Bring a Trailer
Bring a Trailer is an online auction site where private sellers and dealers list collector and enthusiast vehicles for timed, week-long sales. This page covers what it sells, how bidding works, and every buyer cost we could find, with a straight link to bringatrailer.com.
- Founded
- 2007
- Owner
- Hearst (since 2020)
- Buyer's fee
- 5%, $250 to $7,500
- Auction length
- 7 days
Go to Bring a Trailer →How buying worksFees
About Bring a Trailer
Bring a Trailer started in 2007 as a blog that pointed readers to interesting cars for sale, and later turned into an auction site. It was founded by Randy Nonnenberg and Gentry Underwood. Hearst bought the company in 2020 and runs it within its auto group. It is one of the largest online venues for enthusiast cars in the United States.
Each listing runs as a timed online auction, most for seven days. Listings carry a long photo set and a written history, and registered users can ask the seller questions in public comments. A bid late in the sale extends the clock, so the end time can move. The site does not hold the car or the money: the buyer pays the seller directly after the sale.
What's sold on Bring a Trailer
How buying works at Bring a Trailer
- Make an accountRegister on the site with an email address, a phone number and a credit card. The card is needed before you can bid.
- Read the listingGo through the photos, the history and the comments, and ask the seller questions in public before you bid.
- BidPlace bids during the timed sale. When you bid, a hold for the buyer's fee is put on your card. Late bids add time to the clock.
- Add the costsIf you win, the site charges 5% of the winning bid to your card, at least $250 and at most $7,500. Tax, title and shipping are on top.
- Pay and collectContact the seller, pay the full price directly to them, usually by wire, and arrange pickup or shipping.
What it costs
These are the buyer costs Bring a Trailer publishes for vehicle auctions in 2026.
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Buyer's fee (vehicles, 2026) | 5% of the winning bid |
| Minimum buyer's fee | $250 |
| Maximum buyer's fee | $7,500, reached at a $150,000 winning bid |
| Card hold while bidding | A hold for the buyer's fee goes on your card when you bid and is released if you lose |
| Parts, wheels and other items | A different fee rate applies to non-vehicle listings; it is shown on each listing before you bid |
| Registration | Free |
| Payment to the seller | No added site fee; you pay the seller directly |
| Title and paperwork | Handled between buyer and seller; no site fee. Your state charges its own title and registration fees |
| Shipping | Quoted per car through the site's shipping partners, or arranged by you |
A worked example: a $40,000 winning bid adds a $2,000 buyer's fee, so the car costs $42,000 before tax, title and shipping. A $200,000 winning bid adds the $7,500 maximum, for $207,500.
Paying, pickup and storage
| When to pay | The buyer's fee is charged to your card right after the auction. The car itself is normally paid for within about a week, on terms set with the seller. |
| Payment | You pay the seller directly, most often by wire transfer or cashier's check. The site does not hold the funds. |
| Deposit | No deposit; a card hold for the buyer's fee is placed when you bid. |
| Pickup | Arranged with the seller after payment clears, either in person or by a shipper. |
| Storage | No site storage. Any holding time is agreed with the seller. |
| Title | The seller signs the title over and sends it to you after payment. |
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UX Search is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Bring a Trailer. Bidding, payment and delivery all happen on the house's own site under its own terms. Information checked October 22, 2026 from bringatrailer.com could not be fetched directly (blocked for our tool) and The Autopian (Feb 2025, fee change report confirming 5%, $250 min, $7,500 max) and Motorious, Complete Guide to Auction Fees (Sept 2026) and hypercars.io auction fee table (verified Aug 2026) and Gear Patrol, Classic Insurance and Haulin.ai buyer guides and Wikipedia (company history); fees and rules can change, so confirm them on the sale page.