As used inventory continues to expand and tax season comes to a close, perhaps putting a damper on high spring sales, Black Book’s Ricky Beggs said bidding in the lanes was a bit slower this past week.

“Feedback in the auction lanes from Black Book survey personnel indicate that many dealers were not bidding aggressively this past week, a sign that retail had been slower recently and there's not as strong of a need to replace previously sold units,” he said in the latest “Beggs on the Used Car Market” video report.

Even though bidding was slower, there was still enough interest and demand that for the past six weeks, at least 60 percent of the price adjustments in the lanes on vehicle segments Black Book tracks were increases, Beggs reported.

And a few segments have seen increases across the board.

For seven of the past eight weeks, the entry-level, entry midsize, and upper midsize car segments have consistently seen increases, and “these were also the strongest segments during this time of the year for the past two years,” Beggs added.

For these segments, the average wholesale price ranges from $6,141 to $8,721.

“One reason for strength (in these three segments) may be that this price point is prime for the tax-season buyer,” Beggs said.

And overall, Beggs reported, the car segment prices have become “a little more stable.”

“As the cars have become a little more stable, the dollar spread between the strongest increasing segment and the largest declining segment since the week ending March 1, 2013 has consistently gotten smaller,” Beggs said. “From a leading $137 and $141 spread the first two weeks of March, the spread has consistently gotten smaller, finishing at an $80 range this past week.”

As for trucks, this past week finished with 10 of the 14 truck segments increasing in price week-over-week.

Overall, the truck segments saw an average uptick of $5.

Even the lower average priced segments — such as the cargo and passenger minivans, with prices at $4,977 and $7,667, respectively — “are also tracking at the better week-over-week retention levels behind the three pickup segments,” Beggs said.

“Overall with the better retention segments within the cars, and the trucks being the lower priced segments, (it) confirms our thoughts that the tax season cars fit into a price level that most every consumer can afford, even though they might not actually be an entry-level price buyer,” Beggs concluded.

To view the full video report, see below: