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Many auction platforms exist to help people buy and sell items like household products, furniture, antiques, electronics, collectibles, cars, and clothing. Online auctions allow people to find unique products that might be nearly impossible to get elsewhere. Not only can sellers get the best price for their items, but buyers can score good deals too!
In an online auction, people place products up at a starting price and anyone can bid on the item, continually increasing the price as they do so. There is a timeframe when bidding is open, and once it closes, the person who has offered the highest amount of money "wins" the bid. This has become a popular hobby for many people who seek out collectibles and other hard-to-find products as they compete with others for the chance to own them.
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As one of the longest-running and well-known online auction sites, eBay has much to offer their sellers and customers. They are widely used and support many individuals who run small businesses on their platform. You can find anything from hand-crafted products to electronics to used items in someone's closet on this site. If you're interested in purchasing classic cars, you'll even be able to find those on eBay too. They are one of the most robust, easy-to-use, and reliable online auction sites and they've earned our highest rating.
Invaluable specializes in auctioning off fine art from recognized artists around the world. They do not accept individual consignments, so you know that everything on their site has been vetted and appraised to be of high value. You can create an account for free and participate in their live or timed auctions at your convenience. This is a great option for people interested in collecting rare, unique pieces of art.
If you're willing to play the game, DealDash is an interesting way to get massive savings on new products. You'll have to pay money to bid on items and may end up losing money in the end without any product in return, but you could score a good deal if you are persistent. DealDash has a smaller customer base than some other online auction sites and could use a website update to give it a more consistent and professional appeal. However, customers have great things to say about DealDash and you might too if you give it a try.
Atomic Mall is an online auction site that sells nearly everything under the sun except large items like vehicles. Their website is badly in need of a makeover and makes it painful to casually browse products. Many customers and sellers have had great success on Atomic Mall, so we recommend this site if you're looking for something specific. Otherwise, you'll have a more enjoyable experience with a higher-rated online auction platform.
You'll find a huge, random assortment of independent sellers on eBid. From handmade rugs to trading cards to stamp collections, eBid has an interesting lot of products to buy. There are lots of flashy advertisements and unappealing web pages that make it hard to casually browse this site. If you are trying to find a particular item, we recommend searching on eBid in case you find it in one of their over 2,905,000 listings. However, shopping at a higher-rated online auction site will be a more visually appealing experience.
Liquidation takes overstock, damaged, or returned items from places like Target, Amazon, Home Depot, and Wayfair and auctions them off in bulk. It's one of the best places to buy high-end products by the truckload, pallet, or package from reputable stores. Their registration and buying process is easy enough and their website has plenty of filtering options so you can find what you're looking for. The main concern we have with Liquidation is the poor customer reviews around the internet about not receiving orders, products looking different than described, orders getting cancelled, and other issues.
QuiBids shows all their high-end, name-brand items up for auction being sold for only a few dollars. They claim that their auction site is the most fun and exciting way to shop online and that users save up to 98% of retail prices. However, their website gives scam-like vibes, most customers have complained about their practices, they've been sued for false advertising, and they are one of the more expensive online auction sites. It's a no-brainer that avoiding QuiBids is a good idea.
For both buyers and sellers, online auction sites are a great place to turn if you're wanting a specific item. Whether it's an antique clock or the newest Apple watch, you'll usually be able to find them at an online auction. This gives people the chance to get their hands on products that might not be available in stores.
Before choosing an online auction site to use, we recommend you keep the following criteria in mind:
To help you identify the best online auction sites, TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked a variety of options. We hope this information helps you find new and exciting items for a great price!
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