There are many Government auctions held in the US. Government auctions can be both online auctions where the bidding and action all takes place on the web and live auctions where people bid in person. Many different types of vehicles are auctioned. At government auctions you might be able to find a motorcycle, a tow truck, or even a postie van! Vehicles can also include boats as well.

Another popular type of government auction is the thousands of fleet vehicles that the US Government sells every year. Vehicles include police squad cars, SUVs, and vans that are retired after each year of duty. In fact, there is a federal agency that deals exclusively with fleet vehicles for the government, known as the United States General Services Administrations (GSA). This is the organization responsible for buying the new fleet vehicles that are to be leased to other federal agencies and departments. When the leasing period expires the government must get rid of these in order to make room for the new cars again. This is how the general public can really benefit as those leased vehicles represent fantastic savings.  The vehicles typically how low miles and are well maintained and service according to Government policy.

Government vehicle auctions aren’t the only auctions; there are also local vehicle auctions.

Local vehicle auctions enable you to visit the site live since local auctions are found within your geographical area. This enables you to see the car live and bid on the car in person. Keep in mind that not all local auctions are open to the public. Also, note that you may have to pre-register with the local auction facility which will enable you to receive more information on how that particular auction site operates and have any questions answered. The auction site will most likely have assistance for you so that you can get familiar with their particular rules and standard bidding procedures.  Make use of this opportunity.

You can do much of your research and source vehicles at auction online so make the most of this valuable resource.
Buyers do get an opportunity to inspect vehicles prior to a live auction.  You should contact the respective auction company to find out when inspections are allowed to be done.  Usually inspections can be done on the day of the auction but often there is an opportunity to inspect in the days leading up to the auction.

Unfortunately there is no warranty on vehicles sold at auction.  They are sold on an “as is” basis.  We highly recommend you conduct a thorough inspection using a qualified mechanic prior to auction.

Make sure you rely on your intuition.  If you feel good about a vehicle and have done all your research and checks then go for it and bid.  If you don’t feel confident then pass on that vehicle as there are always many more cars coming up for auction.  Make the most of it!

 It is a fairly simple process to purchase surplus vehicles from online auctions.  Those which are run by government or law enforcement agencies are your best bet.  Scams do happen in online auto auctions, but going through a government-run site will eliminate those worries.  When looking for the best sites, also seek ones with technical support options, an updated database of impounded cars and other vehicles for sale and quick service.

 Whether you bid in online auctions or in person, there are three types of bidding that could be used.  A traditional auction requires pre-registration and is carried out in the manner we all think of when we picture auctions.  Item by item, vehicles are put up for bid.  “Going once, going twice, sold to the lady in the front row for $2,600!”  Spot bidding requires you to write your bid and the process thereafter is similar to traditional bidding.  Sealed bidding is similar to a silent auction, in that you set the amount you are willing to pay without knowledge of what anyone else offers.  Everything is done through the mail, so it takes a little more time.  If your bid wins, you are sent a notification of when the amount is to be paid and when you can claim your car.  However almost all Government auctions are held using the traditional process described above.

 The bottom line of bidding on impounded cars is to not get caught up in the competitive nature of bidding.  Beating the “other guy” will not be worth it if you end of paying more than you wanted to!  Do not be afraid to step down from the “bidding platform” to wait for another good deal to come along – there will always be many more cars for sale.  Everyone has the chance to make great deals, so keep a win-win attitude in mind as you bid on different surplus vehicles.

In order to win more auctions, here are a few tips:

1. Stay calm. A lot of auctioneers tend to get overly excited when they are winning the auction. You may never tell if someone bids a higher price than your offer. For example, in a police auto auction, a good SUV currently has a high bid of $1800, the bidder gets very ecstatic. 15 seconds before the auction ends, a bidder offered $2200 for the car. The previous bidder had his dream shattered. Do not be like him and stay cool.
2. Research about the item and the seller. Online auctions can be fraud sometimes. Check on a search engine a fair price for the item and confirm if you are buying it at a lower price. Also, check if the item is authentic. Verify the credibility of the seller prior to the product being sold. Example, you are buying a surplus computer with good specs. Check if the specs are real. You can e-mail the seller and ask all the questions about the product. You can also check the comments box of the seller’s profile and see if he’s a good one.
3. Search other online auctions. Do not stick to an auction site. Check out other sites if there is an identical product offered in other sites at a lower price. Do not hang around a single auction site but instead, search for more. Example, you are bidding on a certain car worth $1300, use a search engine and find other sites auctioning an identical product. If the price is lower, remove your bid on the current one and place it on the lower priced car.
4. As much as possible, place your bid when the bid is almost over. Let other people play around the auction and place their bets. When the time left is only half an hour or so, place out your maximum bet. If another bidder bids higher, try to put in a little more bid. Example, if you are on an auto auction and the time left for bidding is only 20 minutes, and the previous bid was $1550 for a car, place your maximum bid like $2000. If someone bids a bit higher, bid slightly higher than the previous one.

