Collectors have known for months that the classic car market has cooled following record sales volumes and prices during the Covid-19 pandemic. But 2024’s coming chill isn’t all bad. It will benefit regular folks—people who buy old cars simply because they love them.

“Slowing down takes a lot of the volatility out of the market and makes it easier for people to buy, drive and enjoy, which is a healthier place for the market and for the industry overall,” says Brian Rabold, vice president of automotive intelligence for Hagerty Inc., an insurance company with holdings across the collector car world.