Finding Local Car Auctions
Looking for a cheap car? Or maybe you want to buy one to fix and resell? If so, it’s time for you to find some local car auctions. For some, however, this is easier said than done.
The first thing to understand when looking for local car auctions is that there are two main entities that host them: the government, and charities. Either type of auction can easily net a great deal, but many times the types of vehicles sold are very different.
Local Government Car Auctions
These auctions are, the vast majority of the time, hosted by the police department. Some cities will also auction their utility vehicles from time to time, but generally anything with a diesel engine gets used and maintained until it’s dead. Your best bet would be to check out your own local car auctions to see what your area sells as every area is a bit different.
The type of vehicle being sold will often dictate the location of the auction. For instance, when the police department auctions vehicles, it is often in their own parking lot. With the exception of very large metropolitan areas, local car auctions are usually held in the city that houses the county seat.
Local Charity Car Auctions
As opposed to government auctions, charity car auctions can be a completely different animal. Although some charities have the resources and the property to auction vehicles near one of their existing buildings, such as churches, others that often auction large numbers of vehicles will sometimes purchase a plot of land in the middle of nowhere, where it is cheap and taxes are low. When it comes to charity car auctions, take no chances. Be sure to know exactly where you are going before you leave the house, and do not assume that your destination is the location of the charity itself.
A good example is Goodwill. They auction vehicles quite often, but rarely do it at an actual Goodwill location. This is because auctions are typically held on the weekends, and the last thing they want is their parking lot full on prime shopping days. For this reason, they usually have a place somewhere that handles all of the auctioning for them, and this place can sometimes be far from civilization. When getting directions to these places, always ask something along the lines of, “Is there anything special I need to know about finding you?” Yes, there probably will be a large amount of vehicles, but if they are all behind a huge, old rice mill, or down a dirt road from the highway, you still won’t see them.
Local car auctions aren’t typically too hard to find. Listings are generally in the newspaper, as well as online somewhere, but often times you have to know where to look to find them online, so some searching may be in order. Charity auctions can often be found simply by calling the charity and asking. You may get re-directed a few times, but they’re generally used to those questions. Also keep in mind, some auctions are invite or dealer only. Although there are ways to get access to those as well, that’s another article entirely.
The First Of Many Local Car Auctions
There are some of us that just like having different cars. Be they new or used, it doesn’t really matter, as long as it’s different than what we currently have. Frequenting local car auctions is an easy way to make this hobby quite a bit easier on the wallet. Here’s what to expect when you visit the first of what will hopefully be many car auctions.
You Will Not Know What You Are Doing
You can know how to take a 1988 Honda Civic apart and put it back together in a weekend, but that won’t prepare you for attending local car auctions. Be prepared to ask questions. Yes, you will be surrounded by cars, but most of the time, the workers are not car nuts. Try to not be in “get another car” mode, but think more along the lines of “make a smart business transaction.” Local car auctions can be a great way to save money on your own car, or to turn a profit by fixing and selling, but you have to know the rules of the game first.
You Are Taking A Risk
At most public auto auctions, they start the car, if the car starts. That’s all. They don’t let you drive it, they don’t give you a history, and they certainly don’t tell you everything that may be wrong with it, because they simply don’t know. Unless you’ve visited the day before and examined the cars you are interested in, which is highly recommended, consider each purchase a risk. If you are buying multiple cars to fix and resell, don’t buy a bunch of unknowns if you can’t afford to absorb the loss. If you are buying a single car for yourself, be prepared to do some work on it to make it everything you want it to be. Car auctions are great places to get excellent deals on all sorts of cars, but those cars are hardly ever perfect.
Many people do not even realize there are local public car auctions. Generally for charity purposes, these auctions are an excellent way to acquire a used car extremely cheaply and, contrary to popular belief, they are not restricted to dealers. Here are a few tips to make your local car auction experience one you can be proud of.
Go The Day Before
This is the most important part. Most local public car auctions have a block of time set aside, usually the day before the auction, where you can go check the cars out. This will be the only time that you can sit in the car and look it over. Some auctions will also let you move it back and forth a few feet. Don’t expect to be able to do a test drive.
Make a List Before You Go
There will be a lot of cars to look at. They will be spread out all over the lot, some in front, some behind, some on the sides; you get the idea. The people working the auction generally have a good idea of where each car is, and sometimes they are even numbered and placed in numerical order. Having a list of which cars, and their numbers, that you want to look at will speed things up considerably. Lists of all the cars are generally available either online, from the auction building, or from the service hosting the auction up to a month before the auction occurs. Get one and narrow it down; you ‘ll be glad you did.
Set Hard Limits Based On Research
To avoid overpaying for any car, do some research on the ones you are interested in after you have made your list and checked them out. Figure a maximum amount that you would want to pay for that car, considering its value and condition. This will give you a solid number to keep you grounded when you get caught up in the bidding frenzy, and hopefully save you from overpaying. Remember, it is an auction. It’s just as easy to overbid as it is to get a deal, unless you know what you’re bidding on.
