Last Updated: November 2025
🔎In this article: We’ll break down what impound auction floor pricing really means, why it matters, and seven actionable data points you can use to set competitive, profit-driven impound auction prices.
Setting the right price for vehicles you are selling in impound auctions — whether online or in-person — can be tricky. And it can make or break your profitability. Instead of relying on gut instinct, smart tow companies and impound yard managers use data to guide their pricing decisions.
Before we share seven data points you can use to set competitive, profit-driven auction prices, let’s define some common impound auction terms.
What Is a Floor Price?
A floor price (also known as reserve) is the minimum amount a seller is willing to accept for a vehicle. If bidding never reaches that number, sellers have the right to reject the highest bid. If they do, though, they risk upsetting buyers.
ℹ️ The floor price is typically hidden from buyers during an auction.
Example — Floor Price in Action
You are selling a vehicle on Autura Marketplace. You set a floor price of $1,000. During the auction, the highest bid comes in at only $900. In this example, you do not have to sell.
What Is a Starting Bid?
A starting bid is the opening number for an auction. The starting bid is visible to all buyers and sets the lowest point where bidding begins. It does not guarantee a sale. It’s just the first rung on the bidding ladder.
Example — Starting Bid in Action
You set a starting bid of $200. Your floor price might still be $1,000 like in the example above. If bidding only reaches $800, you still do not have to sell, but now you have multiple bidders to try to upsell to.
ℹ️ Most impound yards set auction prices based on feel. Some guess high and watch cars sit. Others estimate low and leave money behind. These are easy mistakes to make. Keep reading to learn how to avoid ‘em!
💡Pro Tip: Consider Dropping Your Floor Price (aka Reserve) Entirely
If you want more action, try removing your reserve. This is known as an “absolute sale.” Buyers love the chance at a bargain. You will likely see bidding jump when your audience thinks there is a shot at a great deal. Over time, absolute sales outperform reserve sales by as much as 30%.
Using this tactic, you’ll get more eyes on your listing, more competition, and often a much higher final price. A no-reserve auction tells buyers you’re serious. And serious sellers attract serious bids.
Keep in mind, too, that buyers who win will likely come back. On the flip side, if they place the high bid — but still below floor price — and you say “no sale” they’ll likely experience bidder fatigue. And when that sets in, they shop elsewhere.
Using Data to Guide Your Impound Auction Floor Prices
So, instead of setting auction price based on feel, use data to set logical price points. Below are seven real numbers that can help you accomplish this:
1️⃣ Setting Floor by Reviewing Comparable Sales: The best price is the one based on what similar cars have been sold for most recently. Look at vehicles with the same year, model, and like-condition. Look for results from online auctions or salvage platforms. Don’t use retail book values — they won’t give you the comparable price point you need.
👉 Check recent sales on Autura Marketplace. Focus on vehicles with matching title types and engine status.
2️⃣ Title Status (and Making It Clear in Your Listing): Buyers will pay more for clean titles. Why? They’re easier to flip or register. Junk titles and lien titles require more work, so they fetch less.
👉 Make the title status in your listing obvious. Don’t make buyers guess. For example, if you offer a title upgrade or DMV service — where you go to the DMV on the buyer’s behalf for a fee — say so. That small detail gives buyers confidence and can increase bids. As another example, if you offer lien services or title acquisition through a partner, include that as well. Add a simple line like “title paperwork in process, ready in 7 days” — it can improve your auction results.
3️⃣ Days in Yard (Use Age to Drive Down Reserve): Once you have the lien, every day a car sits it is costing you. And the longer it stays, the more it loses value. Tires go flat. Batteries die. Mold grows. No one wants a vehicle with weeds growing in the seats and a tree growing out of the windshield.
👉 Track how long each car’s been on your lot. Try dropping the floor price a little each week. The goal is to sell fast to avoid sitting on dead inventory.
4️⃣ Buyer Type: Who buys your cars? Some may fix and flip. Others might be stripping impound or unclaimed vehicles for parts. The public wants clean runners. Each group values different things.
👉 Review your past auctions. Note who bought what… and what they paid. After that, list similar vehicles at prices that match buyer demand. This takes guesswork out of the equation.
5️⃣ Cost-to-Hold: Space costs money. So does labor. And delays. A 30-day storage run at $25 per day adds $750 in cost. That eats into any bid you eventually accept.
👉 Know your break-even number. Set your floor price above this, but not by much. The longer you hold, the more flexibility you lose.
6️⃣ Reserve Pricing: If you are not ready to skip reserves completely, use them carefully. Reserve pricing works best when your pair it with good comps, short hold times, and strong demand.
👉 Don’t abuse floor pricing. If you run auctions only to reject high bids, buyers will notice. And they’ll likely stop bidding.
7️⃣ Auction Day and Time: The timing of your auction end will impact how many people see it. Listings that close during weekday business hours often get fewer bids. You’ll typically see the best results when you set auctions to end after work hours or on weekends.
👉 Study your past auction data. Look at when you saw the most views and bids. Then set your close time to match buyer behavior.
Conclusion
So, you can crack the code on setting auction pricing right when you use accurate data — instead of hunches. Leverage sales history, show the title clearly, track storage, watch your timing, and also drop reserves when the time is right.
Sell more cars. Keep buyers bidding. Make significantly more profit in the long run.
