Choose Your Auction Type!

As a seller, you can choose the type of auction that gets the results-and the price-you want! As a buyer, check out which auction type you'd like to try.

1. Reserve Price Auctions (available only in select vehicle categories)
   Set a reserve price if you absolutely, positively won't sell below a certain price.
   • Bidders know there's a reserve price, but they do not know what it is.
   • When a bidder matches or exceeds the reserve price, the seller gets his or her price and the bidder gets the deal!
   • If no bidders meet the reserve price, neither the seller nor the high bidder are under any further obligation.
   • Reserve price is only an option in select vehicle categories. You can't use reserve prices for Dutch Auctions, and items with reserve prices are not displayed in the Hot Items section.
2. Private Auctions
   Strictly hush, hush—use this auction to protect a buyer's privacy.
   • Bidders' email addresses won't show up on the item or bidding-history screens.
   • When the auction is over, only the seller will know who bought the item.
   • This option can't be used with Dutch Auctions.
3. Dutch Auctions
   This fast-paced, free-for-all format is perfect if you have multiple, identical items to sell.
   • Sellers start by listing a minimum price, or starting bid, and the number of items for sale.
   • Bidders specify both a bid price and the quantity they want to buy.
   • All winning bidders pay the same price-which is the lowest successful bid. That might be less than what you bid!
   • If there are more buyers than items, the earliest successful bids get the goods.
   • Higher bidders get the quantities they've asked for.
   • Bidders can refuse partial quantities.
     Check out an example.