How it works
From listing to pickup in five steps. Every charge shown before you bid.
These are the platform rules. Each auction sets its own buyer’s premium, payment deadline and pickup terms, and shows them on the auction page before you bid.
- 1
Condition stated before it is listed
Each lot page shows a description, photos, location, pickup and shipping rules and, where the seller sets one, a condition grade from a published scale. The platform refuses to publish a lot whose description states a condition grade that its condition field does not record. Read the whole listing: many lots are used, returned or sold as-is.
The seller photographs each lot and records its condition on a published scale. A lot cannot be published if its description states a grade its condition field does not record.
- 2
Register once, card before first bid
You need a free account and, for each auction, a completed registration: accept that auction's terms, choose pickup or shipping where offered, and save a verified payment card. Some auctions also ask for a $1 card authorization that is never captured, a deposit, phone or identity verification, or the seller's approval of your registration.
Email, password, one consent. Your card is verified before your first bid — nothing is charged until you win.
- 3
Bid with the total in front of you
Your total for a lot is the hammer price plus the buyer's premium set by that auction's seller, applicable sales taxes (GST/HST, QST or PST) and any shipping or handling charges shown on the auction page. The total is shown before you confirm a bid. A bid is binding and cannot be withdrawn once placed.
Your bid, the auction’s buyer’s premium and your province’s sales tax are shown together before you bid.
- 4
Soft close — you only lose to a higher bid
In auctions with soft close, a bid placed in the final window before a lot closes extends that lot's closing time, so other bidders can respond. Each auction sets its own window and extension length; the platform default is 2 minutes for both. A lot can be extended up to 10 times.
In auctions with soft close, a bid in the final minutes extends the lot (2 minutes by default), so every bidder can respond.
- 5
Pay by the deadline, collect on time
When you win, you receive an invoice. You pay within the deadline in that auction's terms, by card through the platform or by another method the seller accepts. Collect your lots, or arrange shipping, within the time the auction allows. An unpaid invoice can lead to cancellation, a lost deposit and limits on your bidding.
Invoice at close. Pay by card by the deadline on your invoice. Pickup pass by email. Lots left uncollected may be treated as abandoned under the auction’s terms.
Worked example — a $65.00 bid
The worked example below assumes a 15% buyer's premium and 13% HST. Your auction may differ: each seller sets its own buyer's premium, and the sales tax depends on the province. The lot page shows the exact rates and your total before you confirm a bid, so the invoice holds no surprises.
Your bid
$65.00
Buyer’s premium 15%
$9.75
HST 13%
$9.72
Total you pay
$84.47
Ready? See what is open now.
Start by browsing open auctions and reading each lot's description, photos, condition grade and pickup or shipping rules. Creating an account is free and there is no fee per bid. Before your first bid in an auction, register for it and save a verified payment card; the auction page lists any extra requirements.