Auctions can be real tricky especially if you do not know how it goes and cars are the main theme of the business. However, you can always still dominate a car auction with the proper techniques in mind. Bear in mind the four useful tips I have indicated here as you bid in public auctions. Bidding in auctions should be done in a cool manner and with extreme wit.

How To Find A Car Auction: Generally the best car auctions are those that are held by government agencies. In order to find out when and where these auctions are going to be held in your locality, you can contact these agencies personally and ask them about the date and venue for their next auction. Gov-Auctions.org is a great source for locating all kinds of car auctions in almost all cities, towns and states.

How To Decide On Which Car To Buy: It is a good idea to have already decided on the type or kind of vehicle that you want to buy before visiting a car auction. You should know what makes, models or years you will want to consider before you start checking out cars at an auction. Once you have your criteria set, closely inspect all the cars that match them. Most car auctions hold previews a day or two before the actual auction where you can examine the vehicles on the block closely. You should consider taking along a mechanic or an auto savvy friend who will be able to inspect the cars for you and tell you which ones are worth buying. Apart from checking the cars physically, note down the vehicle identification numbers (VIN) of the cars that you are interested in and run a vehicle history check for them before you decide to bid. Decide on which car to bid for based on the vehicle’s physical condition and history.

How To Bid At A Car Auction: Bidding at car auctions can turn out to be fast and furious and it is a good idea to go prepared before you actually start bidding. For one, you should set a maximum bidding amount for all the cars that you are interested in based on their present condition, history and market price. You can check out car price guides like the Kelley Blue Book, or the NADA or Edmunds Guide to find out the actual price of the vehicle that you are bidding for. Take care not to exceed the max bid amount that you set for yourself during bidding and you will never have to come home with a bad deal on your hands.  Make it a point to attend a few auctions as a spectator before placing your own bid.  That way you will be more confident, know how the auctions work, jargon used and the auction process which will lead to better buying success.

Even if you cannot travel to attend the live public auction, you can register for many online auctions. You can take part in an Internet auto auction through which you can bid for a car from the comfort of your own home. By clicking on a featured car, you can see if the vehicle is listed in the live auction web cast. Other details such as the car’s status, time of the auction, and current bid price can also be known by you online. Many people participate in the live public auction to buy cars and various other products as they find it less tedious and time consuming. You can also register for the internet auction or live public internet auction free of cost on the site.

You can be assured of finding a good quality car at a reasonable price by taking part in the seized car auction or live public auction. In case you are about to participate in your first car auction, you must follow some steps to make the entire experience productive. Just a day before the auction you can browse through the list of cars that would be coming up for sale at the auction site. You must also hold a valid driver’s license on the day of the auction. You must have the initial payment ready which must be deposited by way of cash, Visa or Mastercard or U.S certified check in case you decide on a car at the auction. Depending on the car’s cost, bid amount can vary.

You must also make arrangement to pick up your car from the auction site much earlier so that the entire process can be completed fully. This is because cars have to be picked up within one business day. You can also save time on the day of auction by pre-registering for the same in the office and giving your details a day prior to the auction.

Apart from the live public auction, quality cars can also be purchased through the auto auction, public auction, government auction and impounded sales. By undertaking research, you can be sure regarding the price of the car and whether it is worth the investment. You can also undertake a personal check of the car with the help of a car mechanic to assess its condition yourself.

Why are repo vehicles a cut above the rest?

