Thumbing through the pages of Auto Trader on a Sunday afternoon was one of my favorite things to do as a teen just shy of the legal driving age. I would dogear the pages, circle listings I wanted to show my father or friends and often tear pages out of the black-and-white weekly printing and pin them to my wall as some kind of ritualistic motivation to save money for that Rio Red colored Ford Mustang I dream of owning.
By the time I bought my first Mustang, though, Craigslist had become the preferred buy-sell-trade marketplace.
Now, firmly planted a quarter of the way into the next century, Facebook Marketplace is the drug of choice for grown men like me. But like the Craigslist era of automotive wheeling and dealing, Marketplace is rife with nonsense. So, for folks looking to sell something they're proud of, say this 1969 Shelby Mustang GT500 Fastback, they turn to Bring-a-Trailer, an auction site that, like the old Auto Traders of yesteryear, forces the seller to throw down a little something to showcase their wares, discouraging the fake and flakey types found on Facebook.
But what about someone with a well-sorted, accessory-laden UTV that they’re looking to let go of? Or a highly tuned side-by-side that’s set up for off-road racing? Options are limited. Either you list it on Marketplace or ATV Trader and hope that someone doesn’t kick the tires and waste your time, or you do it the old-fashioned way and park out front of your place with a For Sale sign in the window and cross your fingers. A Bring-a-Trailer-style auction site for side-by-sides just didn’t exist…
That is, until now.
DirtHammer went live last week, hosting curated auction listings for side-by-sides with detailed, honest descriptions written by industry experts. The first batch of vehicles are now on the proverbial auction block, accompanied by professional photography, walk-around video and tools designed to make every transaction safe, simple, and transparent.
With verified registered buyers and sellers, there are no scammers, tire kickers, or “Hey, is this still available?” messages. Sellers can set a minimum sale price as well as a “Drop the Hammer” number so interested buyers can either bid in an auction format or purchase a vehicle immediately with the click of a button. For folks new to the UTV scene, DirtHammer has an extensive buyer’s guide library built on the staff’s years of experience behind the wheel, and users can ask questions about specific auctions or comment with other bidders.
After-auction tools like escrow services and fully insured shipping make insure that buying and selling is safe and easy for everyone. Additionally, DirtHammer splits its commission between buyers and sellers with each party paying just 4.5% of the final sale price.
To kick things off, sellers can list their rigs on DirtHammer for just $49 for the next three months. They also offer an optional media package with professional photography and videography for sellers that want to make their listing look as clean as their rig does after a trip to the car wash. And to celebrate the first 30 days of auctions, DirtHammer is running a promotion with prizes and discounts worth more than $1,000 included with each vehicle purchase.
And while, no, you can’t rip the pages out and pin them to your bedroom wall, you can bookmark the site and wait for the right rig to roll across the auction block, placing bids or dropping the proverbial hammer on your next UTV.
