Pickles Auctions
Pickles Auctions is a privately-held Australian auction marketplace operating PicklesLIVE, PicklesONLINE and Buy Now channels for used vehicles and industrial equipment, serving institutional vendors (governments, fleets, insurers, miners, OEMs) and a broad base of consumer and professional buyers nationwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1964
- HeadquartersBellmore, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Pickles Auctions does
Pickles Auctions is an Australian privately-held auction marketplace operator (founded in 1964 as Pickles Mining, with the broader group later developed) that runs both live (PicklesLIVE) and online (PicklesONLINE) auctions, plus a Buy Now fixed-price channel, for vehicles and industrial equipment. Its core product lines are Pickles Cars (used vehicles including government, fleet, hybrid/EV, and prestige segments), Pickles Industrial (trucks, trailers, earthmoving, machinery, mining, oil and gas, agricultural, ex-military equipment), Pickles Salvage (damaged vehicles and equipment), and Pickles Other Goods (motorcycles, boats, caravans, consumer goods). Adjacent services span Pickles Finance (referral financing), Pickles Warranty (extended warranties), Pickles Advisory (valuations), and Pickles Transport (logistics), with a customer portal called MyPickles and a self-service seller valuation tool called DIYinspect. Dedicated sub-brands include Pickles Mining (60+ years serving mining-sector vendors such as Rio Tinto) and PicklesAg (launched 2022 for bi-monthly national agricultural equipment auctions), with a regional presence via Pickles Asia in Malaysia.
The company monetizes primarily through transaction-based fees — buyer premiums on successful bids and seller commissions/listing fees on consigned inventory — supplemented by referral fees from finance partners and revenue from warranty products. Inventory is sourced through institutional vendor relationships rather than retail consignments: state and territory governments (NSW, ACT among others), Australia Post, major fleet operators (SG Fleet, CustomFleet, LeasePlan, FM Toyota, Orix), insurance carriers (IAG, QBE, Allianz), OEMs (Toyota, Volkswagen, Audi), and insolvency practitioners supply a regular flow of ex-fleet, ex-government, salvage, and insolvency assets. The go-to-market combines enterprise sales to large institutional vendors (EOI/Tender and multi-year contracts for high-value industrial assets) with a self-serve model for individual buyers and dealers through PicklesONLINE and the Priority Buyers program; the typical go-to-market motion is sales-led with enterprise field sales for institutional supply and direct-to-consumer reach through the website, SEO, and email.
Distribution is national, with branch operations in every Australian state and territory (Sydney as NSW/ACT regional HQ plus regional NSW branches in Newcastle, Dubbo, Tamworth, Wagga Wagga; plus Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin, and Canberra). Headcount sits in the 501-1000 band. The company is regulated as a motor vehicle dealer, second-hand dealer, chattel auctioneer, and general auctioneer in each jurisdiction in which it operates (separate licences in ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA). It publishes proprietary market research via the Quarterly Automotive Report (QAR).
Pickles Auctions firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pickles Auctions
- Legal name
- Pickles Auctions Pty Limited
- Website
- https://pickles.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1964
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Pickles Auctions is a privately-held Australian auction marketplace operating PicklesLIVE, PicklesONLINE and Buy Now channels for used vehicles and industrial equipment, serving institutional vendors (governments, fleets, insurers, miners, OEMs) and a broad base of consumer and professional buyers nationwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pickles Auctions industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Used Vehicle & Industrial Equipment Auction Services
- NAICS
- Used Merchandise Retailers (45951)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online) (TLABAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAC)
Keywords
Where Pickles Auctions is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bellmore
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices12 records
Markets served
Pickles Auctions business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Auction Buyer Premium: Buyers pay a premium on winning auction bids, typically a percentage of the hammer price. This is the primary revenue stream from consumer and business buyers.
- Seller Commission/Fees: Sellers (governments, fleet companies, financial institutions) pay fees for auctioning their assets including listing fees and commission on successful sales.
- Buy Now Sales: Fixed-price sales through Buy Now option generate revenue through transaction fees on completed purchases.
- Finance Services: Partnership-based financing services for vehicle purchases, likely generating referral or commission revenue.
