It's been a while since I've seen this many new auction platforms preparing to launch at roughly the same time.

Before I go any further, this isn't a review. Some haven't even launched yet, so everything below is simply based on what I've read on their websites and what they're setting out to achieve.

What I find encouraging is that they don't appear to be trying to build the same thing. (phew!)

One seems to be leaning into the community side of things, creating a place where enthusiasts can discuss what's happening in the market as much as they can buy and sell vehicles.

Another is taking a very different approach with hand-curated inventory rather than simply letting sellers upload their own cars, backed by a physical Experience Center in Scottsdale.

The third is introducing a Dutch auction format, where the price starts high and gradually falls until someone decides it's time to buy.

Will any of those ideas become the next big thing? We shall see.

History tells us that launching an auction platform is one thing. Building enough buyer traffic to attract quality sellers, while giving buyers confidence they'll always find interesting cars, is something else entirely. We've all seen platforms come and go over the years, which is why I hope all three have a solid long-term marketing strategy and enough patience to build an audience.

The good news is that they're not simply copying what's already out there. Each appears to be trying something different, and I think that's healthy for the collector car market. More choice, more innovation, and fresh ideas can only be a good thing.

I genuinely wish all three the very best. I'll certainly be following their progress over the coming months to see which ideas resonate with buyers and sellers.

Here’s the links to them. (wording and images come directly from them. No image for Movarna.)

Last week I wrote about something I don't think enough buyers realize. Just because an auction ends with a sold banner doesn't mean the deal actually gets done. We don’t need to go over old ground here, but here’s yet another example.

This Defender supposedly sold here a few weeks ago for $115,000, yet here it is again. According to the seller, the winning bidder never completed the purchase, so the truck never actually changed hands. Luckily for all of us, buyers generally do their homework and can work this out pretty quickly.

The upside this time is that everyone now has a pretty good idea where the money was last time around. Whether it lands above or below that number is almost secondary. At least buyers aren't walking into this completely blind.

As for the truck itself, I think it's cool because it doesn't feel like another Defender where someone has simply spent a fortune ticking boxes from a parts catalogue. Every modification seems to have been thought through. The removable roof system is genuinely clever, the interior has a completely different feel without becoming over the top, and somehow they've managed to modernize almost every part of the driving experience while still keeping what makes a 300Tdi Defender a 300Tdi Defender.

That's probably what I like most about it. It would have been easy to throw a modern V8 under the hood and chase big horsepower. Instead they kept the original diesel, improved everything around it, and built something that still feels authentic. It's a restomod that actually understands what made the original special rather than trying to turn it into something it was never meant to be.

I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this one. Not just because it's a seriously cool build, but because I find it fascinating to see the same vehicle come back a month later and see how it performs on a different platform. It'll be interesting to see whether that $115,000 number was about right, or whether the market has a different opinion the second time around.

This one is completely my sort of car. I've always loved these Euro-spec 300TD wagons. Signal Red, the proper bumpers, cloth interior, five-speed manual, and what sounds like a really well thought out refurbishment. It's exactly the kind of car I'd happily spend far too much time looking through.

Which is why I was a bit disappointed. The description says there's a walkaround and driving video. Brilliant. That's exactly what I want to see. But when I got to the listing... nothing. Turns out the seller had posted the YouTube links down in the comments instead.

Truthfully, I didn't even watch them. Not because I wasn't interested, quite the opposite. I just couldn't be bothered copying and pasting YouTube links into another tab. Maybe that's just me, but I suspect it isn't. If the videos aren't right there in the listing, unless it's a car I've been chasing for years, I'm probably already looking at the next auction.

Now, I appreciate that probably creates an opportunity. There will be other buyers who feel exactly the same, which means fewer people will properly appreciate what's being offered here. If you're willing to do the extra work, maybe you end up with less competition.

But I still wish sellers, and platforms for that matter, would stop making it harder than it needs to be. My view is pretty simple. If you're going to list a car with videos (and i think all listings NEED videos), the videos should be in the listing. Not buried in the comments. Not hidden behind a link. Embedded where every potential bidder can watch them with one click.

This is exactly the sort of car that deserves it too. I don't just want to read about the refurbishment. I want to hear that diesel start up. I want to watch someone row through the five-speed. I want to see how it drives. That's the sort of thing that gets people emotionally invested, and emotionally invested buyers tend to bid.

Maybe it's only costing the seller one or two bidders. Maybe it's none. But if you've spent the time and money creating a really special car, why introduce even the smallest bit of friction for someone who's thinking about buying it?

Let me know what your 2 cents on video’s are.

The original DBS V8 has always lived in the shadow of the DB5, but that's never really made much sense to me. It's handsome, understated, powered by Aston's wonderful 5.3-liter V8, and with fewer than 400 built, they're a genuinely rare sight.

This one also ticks a lot of the right boxes with a rebuilt engine, an extensive history file dating back decades, upgraded suspension, and over 19 years with the current owner. Throw in the fact it's selling with no reserve, and you've got all the ingredients for an interesting auction.

If you're tempted, don't forget that the hammer price is only part of the equation. Whether you're importing it to the U.S. or almost anywhere else in the world, our free TDV Import Calculator will give you a much better idea of the true landed cost before you bid.

I always think it's worth spending two minutes running the numbers first. It takes the guesswork out of importing and gives you a much clearer idea of where your absolute bidding limit should be.