The How To Guide To Car Auctions

Car auctions are great places to buy used cars at very low prices. In fact, it is a good idea to check out a couple of car auctions before approaching a dealer or a private party for buying a used car. For those who know nothing about car auctions, here is our “how to” guide to car auctions.

How To Find A Car Auction: 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. However, most car auctions are advertised in the local papers and the internet 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 planned 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 parameters set, closely inspect all the cars that confirm to 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 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 mock auction before attending your first car auction or attend a few auctions as a spectator before placing your own bid.