- Warranty Services: Extended warranty products offered to buyers for additional revenue stream.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Auction pricing - bid-based |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Buy Now fixed price option |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Multi-year contract | EOI/Tender sales |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Pickles Auctions product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pickles Auctions operates Australia's leading auction marketplace for used vehicles and industrial equipment, connecting institutional sellers (state governments, fleet operators, insurance companies, mining firms) and individual sellers with buyers through PicklesLIVE live auctions, PicklesONLINE online auctions, and Buy Now fixed-price sales. The platform handles 3,000+ vehicles weekly across categories including cars, trucks, salvage, industrial equipment, mining assets, agricultural equipment, and general goods. Supporting services include Pickles Finance, Pickles Warranty, Pickles Advisory/Valuations, and Pickles Transport.
Product overview
Pickles Auctions is an Australian online auction marketplace offering a comprehensive multi-category platform for buying and selling vehicles and equipment. The core offering consists of four main product lines: Pickles Cars (used vehicles including government, fleet, hybrid/electric, and prestige/luxury cars), Pickles Industrial (trucks, trailers, machinery, earthmoving, mining, agricultural and ex-military equipment), Pickles Salvage (damaged vehicles and equipment), and Other Goods (motorcycles, boats, caravans, computers and general merchandise). Supporting services include Pickles Finance (financing), Pickles Warranty, Pickles Advisory (valuations), Pickles Transport (logistics), Novated Remarketing, Priority Buyers program, and MyPickles customer portal. The platform operates through PicklesLIVE (live auction) and PicklesONLINE (online auction) formats, plus Buy Now fixed-price purchasing. Specialized divisions include Pickles Mining (60+ years mining sector expertise), PicklesAg (agricultural equipment marketplace), and Pickles Asia (regional presence in Malaysia).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PicklesLIVE: Live auction platform for real-time bidding at physical auction events
- PicklesONLINE
- Pickles Cars
- Pickles Mining
- PicklesAg
- MyPickles
Products and services
- Pickles Cars Online and live auction platform for used passenger vehicles from government fleets, financial institutions, lease companies, OEMs, and private sellers, with weekly inventory across categories including sedans, hatchbacks, SUVs, vans, utes, hybrids/electric, and prestige vehicles. Designed for individual buyers, dealers, and institutional purchasers.
- Pickles Industrial Auction marketplace for trucks, trailers, earthmoving and mobile plant, machinery, oil and gas assets, ex-military equipment, and other industrial assets, serving construction, logistics, and resource sector buyers and sellers.
- Pickles Salvage Auction platform for damaged and salvage vehicles and equipment, including cars, trucks, motorcycles, earthmoving equipment, boats, caravans, and trailers with damage history, primarily sourced from insurance companies and total loss claims.
- Pickles Other Goods General merchandise auction category covering motorcycles, boats, caravans, trailers, computers, phones, printers, and miscellaneous items for individual and small business buyers.
- Pickles Mining Specialized auction and valuation services for the mining sector, handling disposal of high-value industrial equipment, earthmoving machinery, and mining-specific assets for major mining companies including Rio Tinto.
- PicklesAg Dedicated agricultural marketplace conducting bi-monthly national online auctions of farming equipment for the agricultural sector.
- Pickles Finance Partnership-based financing service enabling buyers to access loans for vehicle and equipment purchases made through Pickles auctions.
- Pickles Warranty Extended warranty product offerings available to auction buyers for purchased vehicles and equipment.
- Pickles Advisory / Valuations Professional valuation and advisory services for assets intended for sale through Pickles' auction channels.
- Pickles Transport Transportation and logistics service enabling buyers to arrange delivery of vehicles and equipment purchased at auction.
- Novated Remarketing Specialized disposal service for novated lease vehicles, supporting fleet and lease companies with end-of-lease asset disposition.
- Priority Buyers Program Dedicated buyer program offering preferential access, services, and terms for high-volume professional purchasers such as dealers and fleet operators.
- National Prestige Car Auction Weekly national auction event offering exclusive prestige and luxury vehicles sourced from financial institutions, fleet and lease companies, OEMs, and insolvency practitioners.
- National Online Hybrid & Electric Motor Vehicle Auction National online auction event focused exclusively on hybrid and electric vehicles from brands including Hyundai, Toyota, and other manufacturers.
- National Unreserved Motor Vehicle Auction Recurring unreserved auction event featuring SUVs, light commercial vehicles, and passenger vehicles from multiple brands including Land Rover, Toyota, Jeep, Kia, Subaru, and Audi.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3,000+ vehicles available weekly
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Pickles Auctions
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
Pickles Auctions technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Pickles Auctions partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SG FleetcoreMajor fleet management company that uses Pickles for vehicle remarketing and fleet disposal services.
- CustomFleetcoreFleet management company partner for vehicle remarketing services.
