24-year-old Colter Rule started his auto consignment business, Autogalerie, by accident. After stepping back from his previous startup, he realized that he wanted to do something with cars, but without a degree, he discovered quickly that he was a “difficult hire for an employer to justify.”
“I figured I would work at one of the online auction houses, but after no responses, I decided to try and get their attention by listing cars and becoming a user,” Colter explained.
His first listing ended up being for his now landlord, Christopher Little, the owner of Northwest Corner Classic Cars. “I had always driven by his shop on my way to school, and finally, I decided to reach out years later to ask if he had any interest in me selling his cars on his behalf through an online auction platform. We did a few, and soon enough, I had formed a close relationship with Collecting Cars, an online auction platform. I moved to Los Angeles, CA, to work for them. Six months later, I sold my startup equity and decided to take the consignment shop leap.”
In 2021, he did just that. The name of the umbrella company that owns both locations is Enthusiastic Enthusiast LLC. Colter came up with that while he was searching for a funny and wordy username for the online platform on which they offer the vehicles.
“Having a funny or unique username often gets you added ‘likes,’ which really offer nothing other than an ego boost and some validation for your humor,” he mused.
The Palm Beach, FL, location is called Enthusiast Auto Vault and is tailored to storage clients, while the Lakeville, CT, location is called Autogalerie and primarily offers vehicle consignment services, along with a retail store filled with items known as ‘automobilia’ – essentially artifacts and collectibles that are automotive-related.
Fostering a connection with local car lovers
What does vehicle consignment mean, exactly? Colter explained, “We give people with rare collector or classic vehicles a better way to achieve liquidity by marketing their vehicles on their behalf through an online auction platform. Simply put, we do consignment but do not take ownership of the vehicle.”
Within the first year of business, Colter was flying back and forth from Florida to Connecticut to maintain both locations. After filling the Palm Beach location with clients, he focused on acquiring larger clients for the Lakeville location – including HK Motorcars, based in Mount Kisco, NY.
“The first year involved lots of work, expenses, and some earnings, but mostly positioned us for potential future success.”
When he began his business, Colter never expected to have so much success so quickly. Being neighbors with Lime Rock Park, a motorsport racing venue in Lakeville, CT, has proven to be particularly beneficial. “I am shocked that I’ve been able to put this together at all,” he mused. “I’ve learned that even the simplest-seeming achievements are hard to come by. No one will understand or appreciate them as much as you will, so you have to celebrate the small milestones, too.”
Collaboration and the courage to do it yourself
A variety of people have contributed to the success of Colter’s business. First, he named his business partner Aiden Samuels as one of the most important. “He took a risk with some spare space he had in a commercial building to attempt to start this business with me. He could have leased it out and made more money with less risk, but he didn’t.”
He also named his previous client and current business partner, Thatcher Schultz, for allowing them access to his 20-car collection, and for exclusively selling and storing with Autogalerie. “His patronage helped legitimize us in an immense way,” Colter shared.
Amongst others, Colter also named John Harper and Mike Perlman at Collecting Cars for hiring him and giving him automotive experience; his landlord, Chris Little, who was one of his first and biggest clients; his parents and girlfriend, who at this point, are “de-facto employees”; and finally, David Parks, the newest addition to the business, who has opened Autogalerie to motorcycles as well.
With minimal help, Colter often works 12-hour days – and sometimes even longer. As a small business owner, he has to do a lot on his own but feels that makes the process more personalized. “Unfortunately, I find that my generation, at least those living rurally, don’t seem to have the same motivation that the previous generations had. Getting up early and showing up ready to give 100% seems to be a rare trait these days,” he explained.
Behind the wheel
Autogalerie has changed slightly as Colter has learned more about the car industry. “I have started to turn cars away if they don’t fit our criteria, instead of bending my criteria list to fit a car. The quality of our listings and our service overall has greatly improved.”
As a kid, Colter would watch car shows, convinced that he would never get to experience what it’s like to be behind the wheel of all the different kinds of vehicles that he now works with on a daily basis. “Now, I have driven hundreds of cars and experienced the best that motoring has to offer – and I get paid to do it! Even more exciting, when you deal with pricey toys, you get to meet some pretty incredible and serious people, including captains in the industry, so that is quite cool as well,” he said, although he noted that he wouldn’t “name names.”
Looking back, Colter reflected that he has learned how to read people better, keep his cool, and be more patient since starting his business. “If one thing is certain, it’s that I have no clue what this business will look like in five or ten years. Who knows, it’s only been two!” •
To learn more about Autogalerie, visit its website autogalerie.us and keep up with them on Instagram @autogalerie.us.