Collecting Cars
Collecting Cars is a UK-founded online auction site where sellers list collector cars and motorcycles for seven-day sales open to buyers worldwide. This page covers what it sells, how bidding and payment work, and every buyer cost we could find for U.S. buyers in 2026, with a straight link to collectingcars.com.
- Founded
- 2019
- Based in
- United Kingdom
- Buyer's fee
- 6%, $1,000 to $10,000
- Auction length
- 7 days
Go to Collecting Cars →How buying worksFees
About Collecting Cars
Collecting Cars was founded in 2019 by Edward Lovett and is based in the United Kingdom. It runs online auctions for buyers in the UK, Europe, Australia, the United States and elsewhere. It opened to U.S. sellers after its UK launch. The buyer's fee depends on where the buyer is based.
Standard auctions run for seven days online, and cars stay with the seller during the sale. The site also runs a Sealed Bids format with a fixed deposit. Buyers pay the buyer's fee by card and pay the seller directly, usually by bank transfer.
What's sold on Collecting Cars
How buying works at Collecting Cars
- Make an accountSign up and register a credit or debit card through Stripe.
- BidBid during the seven-day sale. A temporary hold goes on your card when you bid.
- Add the costsU.S. buyers pay 6% of the winning bid, at least $1,000 and at most $10,000, charged to the card.
- Pay the sellerPay the hammer price to the seller, usually by bank transfer, within 7 working days.
- CollectCollect the car or arrange delivery within the same 7 working days.
What it costs
These are the buyer costs Collecting Cars publishes for 2026, by where the buyer is based.
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Buyer's fee, U.S. and other non-UK, non-AU buyers (2026) | 6% of the winning bid |
| Minimum, cars | $1,000 |
| Minimum, motorcycles | $500 |
| Maximum | $10,000, reached at a $166,667 winning bid |
| UK buyers | 7.2% including VAT, minimum £1,200 (£600 bikes), maximum £7,200 |
| EU buyers, German-listed cars | 7.14% including VAT, minimum €1,190, maximum €8,330 |
| Australian buyers | 6.6% including GST, minimum A$2,200, maximum A$12,100 |
| Card hold while bidding | A temporary pre-authorization; the amount is shown when you bid |
| Sealed Bids deposit | $15,000 (or £10,000, €10,000, A$20,000), counted toward the price |
A worked example for a U.S. buyer: a $40,000 winning bid adds a $2,400 buyer's fee, so the car costs $42,400 before tax, import costs and shipping. A $10,000 car pays the $1,000 minimum.
Paying, pickup and storage
| When to pay | Within 7 working days of the auction; Sealed Bids within 14 days. |
| Payment | Buyer's fee by card through Stripe; the price to the seller usually by bank transfer. Sealed Bids also allow escrow. |
| Deposit | None for standard auctions; a fixed deposit for Sealed Bids. |
| Pickup | Collect or arrange delivery within 7 working days of winning. |
| Storage | None from the site; partner storage is offered at a monthly or yearly fee. |
| Import | Buyers bringing a car from another country must check it has the papers to register it at home. |
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UX Search is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Collecting Cars. Bidding, payment and delivery all happen on the house's own site under its own terms. Information checked October 22, 2026 from collectingcars.com (FAQ, how auctions work guide) and hypercars.io auction fee table (verified Aug 2026) and The Drive (U.S. launch report); fees and rules can change, so confirm them on the sale page.