Vehicles which belonged to criminals are usually the up market ones which are luxury vehicles and ones which the ordinary man only dreams about and can never imaging owning one. However, with the repo auctions it is very much possible to own one of these dream vehicles as they will be available for a throw away price at these auctions. The ones which have been confiscated for loan repayment set backs are almost brand new vehicles as the loans are yet to be repaid. So you can get an almost new vehicle of any type or model for a fraction of the market value. These are profitable deals because if you had gone in for a new car of any of these makes you would have paid a few thousands more for them. This not only gives you a big profit you can even turn it into a business opportunity  if you try buying and selling vehicles from thegovernment auctions.

Locate repo auctions and vehicles

If you see the daily news letters you can find auctions for used cars in the classified ads or you could find out about them online. If you do an online search for auctions which are going to happen in and around where you live, you will see pages of such auctions popping up and you can browse through them and find out about the vehicles which are going to be auctioned here. Repo vehicles are sold at police auctions, all vehicle auctions and even at online auctions. Once you locate the auction make sure you mark the date on your calendar so that you do not miss out on it. Once you register with them online you can access their database of cars and go through it to see which ones are suitable for your requirement. Now do some research on the cars which you have short listed, inspect them find out the market value and you are ready for the auction.

For people who are looking to buy a car, the first place they head to is the nearest car lot. There they meet up with the car dealer, who puts on his smile and gears up for a sales pitch that will dazzle the customers.

Car dealers are known to have some tricks up their sleeve. Here are some of them to watch out for,

1. We offer the best price
Most dealers will tell you that the price they are quoting is the best there is. No other  car dealer can match it. This gets the buyer interested and sometimes they fall for the trick, giving in and paying a price higher than worth. And then dealers will tell buyers to go ahead and visit other dealers. Knowing that the buyer is tired, and not in the    mood to do more window shopping, they will win the deal.

2. Targets
The most common trick used by dealers at any given point of time is that they are working towards their targets. If a buyer approaches them in the beginning of a month, it would be “I haven’t met my previous month’s targets, so this deal would do the needful for me”. In case of mid month, they would come up with something like “my manager has asked us all to work hard, and sell more cars than ever, so my targets have just shot up by another 10”. And if you happen to visit during last few days of a month, they will put you on a trip with “oh, please sir, I shall give you the highest discount, and if you were to buy this car, I would be eternally grateful”.

3. High trade in rates
If it’s a case of trade in, the dealer will tell the prospective buyer that he can offer X amount for the trade in. The price quoted by him will be higher than what the buyer expected, and he will happily make the trade in. But little will they realise that the dealer will have quoted the price of the new car higher as well, through which he makes the difference he lost on the trade in.

4. Repayment break ups
When a person makes a purchase on a monthly payment basis, they do not really make note of the amount that is paid out every month. The dealers are known to play around on this, where in they increase the monthly payments by a few hundreds, which finally amounts to quite a bit.

OPG or official police garage can be an excellent car auction guide. These garages owe the responsibility for holding and towing of cars impounded by LAPD. More than hundred thousand cars are impounded by the city officials in a year. Almost 60 percent of these vehicles are redeemed by their owners. The rest are kept by the local government for eventually selling them in public car auctions. OPG has these auctions (lien sale vehicle auctions) once in a week.

Another car auction guide might be the different firms across the city. They not only have information about the car auctions, but also are responsible for some of these events in the outlying areas of the city. If you go through the search engines and search for such firms, you will find the name in plenty. These firms help you in getting the best car in the market at the most reasonable rate.

The most important car auction guide for anyone is the web world. You will find information that you desire underneath your fingertips. From information on live car auctions to the online car auctions, the data is at galore on the web. The best part about the online guide is that it takes very little of your time and yet you get to know everything to the depth from such tools. You save money and time by surfing for information on the web.

So, choose the most convenient car auction guide, as this is the best way to go about a LA car auctions.

There are cases where people buy these cars for their own use, whereas others buy them with a mentality to resell them at higher rates. Whatever the eventual reasons be for buying cars from these auto auctions, the following car auction tips can help you in getting the best deals:

•    You should always be prepared financially to pay off your bid. There should be an estimation of the maximum bid from your end before visiting these live car auctions. Keeping the estimation in mind, you should ensure that the sum is your bank account on the day of the bid. There are seized car auction that asks for bank drafts on the same day.
•    You should reach these auction sites at the earliest. By reaching at the earliest, you will have the best views of all the cars showcased in the event. This helps in your decision to choose the best car for yourself.
•    You should never fail to inspect the car that you are supposed to buy. You should carefully look at their trunks, hoods and doors. Again, you should also find the VIN number of these cars and use them for searching their past history from the web. This is amongst the most important car auction tips, as it allows you to buy a clean car.
•    You should carefully go through the contract of the car. These purchases from seized car auctions are legal binding. Henceforth, you should check every clause in the contract. Again, the title change procedure is an issue that worries most. You should try to be thorough with the paper and find out the duration that is required for the procedure. Most car owners are right in feeling that these procedures should have immediate effect, as they are paying in full.

These car auction tips are bound to work for you at most auto auctions.

It is an extremely logical question with very sensible answer. Remember reading regarding the Loan companies which towed away the vehicles because the buyer could not fulfill the payment terms after purchase? Now isn’t that car as good as new? Ask yourself lest the Car Auction Advice rendered here become futile.
Government Auctions are generally organized in order to dispose used Government vehicles which have completed stipulated mileage/ age conditions (Normally 40-50,000 Km). Vehicle auctions are potentially the best places to obtain a good car albeit with a proficient Car Auction Advice. The concerns regarding the old vehicle history are misplaced since the computerization drive has ensured availability of every old car data online.

A good Car Auction Advice does not limit itself only up to guiding the buyer to an auction but also performs the watchdogs duty of informing he buyer regarding the intricate mechanisms and the obligatory checks required to ensure the serviceability of the car, in case of an older car. Car Auction Advice, in fact takes away almost every headache (even financial) which accompanies any large volume purchase. The best part, however, is that one gets to witness a number of models and makes of cars so that with little help of correct Car Auction Advice the dream car (at a dream price too) rolls right in front of their door.

Government auctions

As for auctions themselves, US government car auctions beat competition by a mile. Yes indeed, the government surplus vehicle and used vehicle auctions are generating the highest sales volume annually for the past few years. The best car guides are found at government web sites where experts help you learn.  Car auctions in Florida and car auctions in Las Vegas are actually sought after today!

What car auctions can do for you?

Good car auction guides will tell you that the popular Car auctions in Las Vegas and successful car auctions in Florida are the US government car auctions. These are hunted down by the masses and dealers because they are good! You deal directly, decide the price through bidding, inspect the documents and can even take a test drive sometimes! With a little patience, you will save thousands! Isn’t that tempting and preferable to waiting forever for discounts on brand new cars?

US government car auctions have web sites for online bidding as well. The variety of cars is endless and you almost always get a good bargain if you bid smart. You need not be an expert, but consulting reliable car auction guides will give you the upper hand so that you get what you want. Government auctions like many Car auctions in Florida and Car auctions in Las Vegas do not intentionally hide facts, but most car auction guides will advise you to check everything, just to be sure.

Tools to inspect vehicles, facts about inspecting and asking for a vehicle history document, information regarding good features in various segment cars and much more can be found on car auction guides online. Read and gather information and then prepare to beat some competition and make a great deal.

Decide On Whether You Want To Become A Retail Or A Wholesale Dealer: Car dealers can broadly be divided into wholesale and retail car dealers. While wholesale dealers can sell only to other dealers, retail dealers are the ones who get to sell to the public. As such, retail dealers have to be more responsible and are required to pay larger bonds and require more insurance. At the same time, they also make larger profits, so the cost more or less balances itself out.

Pass The Car Dealer Test: Almost all states require you to pass a Car Dealer License test before you get a dealers license. While tests are mandatory in most states, in California, you will also be required to sit through six hours of classes before you are allowed to take the test. Once you clear the test, you go on to the DMV approval stage for getting your license.

Get Your Location And Dealership Approved: Once you have passed the dealers license test, you go on to get your site approved. For this, you will need to submit photographs of your dealership and also allow for an on-site inspection. There are several issues that you need to pay attention to during this stage out of which, we mention the pertinent few.

Photographs: you will be required to submit not one or two but eleven photographs of your dealership. The photos that you are required to submit will be of:

· The Building
· Outside Sign
· Inside Signs
· Display Area
· Telephone
· Office
· Locked Cabinet
· Checkbook
· Business License
· Resale Permit
· DMV Dealer Book

Zoning: Zoning is an extremely important issue for dealers who want to get a retail license and might prove to be stumbling block for many. Make sure that the area you set up your dealership in has the required zoning permission for a retail dealership before starting your dealership. In order to get your dealership approved, you will have to submit a zoning approval letter to the DMV.
Other Documents: Other documents that you will need to submit for getting your dealership license are:

Get Some Practice: The majority of people buying at car auctions are car dealers who are veterans at the bidding game. In order to compete with them, you should first try to see them at auctions where you are not bidding. Observing the bidding process at a car auction will help you understand how the whole process moves and how it is often manipulated to inconvenience certain buyers.

Do Your Homework Well: The most crucial part of a bidding process is of course, the bid amount and this is where a lot of your labor is required. Before you bid on a car at an auction, it is extremely important that you get all the information possible about the cars you are interested in before the actual auction. Get the cars checked by a mechanic or professional at the preview and run a vehicle history check on it before you decide to bid on any vehicle. You can but books like the Kelley’s blue book, Edmund’s guide or the NADA’s guide which are a great help in determining the prices of used cars to get a fair idea of the actual market value of cars being sold at an auction.

Set Yourself A Maximum Bidding Amount: It is extremely important to have a pre-determined maximum bidding amount in mind for each car that you are bidding for before the actual bidding starts. You should base your maximum amount on the information that you have already acquired about the car, its actual market value and your own budget. Keep in mind that your highest bid should be at least thirty to forty per cent less than the actual market value since you will also have to pay a buyer’s premium of five to ten per cent of your bid value if you manage to win the bid. On the other hand, most people stop maintaining cars ages before they put them up for sale, so remember to save money for servicing and spares after you have bought the car.

Never Be The First To Bid: You should never be the first one to bid on a car in an auction. The main reason for this is that the bid price at an auction is at times higher than the real value of the car and serious bidders will start much lower than the initial bid price. By bidding first, you might end up raising the price of the vehicle that you plan to buy. Many auctioneers also plant their people in the audience whose sole purpose is to raise the bid amount. Showing your interest in a car at the beginning might lead to one of these plants raising the bid even further without your knowing it.

Get the Feel: Before you actually attend an auction to buy a car, it is a good idea to go to a couple of auctions just to understand the process of bidding and to get a feel of how car auctions work. While this might sound like a waste of time, it can prove to be extremely helpful when you actually bid for your car. Remember that the majority of bidders at car auctions are used car dealers who are extremely experienced at bidding in such auctions. It is a good idea to see how these people operate before taking on them in an auction.

Choose Carefully: Select the auction that you want to bid on carefully. Remember that government auctions are better than private auctions since they are generally more honest and you end up with better deals price wise at these auctions. Another thing that you have to keep in mind while selecting an auction is whether a preview is allowed or not. Most auctions let buyers inspect the vehicles a day or two before the date of the actual auction. Bidding on a vehicle without actually checking it out thoroughly is not a good idea at all, especially if you are not a car expert.

Buyer Beware: No matter who the auctioning agency is, cars sold at auctions are always sold on an as is basis, with no warranty whatsoever. On the other hand, you are also not allowed to test drive a vehicle. So it is extremely important that you get the car checked out physically during the preview by an expert or a mechanic and run a vehicle history check by getting the car’s vehicle identification number. Make sure that you also check that all the parts carry the same VIN and stay away from cars that do not confirm to this rule. Do not even think of bidding on a car without running a VIN check on it or without getting it inspected.

Never Get Carried Away: It is easy to get carried away and go on bidding higher and higher when caught up in bidding frenzy. But this is what generally leads to people paying up more than a vehicle’s actual value at an auction. Always set a maximum bid amount based on the condition of the car that you are bidding on and your own personal budget and never exceed this while bidding. Car auctions are held very frequently nowadays and you might be able to land a better deal at another one instead of paying more than a car’s actual market value just because you fancy it a lot.

· There are many kinds of car auctions, but most people will be quick to tell you that government car auctions are the best. Auctions held by government agencies score over other auctions in a number of ways. The main advantage that buyers get at government auctions is that the motive behind these auctions is not to make the maximum profit but rather to get rid of piling amounts of seized or out of commission inventory. At the same time, you can also be sure that government agencies do not tamper with the odometers or spare parts, which can be quite a possibility at private auctions. If you are looking out for luxury cars, then once again government auctions, especially those held by law enforcement agencies can prove quite fruitful for you, since these auctions often throw up sports or luxury cars that have been seized from criminals and law breakers.

· Now that you know which auctions to go for, you have to know where to find them. While most government agencies advertise their auctions in local newspapers, some might not do so. You can find out about auctions in your local area through websites providing this kind of information or approach government agencies personally and ask them about the date, time and venue for their next auction.

· Prepare a list of the kind of vehicles that you might want to bid on. It is not necessary that the car you want will turn up at an auction, and therefore having at least four to five choices increases your chance of getting a desired car at an auction. Once your list of cars is ready, find out the approximate prices of these cars from dealers, used car websites and publications that offer such data.

· Most auctions give prospective buyers a chance to inspect vehicles being sold at previews, which are held a day or two before the actual auction. Make it a point to attend the preview and inspect the cars thoroughly. Taking along a mechanic to do this is a good idea since he or she can update you about the actual condition and value of the vehicles that you might be interested in. Take the vehicle identification numbers of the cars that you want to bid on and check their histories through a reputable online vehicle history service.

· Determine and set yourself a maximum bid amount based on all the information that you have gathered about a vehicle and take care not to exceed this amount no matter what. Do not be the first one to bid, since it is a better idea to gauge the audience’s interest in your car before making a bid.

Who Holds Car Auctions? Different types of organizations and people hold different kinds of car auctions for different purposes. The best car auctions are those that are held by government agencies like tax departments, local police and other law enforcement agencies. Auctions of vehicles repossessed by banks and other financial and lending institutions also throw up very good bargains at times.

Why Should You Buy At Car Auctions? Most people buy at car auctions because they offer prices which are not available anywhere else. A large number of cars being auctioned off are sold at prices that are fifty to seventy per cent less than their actual market value. In the worst case, you can easily get a car for three fourths of its market value at an auction. Most used car dealers also pick up cars from auctions, carry out minor jobs and then sell them off with huge profits. It is because of this reason that you should always check out car auctions before going a used car dealer. Apart from this, car auctions, especially those featuring seized and repossessed vehicles sometimes feature great cars in very good condition being sold for a fraction of their market values. Many people end up buying luxury vehicles quite cheap at such car auctions.

Where Are These Auctions Held? Car auctions are held at regular intervals of time by most government agencies and financial institutions. Most agencies hold car auctions monthly, quarterly or annually and you can easily find out about car auctions in your area through written mass media. However checking out car auction sites on the internet is a better idea and generally provides better results. You can also contact your local law enforcement agencies and ask them about the date and venue for their next car auction.

What Does One Need To Bid At Car Auctions? Apart from the fact that you need to be above eighteen years of age and possess your own driver’s license, having an ample amount of cash in the bank to pay for your car in case you win the bid is necessary. Most auctions do not accept checks or credit cards and payment is generally made only through drafts or cash.

What’s The Catch? There are two main things that you need to take care of before you start bidding at car auctions. The first one is that you are buying a used car and used cars always need to be looked at with caution. Carry out all checks possible before bidding on a vehicle. The other thing that you need to beware of is exceeding a pre-decided budget while bidding. Many people push up bids on cars much above their actual market value. Make sure that you do not get carried away while bidding and you will definitely come out a winner from a car auction.

Do your homework well: Remember that you are buying a used car at an auction and there is a pretty high chance of used cars turning out to be lemons. In order to avoid coming home with a useless piece of trash, spend some time in finding out all about the cars that you want to bid for. Almost all auction houses print catalogues that feature details about the vehicles being auctioned off. You can find a vehicle’s make, model, year, mileage and VIN number through the catalogue and try to find out the car’s market value through used car dealers or by doing some research on the internet. There are a number of bluebooks and black-books available in the market that can also help you determine the right price to pay at an auction since these are books that give you approximate values of used cars.

Do not miss the preview: Most car auctions hold previews a day or two before the actual auction. This is the time when you are allowed to go and check out the cars on sale personally. Check everything from the power train to the paint and the carpeting at the preview, since this would actually give you an idea about the real value of the vehicle that you plan to buy. It is advised that you take along a friend who knows all about cars to check out the vehicles to be auctioned on your behalf. If you do not know anybody who can do this for you, just hire a mechanic. His or her services can actually save you a lot of money later on.

Arrive early at the auction: Knowing the time and venue of the auction is a great help since the early bird takes the worm is quite an apt saying when it comes to car auctions. This is extremely important if you have not previewed the cars before. You might find out that a lot of people are interested in the car that you plan to bid for, but do not let this lead to your raising your pre-fixed maximum bid amount. Listen to your mind rather than your heart, and you should be able to manage a good deal.
Do not forget to run a vehicle history check: There are a number of services that provide vehicle history reports based on the VIN. It is extremely crucial that you get a complete vehicle history before bidding on any car in an auction, since this might throw up facts that might change your whole perspective about the vehicle in question.

· The first thing to do if you want to get a decent deal at an auction is to locate a decent auction. While there are many different types of auctions, the best ones as far as prices are concerned are government or police auctions. The main motive behind these auctions is not to make as much profit as possible and therefore, you end up finding the best vehicles at the best prices possible in these auctions.

· Once you have located some good auctions in your area, the next thing to do is to start doing your research. Almost all auction conductors let potential buyers inspect vehicles for sale a day or two before the actual auction is held at auction previews. Attending a preview is extremely important since this is the time when you actually get to examine the cars on sale up close and personal. Most auctions will let you start but not test drive the vehicle during the preview. Check out the cars you are interested in extremely carefully. It is a good idea to take along a mechanic who will give you the correct picture about the actual state of the vehicle and its real value to the preview, since this might end up saving you a lot of money in the long run.

· While physical inspection at a preview is extremely important, it is not the be-all and end-all. You should never bid on a vehicle until and unless you have run a VIN history report. There are a number of online services that will provide you with the complete history of a vehicle based on its vehicle identification number—this will include accident history and any title or legal issues. Note down the VINs of all the vehicles you are interested in during the preview so that you can check their histories once you come back home.

· Based on all the information that you have gathered about a car from the physical inspection and the history, try to get an idea about its actual market price. Some publications like the Kelley Blue Book or the NADA guide, which are available in some states, provide you with approximate prices of used cars. If you cannot lay your hands on any such books, then you can check out your local dealerships and the internet to get a general idea of the price of a particular car.

· After all your research is complete, set a maximum bid amount for each car that you plan to bid on. Take care not to exceed this amount while bidding and never be the first person to bid. Keep these two things in mind and you should be able to get a deal that provides value for money.

· The first and most important thing that you need to do before bidding in an auction is to check the car that you are bidding for both inside and out. While some auctions will allow potential buyers to come and preview the cars to be sold a day or two before the actual bidding, others might let you see the cars only before the auction. Prefer to buy at auctions that allow previews, but if they don’t, then you better go prepared for the eventuality.

· Before you go to an auction, then it is advised that you arm yourself with a couple of things. A membership to a service that allows you to run vehicle history checks online through the VIN# is one of them. Once you have this in hand, carry an internet enabled device like your mobile phone, blackberry or pocket PC to the auction so that you can get instant reports of the vehicles you are interested in. If you cannot manage any of these, then have  a friend with a phone sit in front of an internet enabled PC who can personally check and provide you with histories of the vehicles you are interested in. If you cannot manage any of these, then attend auctions that allow previews so that you can come back home and check VIN history before bidding, since bidding without knowing a vehicle’s history is akin to extreme foolishness.

· Apart from checking vehicle histories, carrying out physical checks is also extremely important, and if you do not know everything about autos yourself, then taking along a mechanic to do this for you is a good idea. Make sure that you check for everything ranging from carpeting and painting to power train and brakes, since this might throw up information which can change your decision to buy a car. If you live in a state that has been flooded recently, then make sure that you look for signs of flood damage in the cars. Signs of accidents and repair work can also be found only through thorough physical checking by an expert, so make sure that you get the job done thoroughly.

Get prepared in advance: Buying a car at an auction is not as easy as going to a showroom and driving out with your preferred car. A car auction can be easily compared to a competition where the best person wins, since in a car auction also, the person with the highest bid gets to take his or her preferred car home. However, becoming the highest bidder at a car auction might not actually make you a winner. Taking a good decision will and for this you need to start preparing yourself at least a month before you actually bid for your preferred car. The first thing you need to do is to get a list of all the car auctions that are going to be held in your area. The larger the number of auctions that you can attend; the higher are your chances of finding your preferred car at a good price.

Read up and check thrice: Once you have a list of all the car auctions that are going to be held and you have already narrowed down the particular kind of car that you want to bid for, it is time to start your research. In order to get a fair idea of the market price of the car that you are planning to buy, approach at least two to three dealers as a buyer and ask them what that kind of car (make, model and mileage) would cost you. Deduct at least ten to fifteen percent of what the dealers tell you and you have with you the actual worth of the car. Deduct another ten to twenty per cent (after all, you are supposed to save at an auction) and set this as your maximum bidding price. Carry out this process for at least three to five types of cars, since you might not be able to find the particular make and model you are looking for at auctions if your choice is limited to just one.

Always attend the preview: Potential customers are allowed to check the vehicles being auctioned a day or two before the actual auction in what are known as auction previews. This is your opportunity to see the car up close and personal and check it for all kinds of defects. You should take along a mechanic to the preview, since only someone well versed with automobiles will be able to detect engine problems, defective or cheap spares, remodeling and paint jobs etcetera and give you a fair idea of the actual value of the car being sold.

A number of government and law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal level come into possession of a large amount of goods and property as a result of seizures from people and businesses that violate certain laws or rules. Add to this a large amount of unclaimed property and government surpluses and you can easily understand what constitutes auctions held by these agencies. Most of these government agencies do not have the space to store or the personnel to maintain seized goods, as a result of which these goods are auctioned off at regular intervals.

The main agencies that auction off seized or reclaimed cars are the GSA, the IRS, the FBI, DEA, Department of the Treasury, Border Patrol and Homeland Security, to name a few. Apart from these, local and state police departments also regularly auction off seized and repossessed vehicles. On the other hand, auctions are also held by banks and other financial institutions, who generally sell off repossessed property through public auctions.

Auctions held by government agencies, especially law enforcement agencies are considered to be the best ones price wise because the main reason behind these auctions is not to make profit but rather to get rid of surplus seized goods. Over certain periods of time, the police and other law enforcement agencies come into possession of large amounts of seized property. The storage and maintenance cost of this property drains off precious financial resources of these agencies. Therefore, the main motive behind these auctions is not to make money but rather save money that would otherwise need to be spent on storage of seized cars. It is because of this reason that the minimum bid amount at a large number of government auctions is quite low. On the other hand, you might find that auctions selling vehicles repossessed by banks and other financial institutions have prices that are closer to the market value of the vehicle. This is because these institutions try to balance the losses which they have suffered as a result of non payment of loan through these auctions.

You can start looking through local newspapers in order to locate a government car auction near you. Most agencies hold auctions at regular intervals –yearly, bi-annually, quarterly or even monthly. The internet is a great source of information for locating car auctions in your area. You can also contact your local government agencies and ask them about the date and venue of their next auction. 

· Locate a car auction first. Car auctions are held both by government agencies as well as private parties. In order to locate a car auction in your area, you can start checking your local newspapers regularly, since this is the place where most car auctions are advertised. You can also locate car auctions through websites that provide this kind of information. While government held car auctions might not throw up a lot of variety, especially in small towns, they are better than private auctions because they are more honest and cheap.

· Once you are aware of the car auctions being held, get your hands on their catalogues and select a number of biddable vehicles. Do not stick to a particular make or model, since an auction is not a car brand showroom and what you want might take ages to show up in one.

· After you have short listed the cars that you want to bid for, get an idea of their market values. It is advised that you do this only after you have all the required details about the car—the make, model, mileage, accessories and the VIN history.

· Based on these details, you can either find the approximate market values of these prices from dealers, mechanics or from publications that provide this kind of information. The internet is also a good source. If you get your price quote from a dealer, then remember to reduce twenty per cent from the price since this would constitute the dealer’s cut.

· Get the VIN history of the car. There are a number of online services that provide complete vehicle histories—accidents, ownerships, claims and other details which can crucially influence the price of a car. Many people selling at auctions might not want to divulge these details. In case of seized or repossessed cars, the auctioning party might not be even aware of the vehicle’s history. Many auction agencies will provide you a vehicle’s VIN history, but the best course to take is to run an independent VIN check before bidding on a vehicle.

· Set a maximum amount for yourself before you start bidding. Based on all the information that you have gained about the car and its market price, set yourself a maximum bidding amount so that you do not exceed practical limits when caught up in bidding frenzy. Do not exceed this amount no matter what. Remember that there will be other auctions and you might get a better deal at another one.