Buying at auction, explained by people who do it
A vehicle auction sells cars, trucks, RVs, boats and equipment to the highest bidder, usually as-is. Some sales are open to anyone; others need a dealer license. Beyond the hammer price you pay a buyer's premium, gate, title and transport costs, which routinely add ten to twenty percent to the total.
Site last updated .
Start here
Four pages cover most of what a first-time buyer needs. Read them in this order.
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How car auctions work
The whole sale, from registration deadlines to the day storage fees start.
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Auction fees explained
Every charge that lands on the invoice, and which ones you can avoid.
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Where to buy: the platforms
Who lets the public bid, who wants a dealer license, and what each one costs.
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Bank repossessed vehicles
How repossessions reach a sale, and why the title timing matters more than the price.
Guides
Long reference pages. Each one is written to answer a single question completely.
- How car auctions work, step by step the sale from registration to collection
- The best auction platforms for private buyers public access, fees and listing quality compared
- Buying bank repossessed vehicles how lender repossessions are sold and titled
- Auction fees explained, line by line premiums, gate, internet, storage and title work
Comparisons
Head-to-head pages for the decisions people actually stall on.
- Copart vs IAA two salvage giants, and who can bid at each
- Dealer-only vs public auctions what a license buys you, and what it costs
- The best platforms for buying an RV motorhomes and travel trailers, with fee ranges
- The best platforms for buying a boat hull numbers, trailers and water-test rules
- The best platforms for heavy equipment excavators, loaders and hour-meter checks
- Sealed bid vs live bidding how each format changes what you should offer
- Auction vs dealership vs private party the real cost and risk of each route
How-to
Short procedural pages. Each one is a task you can finish in a sitting.
- Register for an auction documents, deposits and approval times
- Inspect a vehicle remotely what to ask for when you cannot attend
- Read a condition report grades, light systems and the wording that matters
- Set a maximum bid working backwards from the all-in cost
- Pay for and collect a vehicle wire deadlines, gate passes and release paperwork
- Transport a vehicle you have won open, enclosed and non-running loads
- Check the title and any liens running a VIN before you commit money
- Understand title brands salvage, rebuilt, flood and odometer marks
- Buy a boat at auction hull numbers, engines and the trailer title
- Buy an RV at auction damp, appliances and chassis service history
- Buy heavy equipment at auction hours, undercarriage and transport width
- Avoid auction scams fake escrow, cloned listings and title absent sales
Reference
Tables and checklists we keep current and date on the page.
- Auction fees by platform premium tiers and add-on charges, side by side
- Title brands by state what each state brands and how it transfers
- Inspection checklist a printable sheet to take to a viewing
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Glossary
Fifty auction terms in plain English, from absentee bid to wholesale value.
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Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions readers email us most often.
The path a buyer follows
Latest and updated
- Auction fees by platform, rechecked
- Auction fees explained, line by line
- Copart vs IAA for a private buyer
- Checking a title and its liens
- Title brands by state
- Avoiding auction scams
- Sealed bid vs live bidding
- The printable inspection checklist
What this site is not
We do not sell vehicles, run sales or take a cut of one. Nobody can pay to appear here, to rank higher or to have a bad figure removed, and we do not sell reader details to dealers or lenders. When we are guessing we say so, and when a number comes from a published schedule we date it so you can check whether it has moved since.