Auto Auction

[PikeTipper]

Does anyone know how an average Joe would get to bid on a vehicle at the Minneapolis Auto Auction? I don't really know anything about it but have heard only dealers or certain people can go and bid. Thanks for any info.

[slotlimit]

That is true. You have to have a dealers license. I have baught all 3 of my current vehicles from there. My wifes relative has a dealers license and he charges the cost of the vehicle plus $300 for family and $500 for the rest of the community. The good thing about him is he was a mechanic before starting his business. Because when you buy a vehicle down there you don't get to drive them. You can start them up and check it over. After the purchase they have a test track and you can take if for a spin. Them if something is wrong you can sometimes get out of the purchase but not always. Just stay away from the consignment line. We usually by a lease return vehicle with 32,000 to 40,000 miles on them. I look at it this way. If someone buys a vehicle on a lease everything is under warranty. So if something did go wrong why would the person owning it not go get it fixed? It's free. We have yet to have anything go wrong with any vehicle we own from there. Knock on Wood.

[DigitalFisherman]

Mpls Auto Auction is dealer only, as is Northstar in Shakopee and Slot’s correct; if you know somebody with a dealers license (broker, wholesaler, towing company), you can typically find some very nice lease returns. Metro Auto Auctions in St Paul runs a weekly public auction as does Copart in Ham Lake although I believe Copart has gone to internet auctions exclusively.

[icechipper]

Let me know if you need someone to buy a car for you from the Auction, you can save some $$$ buying it there compared to off of the lot. Last car I bought came from there, saved about $3500 compared to lot prices.

Where are you from??

[cold one sd]

I called a dealer that was at the auction at the time and told him what I wanted and what I was willing to pay. He called me back in less than an hour and told me that it would be here in town by 11 am the next day. I ended up with a beautiful pickup for $5k under book price. That was in o 2000 and I'm still driving it.

[PikeTipper]

Icechipper - It's for my father-in-law who lives in Spicer, he doesn't know any dealers but is very interested.

[slotlimit]

Pike,

Just have the father-inlaw go to a local used car dealer. Almost all of them get their cars from there. I'm sure they would be willing to deal. Just tell them what you want. They can show you right off the internet what that type of vehicle has been going for lately so you know what price you're looking at.