Hello,
First of all congrats on starting your dealership. That is very exciting. Car dealerships in general are the most solicited business in the country. I'm sure you have been pitched a new widget that will cuts costs, increase profits and optimize your time. To be fair there are some great products out there that do truly help. It just depends on your specific dealership needs. As auctions go I understand how overwhelming it can be, they are designed to be that way, loud, confusing , and fast. Here is my advice, (take it for what is worth) There are a lot of options out there Adesa, Manheim, independent brick and mortar auctions are good because you get to touch and inspect for yourself, CR scores are usually inconsistent and in my opinion over done with PDR and light scratches. These light cosmetic conditions typically don't impact on the selling price of the vehicle. The monetary difference between 3.4 CR. and 3.9 CR is anyone's guess, So I wouldn't solely rely a CR score determine a vehicles value. I have purchase MANY 2.5 CR's that have been great cars that required little cosmetic repairs and sold quickly with nice margin. The online auctions have their advantages as well, some of the national auctions are ACV, Carsker Auto Auction, Back Lot just to name a few. Here you have more control over time, research, and most have really good pictures giving you a good buying and Some of the online auctions have restrictions on who can sell, some have probation periods before you can and I think most of them require an inspection and agreement on floors. Carsker is the only one I can think of that lets independents buy and sell right off the bat. Finding cars right now can be a nightmare I would sign up for all the auctions you can to see what is out there. Hope this helps, Good luck