those records were broken by some very special Mustangs offered by collector Dennis Collins of the Gas Monkey Garage. A 7-Up Limited Edition 1990 Mustang convertible (Lot 400.5) with just 16 miles on the odometer sold for $82,500; a 1989 5.0 LX hatchback (Lot 400.3) with 638 original miles brought $71,500; and a 1985 SVO (Lot 400.7), the turbo 2.3L model with just 7 documented miles on it, sold for $63,800.

“Interest in 1980s-era muscles cars is driven by members of the generation who grew up with them,” Jackson explained. “Those fans now have the means to own one and, at some level, have an emotional connection. For example, they may have owned one in high school or a relative drove one or it was the first car they purchased on their own. These cars can be less expensive to own and insure, making them cars that can be enjoyed.”

Speaking of Mustangs, two cracked Barrett-Jackson’s Top 10 sales list. One was a 1965 Shelby G.T. 350 (Lot 1365) with all of its original components intact and fitted with a period-correct Paxton supercharger that sold for $445,500. The other was a 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 (Lot 1400), significant in that it was restored to its original, rare, black-on-black color combination with its KK-code NASCAR motor. This Boss was once owned by baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, adding to its well-documented provenance (and most likely its $385,000 selling price).

Several Boss 429s were available at the various Scottsdale auctions this year, and we asked Jackson if that was good or bad for the market. “The Boss 429 is a blue chip collectible,” he said, “truly a marquee car in the muscle car segment. Despite the fact that several were offered during the week, there were so few built that finding a pristine, well-documented Boss 429 is still very difficult. When the Boss 429 first came out, many new owners stripped the emissions equipment off them. Today it’s extremely rare to find a Boss 429 with that original emissions equipment. It’s a little ironic that the equipment that was removed from so many of the original cars, and what made them less powerful in their day is now something so desirable among collectors.”

This year’s Barrett-Jackson sale offered one of the most historically significant Chevrolets of all time, Zora Arkus-Duntov’s CERV I (lot 1390) open-wheel R&D car. It brought the second highest selling price of the whole auction at $1,320,000. (An original Aston Martin DB5—looking like James Bond’s car, only black—was the only car that brought a higher sales price, at $1.485 million.)

This year didn’t see any truly rare, documented Hemi E-Body convertibles cross the block at Barrett-Jackson, but some really interesting Mopars were on offer. One that caught our eye was a 1970 Plymouth Superbird (Lot 1134) that sold for $159,500. This homologation special was factory-equipped with a 440 Six Pack and had been documented previously by Mopar expert Galen Govier.

Even AMC was represented at this year’s B-J event with a 1969 Hurst SC/Rambler (Lot 502) fetching $49,500. Upon closer inspection this car, according to many SC/Rambler experts, was a mixed bag. The price reflected that, falling short of concours-winning standards.

Barrett-Jackson runs from Monday through Sunday, with Friday and Saturday nights bringing out the prime cars. That means if you get out early and attend Monday through Wednesday, there are bargains to be had thanks to the company’s no-reserve auction format. These run the spectrum of 1960s fullsize, big-block cruisers to small-block midsize coupes, convertibles and hardtops, all great candidates for your local cruise night or cars-and-coffee gathering.

One such sleeper was one of Wednesday’s offerings, a barn-find 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle hardtop (Lot 358) that sold for $18,700. While not a true muscle car, it has the bones to become one. This 307/Powerglide-equipped car was sold well documented with a Protect-O-Plate from Fairchild Chevrolet.

Barrett-Jackson 2017 Scottsdale Overall Results

Overall total: $101.0M 1,703 of 1,711 lots sold; 99.5% sell-through rate Average sale price: $59,323 Info: barrett-jackson.com (Results courtesy of Hagerty)

Zora Arkus-Duntov’s CERV I research vehicle sold for $1.32 million at Barrett-Jackson. Built in 1959-1960, it was used it to develop chassis and suspension systems as well as the Rochester fuel-injection system for the small-block V-8. (Photo courtesy GM Heritage Center)

Formerly owned by Reggie Jackson, this beautifully restored black-on-black Boss 429, showing just 45,000 miles on the clock, sold for $385,000 at Barrett-Jackson. (Photo courtesy of Barrett-Jackson)

A Galen Govier–inspected 440 Six Pack/automatic Superbird sold for $159,500 at Barrett-Jackson. (Photo courtesy of Barrett-Jackson)

Not all the sales at Barrett-Jackson were super high-dollar. This 307/Powerglide-equipped 1968 Chevelle sold for $18,700, a good buy for a fun driver (or the basis for a big-block tribute). (Photo courtesy of Barrett-Jackson)

Russo and Steele

“We are starting to see a resurgence in the muscle car market,” said Darin Roberge, Russo and Steele’s marketing and media director. “Due to outside economic factors, people looking to buy are coming back into the market, while savvy sellers are recognizing this and are bringing cars out.”

Current political conditions in this country have worked in the market’s favor, he said. “People seem more relaxed his year than in the last couple years, and the political climate plays into that. People know where the country is going, which puts collectors and investors at ease. They see this as a more favorable time to buy their dream car.”

On the other side of the coin, demographic changes are bringing out cars for them to buy. “Baby Boomers are the main connoisseurs of muscle cars, but as they get older they realize maintaining a collection is getting harder. So we see them keeping some of their favorites and bringing the rest to market.”

And while the Boomers may be the prime audience, Roberge says the appeal of muscle cars is not limited to just that generation. “Younger people are passionate about muscle cars, too. They see them in movies, TV, even video games, and that creates a level of enthusiasm across multiple generations. We don’t see that with 1950s cars and hot rods, which have seen a decline. Muscle cars are here for the long term.”

Russo and Steele’s Top 3 muscle cars included a 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 (Lot 8795) that found a new owner at $335,500. KK1272 was an early S-Code Boss 429 that has been driven just 32,445 miles since its initial delivery and was restored in 2003 by Dave Matthews. It was sold to an overseas buyer in 2006, and it is hoped that this rare and unique Boss 429 will stay stateside with this sale.

There were a few Oldsmobiles (some Hurst models) in Scottsdale in January, but clearly one of the best was the 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 W-30 Holiday Coupe (Lot 8258) that cleared a very healthy $165,000. This car is known to Oldsmobile fans as the Black Stallion and is one of only 1,032 built for 1970 with a four-speed M21 manual transmission. It is the only Oldsmobile to receive a perfect 1,000-point score at the 2016 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals (it was featured during restoration in our Mar. 2017 issue).

One car generating a lot of interest at the Russo and Steele sale was a genuine Nickey Camaro (Lot 8345) that had been verified as sold through Nickey Chevrolet by NCRS documents, still had its Protect-O-Plate and window sticker, and was given a Certificate of Authenticity by Jerry MacNeish. The Camaro, with a 427ci, 425hp big-block, an M21 four-speed, and a 12-bolt Posi rearend, had been treated to a high-end, frame-off restoration. A high bid of $123,750 was not enough to sell the car.

Another big-block Camaro had better luck. Lot 8823 was a real-deal COPO car that the seller had purchased from an estate and had Jerry MacNeish authenticate. The rotisserie-restored car was described by the auction company as being “one of the best driving and performing COPOs available today.” It found a new home for $149,600.

Like its cross-town rival, Russo and Steel had its share of big-block, fullsize offerings, a category that is poised to grow in the years to come. Our favorite was a 1965 Pontiac Bonneville convertible (Lot 8349) that found a new home at $90,200. This hot Pontiac had a 421/four-speed conversion done by the dealer in the 1960s and came fully equipped with factory air, electric seats, power windows, power vent windows, and a new convertible top. And of course it had the optional eight-lug aluminum wheels.

