Auction Journal
What we have learned running auctions, written for the person about to place a bid: how to read an inspection report, what a title brand costs you, how transport is priced, and where first-time buyers lose money.
Exporting a vehicle you bought at auction
The title has to leave the country before the car does. Customs filing, timing and the documents an exporter will ask you for.
Read the articleElectric vehicles at auction: battery health is the whole question
An EV's value lives in its pack. How to read state of health, what degradation looks like after five years, and which cars still have warranty left.
ReadSeven mistakes first-time auction buyers make
Every one of these is ordinary, understandable and expensive. They are also entirely avoidable with an afternoon of preparation.
ReadPaying for an auction win: methods, timing and fraud
Wires, cards and escrow — what houses accept, why the clock matters, and the payment-redirection scam that costs buyers everything.
ReadWhat 'as-is, where-is' really means
The most misunderstood phrase in auctions. What it disclaims, what it cannot disclaim, and how buyer protection sits alongside it.
ReadBid retraction, bid shielding and why the rules are narrow
A short withdrawal window fixes genuine mistakes. A long one invites manipulation. How honest platforms draw the line.
ReadStorage, pickup and the clock that starts when you win
Most houses give you a free window and then charge by the day. How to plan collection so the storage bill never appears.
ReadEquipment auctions for contractors: buying against a job, not a wish
Owning a machine beats renting past a certain number of hours a year. How to work out that number before you bid.
ReadBuying a work truck at auction without buying someone's problem
Fleet trucks are the best value on most auction days — if you know which ones were maintained and which were run until something broke.
ReadWhat actually changes a transport quote
Distance is only the start. Size, weight, operability, route density and the season all move the number a carrier gives you.
ReadBuying out of state: sales tax, registration and the paperwork
You pay tax where you register, not where you bought. How that works across state lines, and what to have ready before you go to the DMV.
ReadTitle transfer after you win: what happens and how long it takes
Who signs what, when the title actually arrives, and the three delays that catch buyers out after an auction.
ReadSeasonality: when vehicles are cheapest at auction
Convertibles in January, four-wheel drive in July, and the tax-refund bump every spring. The rhythms that move auction prices.
ReadDealer auctions versus public auctions
Who can bid, what gets consigned where, and why the cheapest-looking channel is not always the cheapest vehicle.
ReadAnti-sniping: why good auctions extend the clock
Last-second bidding rewards the fastest connection instead of the highest bidder. How automatic extensions fix it, and what they mean for your strategy.
ReadWhat to check before bidding on a motorcycle
Bikes hide damage better than cars and cost less to make presentable. The eight things worth confirming before you commit.
ReadBuying a boat at auction: the survey question
Hull, power and paperwork. When a marine survey is worth paying for before the hammer, and what to look at when it is not possible.
ReadThe RV inspection checklist buyers skip
Engines are the easy part. On a motorhome, the expensive failures are the roof, the delamination and the systems nobody tests on a sunny day.
ReadHours, not miles: how to value heavy equipment
An excavator's hour meter is its odometer, but it tells a different story. How to read hours against age, application and the parts that actually wear.
ReadWhat actually moves classic car values
Originality, documentation and the right kind of rarity. Why two identical-looking cars sell forty thousand dollars apart.
ReadDeposits and payment deadlines, and why houses enforce them
A deposit turns a winning bid into a commitment. How the windows work, what happens when one is missed, and how to avoid losing a lot you actually want.
ReadShipping a vehicle across the country: what to expect
Open versus enclosed, how long it really takes, what a carrier needs from you, and the inspection at handover that protects your claim.
ReadSpotting a flood-damaged vehicle before you bid
Water damage hides well for a year and then destroys electronics for a decade. The photographs to ask for and the signs that should end your interest.
ReadSalvage, rebuilt and clean titles: what each one costs you
A title brand follows a vehicle for life. What the three main categories mean, how they affect resale and insurance, and when a branded title is still a good buy.
ReadA bidding strategy for your first auction
Decide your number before the auction, bid late, and never treat a running total as a target. The habits that keep first-time buyers out of trouble.
ReadThe VIN check you should run before every bid
Seventeen characters that tell you whether a vehicle is what the listing says it is — and the four checks worth running on them.
ReadHow to read a vehicle inspection report
An inspection report is a snapshot, not a warranty. Here is what the sections mean, which findings matter, and what silence in a report tells you.
ReadThe buyer's premium, and what you are actually paying for
Almost every auction adds a percentage on top of the hammer price. What it funds, how it changes your maximum bid, and the fees that sit beside it.
ReadReserve prices: what they are and why a lot can fail to sell
A reserve is the seller's floor. Here is how it changes bidding, why it is usually hidden, and what happens when the bidding stops below it.
ReadHow an online vehicle auction actually works
From the moment a lot is catalogued to the moment the hammer falls — what happens behind an online auction, and where a buyer's decisions matter.
ReadReady to bid?