Dallas county police auctions are a great way to find cheap deals on quality used cars. Over the past several years, Dallas County as slowly transitioned to online auctions in conjunction with their live auctions. To save time and money, the local police auctions and county sheriff auctions are sometimes combined. This allows the auctions to be held more often while still offering a full listing. They key to getting the best deals is identifying the best available vehicles and learning more about each vehicles history.
What to Expect from Dallas County Police Auctions
Depending on the type of police auction, the listing can vary wildly. The most common type of police auctions in Dallas County primarily include cars that have towed, confiscated, and impounded by local law enforcement. In many cases, the Dallas county sheriff will utilize local towing companies that work with the City of Dallas. This is because these towing companies are already familiar with the procedures they need to follow. Depending on the towing company used, the cars could be taken to one of several impound lots.
If the Dallas county police auction listing is composed primarily of impounded vehicles, the listing will have a lot variance. There is little chance that more than one or two of the same type of vehicle will be available. As a result, vehicles which are in high demand will go for a premium while the rest will be sold for well below market value. To thrive in this type of auction, it is important to choose multiple potential target vehicles. The more vehicles you are content with bidding on, the more likely one of them will have very few additional competing bidders.
If the Dallas county police auction is held in conjunction with local surplus auctions, there the listing becomes more predictable. Local surplus auctions typically have large listings but with very little variance. There are normally a large number of similar vehicles. This is because local and county governments typically purchase their fleet in bulk. As a result, the auction listing will have a lot of whatever type of vehicle they are replacing.
How to Get the Best Deals at Dallas County Police Auctions
There several key actions buyers must take in order to get the best deals as Dallas county police auctions. All of the actions fall into two categories – preparation and auction day decision making.
Effectively Preparing for Dallas County Auctions
Taking the time to prepare for an upcoming auction is essential. Unfortunately, many people undervalue the importance of preparation and often come away from the auction unsatisfied with their purchase. The most important aspect of preparation is getting to know your target vehicles. There is no reason to show up to an auction without a handful of potential target vehicles. If you can limit the number of target vehicles to a manageable number, it will be easier to do the necessary background research. It will also be easier to stay organized on the day of the auction.
To simplify this process, many people are now turning to online auction websites. These websites are specifically designed to help buyers make the best auction-day decisions possible. First, they provide up to date listing information. Having an updated listing is essential for choosing the right target vehicles. Nothing is worse than showing up to an auction and seeing several interesting vehicles that you didn’t know were available. Either you will end up “bidding blind” and hoping for the best or not bidding on them and regretting it later.
How Make Smart Auction Day Decisions
There are two components of making smart auction day decisions and landing cheap deals at Dallas county auto auctions. The first is staying organized. All of the preparation in the world doesn’t do any good if you aren’t organized during the auction. Information is only useful if it is available when you need it. There is nothing worse than missing out on a great deal because you weren’t organized. In most cases, a simple spreadsheet or Word document is more than enough to keep all of your information in a central, organized location.
The second aspect of making smart auction day decisions is self-control. It is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind action that surrounds you at an auction. If you have already taken the time to research target vehicles and set bid limits then why wouldn’t you follow them? This is the biggest problem most people face. It is easy to feel invested in a vehicles after spending so much time researching it but that is no excuse for exceeding the maximum bid limit you placed on it as a result of your research.
A Few Examples of Cheap Deals at Recent Dallas County Auctions
2004 Cadillac Escalade E
This 2004 Cadillac Escalade E was originally impounded by Dallas county sheriffs. Instead of selling it right away at auction, it was used for several months as a sting vehicle. It was black with a 6.0 liter V8 engine. It still ran and drove great. It had just over 132,000 miles on it. The winning bidder paid only $6,000 for it, but the estimate secondary market value was more than $9,000. Plus, since the police force had recently used it, it came with a clean title.
2003 Lexus LS 430
Another great deal at a recent Dallas county police auction was this 2003 Lexus LS 430. It had minor dents and scratches on the sides and front end. The damage did not appear to be the result of a major accident, but rather normal wear and tear. This 4 door sedan was gray and had a 4.3 liter V8 engine. The winning bidder paid only $5,700 even though the estimate retail value was closer to $12,000. This was likely because the mileage was unknown.
2003 Audi A4
At a recent Dallas county auction, a 2003 Audi A4 was sold for less than $2,500. This is the perfect example of how savvy auction buyers can get cheap deals if they prepare for the auction and make smart auction day decisions. There were only minor dents and scratches on this gray 4 door sedan. Like most 2003 Audi’s, it had a less than powerful engine with the 1.8 liter inline 4 but offers excellent fuel efficiency, especially when considering its age. With only 131,000 miles on it, this car carried an estimated retail value of nearly $9,000.