Russo and Steele 2017 Scottsdale Overall Results

Overall total: $20.7M 579 of 778 lots sold; 74% sell-through rate Average sale price: $35,720 Info: russoandsteele.com (Results courtesy of Hagerty)

Among the several Boss 429s available at Scottsdale was KK1272 at Russo and Steele, an early S-code car with just 32,445 miles on the odometer and an older restoration. It sold for $335,500. (Photo courtesy of Russo and Steele)

The 1970 4-4-2 W-30 that scored a perfect 1,000 points at last year’s MCACN show sold at Russo and Steele for $165,000. (Photo courtesy of Russo and Steele)

A real-deal Nickey Camaro generated a lot of interest at the Russo and Steele sale but ultimately was a no-sale with a $123,750 high bid. (Photo courtesy of Russo and Steele)

With a dealer-conversion 421/four-speed and the iconic finned eight-lug aluminum wheels, this 1965 Bonneville fetched $90,200 at Russo and Steele. (Photo courtesy of Russo and Steele)

Other Noteworthy Muscle Cars from Scottsdale Week

Gooding & Company

Even though Gooding & Company is not known as a muscle car auction house, when we walked through the preview tent on Thursday we encountered a beautiful 1964 Pontiac GTO (Lot 141) that was hammered at $60,500. Finished in a striking Rose metallic hue and equipped with a Tri-power–equipped 389 V-8 mated to a four-speed gearbox, this car has been a fixture on the Southern California show car scene for the last decade. In its rare and striking color, it is sure to bring a new owner a great deal of attention, especially with its Jim Wangers’ signature inside.

Gooding & Company 2017 Scottsdale Overall Results

Overall total: $33.3M 105 of 125 lots sold: 84% sell-through rate Average sale price: $317,492 Info: goodingco.com (Results courtesy of Hagerty)

Gooding & Company had this striking Rose 1964 GTO on offer at Scottsdale. With a Tri-power 389 and a four-speed, it sold for $60,500. (Photo courtesy of Gooding & Co.)

RM Sotheby’s

Like Gooding, RM Sotheby’s is not known as a muscle car auction house but always attracts top-tier entries. The most noteworthy muscle car was a 1967 Shelby G.T. 500 (Lot 225) that sold for $286,000. Sold with a Marti Report, the Shelby is still equipped with its original 428ci engine (including the factory-spec carburetors and intake manifold) and four-speed manual transmission. It was treated to a full restoration not long after the selling owner bought it in 2005.

A second Shelby Mustang, a 1970 GT350 with its original engine and finished in Grabber Blue from an older restoration, sold for $77,000.

One of the better muscle car buys of the Scottsdale Week happened here, when a 1966 Hemi Coronet 500 hardtop (Lot 171), offered as part of the Mohrschladt Family collection, found a new home for $51,000. The 7,821-mile car, originally sold through Mr. Norm’s Grand Spaulding Dodge, was one of just 135 Hemi/automatic cars built in 1966 (per Galen Govier) and the only one made in Bronze Metallic paint with gold vinyl bucket seats. It not only retained its born-with driveline, but the Carter carbs on the Hemi have sequential serial numbers, too.

RM Sotheby’s 2017 Scottsdale Overall Results

Overall total: $53.7M 142 of 159 lots sold: 89% sell-through rate Average sale price: $378,248 Info: rmsothebys.com (Results courtesy of Hagerty)

RM Sotheby’s isn’t known for muscle car consignments, which may be why a Hemi Coronet 500 hardtop with just 7,821 miles and originally sold through Grand Spaulding Dodge sold for just $51,000. (Photo courtesy of RM Sotheby’s)

Among the several Shelby Mustangs available at Scottsdale was this 1967 G.T. 500 at RM Sotheby’s, sporting its born-with 428 complete with the factory carbs and intake. It sold for $286,000. (Photo courtesy of RM Sotheby’s)

Worldwide Auctioneers

The new kid on the Scottsdale block had a number of notable muscle cars on offer. Aside from several six- (and a seven-) figure Corvettes, the top-selling muscle car at the one-day auction was a 1966 Shelby G.T. 350 convertible (Lot 63) that sold for $742,500. Another Shelby, a 1965 G.T. 350 (Lot 20), brought $375,500. Worldwide Auctioneers had a Boss 429 to sell (Lot 22), and it fetched $194,700, illustrating that even with several Boss 429s on offer in Scottsdale there was apparently no lack of buyers for quality examples of Ford’s ultimate big-block ponycar.

Worldwide Auctioneers 2017 Scottsdale Overall Results

Total: $11.4M 64 of 82 lots sold: 78% sell-through rate Average sale price: $177,816 Info: worldwide-auctioneers.com (Results courtesy of Hagerty)

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