- LeasePlancoreMajor fleet leasing company using Pickles for lease-end vehicle disposal (logo displayed as partner).
- IAGcoreInsurance Australia Group partner for salvage and total loss vehicle sales.
- QBEminorInsurance company partner for vehicle remarketing services.
- AllianzminorInsurance company partner for vehicle remarketing services.
- FM ToyotaminorToyota fleet management company using Pickles for vehicle remarketing (logo displayed).
- OrixminorFleet and equipment leasing company partner (logo displayed as partner).
- AudiminorAutomotive brand partner for used vehicle sales (logo displayed).
- Rio TintocoreMajor mining company using Pickles Mining division for industrial equipment disposal.
- Australia PostminorGovernment-owned corporation using Pickles for fleet vehicle disposal.
- State Governments (NSW, ACT, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT)coreState government agencies selling ex-government fleet vehicles through Pickles auctions. Major source of inventory for government car category.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Pickles Auctions competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Manheim: Cox Enterprises-owned wholesale auto auction company and global market leader. Operates physical and online vehicle auctions with deep fleet/leasing relationships, directly comparable to Pickles' institutional vendor model for ex-fleet vehicles.
- Lloyds Auctions: Major Australian auction house running live and online auctions for vehicles, industrial equipment, and general goods. Competes head-to-head with Pickles across cars, trucks, and earthmoving equipment categories in Australia.
- IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions): Salvage vehicle auction company, now part of RB Global. Directly comparable to Pickles Salvage, with similar insurance-industry relationships (IAG, QBE, Allianz in Pickles' case) and a model of facilitating total-loss vehicle remarketing.
- Grays: Australian eCommerce and auction group (Grays eCommerce Group, ASX: GGE) operating across vehicles, equipment, and general goods. Closest Australian peer given shared multi-category auction model and overlapping industrial and consumer segments.
- Copart: Global leader in online salvage and used vehicle auctions (NASDAQ: CPRT), directly competing with Pickles' Pickles Salvage and Pickles Cars divisions. Operates in Australia and offers overlapping buyer/seller marketplace dynamics for insurance total-loss and fleet vehicles.
- Slattery Asset Advisors: Australian advisory, valuation, and auction firm specializing in plant, equipment, and vehicle disposal. Competes directly with Pickles Industrial and Pickles Mining, particularly in insolvency and corporate asset disposal engagements.
Broad incumbents
- RB Global: NYSE-listed global marketplace operator (owns IAA, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, and other brands) with broader portfolio across vehicle, equipment, and asset disposition. Larger and more diversified than Pickles, but operates overlapping auction-marketplace capabilities.
- Carsales: Australia's largest online automotive marketplace (ASX: CAR). While Carsales is a listing platform rather than an auctioneer, it is highly comparable for the consumer used-vehicle discovery and dealer-stock acquisition use cases Pickles addresses.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Pickles Auctions social profiles
Digital presencePickles Auctions financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pickles Auctions leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Pickles Auctions subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Pickles Auctions funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pickles Auctions M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pickles Auctions
What does Pickles Auctions do?
Pickles Auctions operates Australia's leading auction marketplace for used vehicles and industrial equipment, connecting institutional sellers (state governments, fleet operators, insurance companies, mining firms) and individual sellers with buyers through PicklesLIVE live auctions, PicklesONLINE online auctions, and Buy Now fixed-price sales. The platform handles 3,000+ vehicles weekly across categories including cars, trucks, salvage, industrial equipment, mining assets, agricultural equipment, and general goods. Supporting services include Pickles Finance, Pickles Warranty, Pickles Advisory/Valuations, and Pickles Transport.
Is Pickles Auctions a public or private company?
Pickles Auctions is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Pickles Auctions founded?
Pickles Auctions was founded in 1964. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Pickles Auctions based?
Pickles Auctions is headquartered in Bellmore, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pickles Auctions make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Auction Buyer Premium is the primary driver. The others are seller Commission/Fees, buy Now Sales, finance Services and warranty Services.
Who are Pickles Auctions's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Manheim, Lloyds Auctions, IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions), Grays, Copart and Slattery Asset Advisors. Broad incumbents are RB Global and Carsales.
Does Pickles Auctions have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pickles Auctions.
What industry is Pickles Auctions in?
Pickles Auctions's product category is Used Vehicle & Industrial Equipment Auction Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLABAKAA, Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online), with a secondary code of CRAFAAAC, Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces. Its NAICS code is 45951.