Up until now my experience of car auctions has been fun and interesting but hardly high-rolling. You probably know the sort of thing: a freezing cold pit staring at a parade of Mondeos and Vectras, munching on a bacon sandwich while taking the scene in.
Which is why the Gooding auction I've just been to in Pebble Beach, California readjusted my set a bit.
Auctions like this are where the real high rollers come to buy and sell million dollar cars and are just as part of the annual Pebble Beach pageant as the Concours D'Elegance itself.
It's quite breathtaking to see Ferrari 250 GTOs take the plinth and then watch as the plummy Brit auctioneer moves the bids up in 100,000 dollar chunks.
I was only there for an hour but watched at least 20 million dollars being spent as casually as most of us buy a cup of coffee.
Also under the hammer was the first Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport which the highest bidder could then spec up and know that anything over the million pound list price was going to charity. In the end it went for a breathtaking 2.9 million dollars (£1.5million).
Fortunately, and just when I thought I was losing touch with reality, a guy came along and asked me if I wanted a cup of coffee or some sausage and chips. Maybe these different types of auctions do have something in common after all.