If you need a car, you usually head to a dealership or search for a private seller, but there’s a third option you may have not considered.
In fact, it’s how a lot of car dealers pick up inventory. The Delaware Auto Exchange in Felton is open to the public. Sean stops by to find out what a first time attendee should know.
jeep
limo
CJ Faison with Delaware Auto Exchange tells us that a public auto auction is where you can buy like a dealer at an auction. The benefits to the buyer would be that they get to save money. CJ tells us that you can find pretty much any vehicle at the auction.
“You can find anything. Mainly it’s just cars, trucks, vans, and SUV’s. We have motorcycles, limousines, box trucks, party buses,” CJ says. “Anything that you can register at the DMV, we’re going to sell it here.”
CJ says the process is pretty simple. When you get to the auto exchange, you register. In order to register, you need your driver’s license and a $400 cash deposit. You also need proof of insurance.
“The deposit will go towards the vehicle you purchase. If you do not purchase a vehicle, you get the $400 back,” CJ says.
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CJ explains a first-time buyer seminar. These seminars are on Thursday nights at 6:20 pm just before the auctions. In these seminars, they explain how everything will work during the auction so things can be less intimidating and you get a better understanding of it all.
CJ says purchasing a car from the auction is a very different way to buy a car.
“Typically, your car auctions are not open to the public. We are very rare,” CJ says. “In the Mid-Atlantic region, we are one of the very few that allows the public to buy like a dealer. That’s what makes us so successful.”
You can also attend the auction for free if you are not looking to purchase a car. The last Thursday of each month, you can attend for free and receive a free BBQ chicken dinner. Auctions are Thursday nights at 6:30 pm at the Delaware Auto Exchange in Felton. Check out a vehicle list and auction calendar here.
