According to the Manheim Wholesale Vehicle Value Index, wholesale prices have been at record high prices for the past two months, and they show no signs of stopping any time soon. This is the fifth straight month that wholesale prices have shown increases, with April’s index number hitting 120.7, while March’s was 119, which are both wicked highs for those months – record highs, in fact. April’s numbers were a whopping 13% higher than they were in 2009, with double digit increases in all categories.

Vans and cargo vehicles saw a 21.1 percent jump over last year’s numbers, while SUVs and CUVs rose by 15.6% from April 2009 to April 2010. Pickup sales saw a 14.2% rise and midsize cars saw a 13.6% increase over the past year – these numbers are incredibly surprising considering that many experts expected numbers to remain relatively stable given the condition of the economy, but the increase in wholesale prices merely goes to show that the economy is definitely on the upswing.

Also, first quarter sales were up 8% over last year’s numbers, which is always great news. So, in other words, people are always interested, and sales in California and New York saw incredible increases over the past year, especially with all the new green vehicles showing up on dealership floors.