Screens vs. Paddles: Has the Online Auction Revolution Peaked?

Five years ago, the collector car auction world was turned on its head. Screens replaced paddles, comments replaced catalogues, and Bring a Trailer became a verb. But has the revolution peaked - or just matured?

At one point, it seemed like there was a new online auction operation launching every month. Another entity looking to ride on the coattails of the success (and obscene scale) that Bring A Trailer (BaT) has delivered in the US.

With each new entry came another question from a friend or follower - are online auctions the future? How can live auctions compete with such a disparity in fees? Are online auctions still the place for lower value vehicles to sell?

We're going to tackle this from three angles:

• Growth - is the growth continuing?

• Values - are they still traditionally where lower value vehicles are sold?

• Age - are we seeing a different vehicle type going online?

Time to jump in.

In the interests of transparency, any online auctions is an auction from an online only player like Collecting Cars or Bring A Trailer or a physical auction house but where the sale was online (particularly common during Covid). A live / offline auction is any traditional auction house like RM Sotheby's or Iconic Auctioneers even if they offer online bidding as one channel to bid through.

Growth: The Online Wave Has Crested - Except For BaT

Remarkably, over half of all auction transactions are now sold on online platforms.

Pre-Covid that number was 30%.

However, that growth is largely down to Bring A Trailer. The US-based giant (which has recently expanded into Europe) has seen compound year-on-year growth since 2019 of 29%. To put context on that, in the first 9 months of 2025 they sold over 30,000 cars - that's over 100 every single night.

When you look at the data excluding BaT, the market dominance of the online sector isn't growing though. It's declining.

In 2020, 21% of sold auctions (when BaT is excluded) transacted online. It peaked in 2021 at 22%, but since then has declined steadily every year since and now sits at 16%.

Across the Atlantic in the UK, the pattern repeats - just with smaller numbers and stiffer upper lips. The market peaked in 2020 with 61% of auction listings transacting online. Just as above, that percentage has declined every year since and today sits at 24%.

The pandemic surge was real - but it may have marked the top of the curve for everyone except BaT.

Values: Confidence Climbs With Higher Stakes

What is abundantly clear when it comes to values is how we're seeing increased confidence in sellers to sell via online auctions. That presents itself through more online auctions, higher values, and - interestingly - sellers willing to list seven-figure cars.

For example, in the UK in 2020 the average value of a car selling on an online platform was a little over half of the price of the average value of a car selling in an offline auction.

Today, that's inverted. The average value of a car sold on an online platform in the UK is now 2.7x that of an offline auction.

To be clear, that's not to say the exact same car sells for 2.7x more in an online environment than it would in a live auction. Rather, it's a reflection of how the average value of a car sold online is up 30% since 2020 whilst average live auctions have seen average values decline substantially as the hunt for consignments to fill a catalogue becomes harder and harder.

This increasing confidence in the online auction world is reflected is the number of seven figure cars transacting online nowadays as well.

For example, in 2023 for every 100 cars sold for over £1m or $1m, you'd generally see about 6 of those cars being sold online.

In 2025 so far, that's rocketed. That figure has more than doubled from 6 to 14.

Given that over half of all global auction sales are now online, 14% of seven-figure cars trading digitally isn’t groundbreaking. After all if you've got a multi-million car your default is to head to Pebble Beach or Retromobile to sell it. Yet it’s the direction that matters. Confidence is rising, and that momentum isn’t slowing.

Age: Younger and Younger

The overall trend in the auction world (both offline and online) in recent years has been for younger and younger cars to come to auction.

In 2019, the average age of a car at auction was 1977.

In 2025, that is now 1988.

Two things are worth calling out here when it comes to online auctions.

First, we typically see younger cars go to online auctions than we do live auctions.

For example, in 2025 the average car at an online auction was built in 1994. For live auctions, the average is 1980 - a 14 year difference.

Second, we are seeing that age delta between live and online auctions expand year-by-year.

For example, with live auctions we typically see the average age of car at auction get 1 year younger for each year that passes. e.g. in 2019, the average production year was 1974, in 2020 it was 1975 etc.

However, with online auctions we're generally seeing twice that trend. For example, for every year that passes, the cars offered get two years younger., e.g. in 2019, the average production year was 1982, in 2020 it was 1984 etc.

That tells us not only are younger vehicles offered at online auctions but that the age gap is increasing year-on-year.

Conclusion

So, what does this data-driven dive tell us, the collectors on the ground?

The story isn't a simple "online vs. live" takeover. It’s a fundamental market shift, driven by new behaviours from both buyers and sellers who are increasingly comfortable - and often, preferable - with online-only sales.

For Buyers: It's About Trust and Value

The transition for buyers is built on two pillars:

1. Transparency: The old model of an inspection in an auction tent has been replaced by an alternative experience. Buyers now get 200+ photos, cold-start and driving videos, and, most importantly, the comment section. This is a goldmine of enthusiasts who collectively vet a car, pointing out every flaw and non-original part - a level of scrutiny that would cost a fortune to replicate at a live sale.

2. Commercials: The math is simple and compelling. A 15% buyer's premium at a live event feels punishing next to a 5% or 8% capped fee online (albeit with some platforms raising fees in recent months). That's a massive saving that directly impacts how high a bidder is willing to go.

For Sellers: It's About Speed and Cost

Sellers are moving online for equally practical reasons:

1. Timeline: Why wait months for your favoured auction house to have its next sale in the right location? Online platforms drastically reduce those constraints. In a time of financial pressure, the ability to list and liquidate a vehicle in a matter of weeks is a powerful draw.

2. Commercials (Again): The savings are even more stark for sellers. Paying a flat listing fee of a few hundred dollars versus a 10% seller's commission is a transformative, simple choice.

The Future: Curation and Spectacle

But as our data shows, this doesn't spell the end for the live auction. Far from it.

As online platforms hoover up the high-volume "modern enthusiast" market, the traditional auction houses are being forced to evolve. Those who succeed will create spectacle. Those who create environments where buyers move beyond rational thinking and are swept up in the excitement of the auction tent will succeed.

We’re also seeing fees begin to converge. Live auction houses are trimming buyer and seller premiums to compete, while online platforms, having built loyalty, are testing higher fees to protect margins. I expect that convergence to continue - until the difference is more about experience than economics.

The question isn’t “online or live?” anymore.

It’s “Which vehicle deserves the stage - and which just needs a screen?”.

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