Best Kept Secrets Of Car Auction Regulars
Even if you don't know a darned thing about cars, and just want to get a beater for the season or something good on gas mileage for the commute to work, you can still get a great deal at a car auction without ever having been there before. All you have to do is know a few tricks of the trade.
You see, there are some car auction buyers that go every week just to pick up a car to flip. In other words, they use their keen eye and in-depth knowledge of the market to get the best deals at a car auction and then sell it for twice and sometimes three times the price they paid - without even touching a single part of the engine or body. Yet others buy cars specifically to fix, restore, or "sup it up" for racing, or an ego boost.
Whatever the reason, they know the ins and outs of the car auction, and almost always land a great deal every single time they go. How do they do it? Well, for the most part it's a matter of patience and impeccable timing. The rest of it, for you at least, will be sheer intuition, especially if you don't know anything about cars or their going price on the market.
Get friendly with the car auction workers
Don't worry about the guy behind the window, he doesn't know a darned thing about cars. The people you really want to talk to are the auctioneer's helper and drivers for the car auction. Chat up the auctioneer's helper to figure out what cars move the fastest at this particular car auction and why. You can also let him know what kind of specifics you're looking for, such as an automatic transmission.
If you are a particularly distinguishable person, or someone that he ends up liking a lot, he'll get your attention when something you might light pops up during the car auction. For instance, number one, I'm female, and ladies just plain don't show up to car auctions, much less alone with brightly colored hair wearing a skirt and high heels - every single week. The auctioneer's helper quickly learned who I was, what I wanted, and always hollered, "this one's a junker" to let me know it's what I'm looking for, without telling the other bidders at the car auction that it's actually a keeper.
Another excellent resource is the driver. Whenever a certain car piques your interest, knock on the window and ask the driver what kind of quirks the car has. Did it need a jump? Does the air conditioning and heat work? What about the radio? Then watch them as they drive the car into and out of the car auction to make sure they don't have to jump through hoops to get the car in gear and go.
Time well spent
Don't waste your time getting to the car auction really early - but do show up with enough time to secure a good spot. You should also expect to be there most if not all of the day. Most of the crowd will leave fairly early, leaving you with the best cars and no competition in the last hours of the car auction.
Additionally, if you don't know anything about cars, it's a great idea to call mechanics after the car auction. Act like you're figure out what's wrong with your car, and ask them about the sounds you heard each car making at the car auction so you can be better prepared for the next one.
