Sierra Auto Fair

"It was the weekend between Christmas and New Years, so I wasn't as optimistic as usual about selling our van with so many other things competing for a buyer's time over the holidays. However, the Auto Fair has never failed me before, so I did a quick lookup in Kelly Blue Book and found a fair price to start, then dropped the car off on Friday evening. Within 15 minutes I had my first 2 calls. By Saturday morning I already had 5 seriously interested buyers. By noon, I got the price I wanted and was done! "
--David B

Every Weekend Rain or Shine at Sierra College in Rocklin

Buying a Vehicle

BUYER ALERT: The automotive market overall is experiencing a shortage of used vehicles for sale, values have gone way way up over recent times as a result, and still there is often heavy competition for the ones that are for sale. We offer the largest gathering and selection of for sale by owner vehicles anywhere, but vehicles are selling very quickly at the Auto Fair, so if there isn't a ton of selction when you arrive, keep checking back as we never know what will come in the next weekend. And if you know someone selling, help us out by sending them our way!

You know the hassles of buying a vehicle:

Combing through endless classified ads only to find a disappointment after seeing the vehicle in person.

Driving all over town to see vehicles at the seller's convenience.

Jeopardizing you and/or your family's safety by going to unknown locations.

Dealing with overly aggressive salespeople or sellers.

Paying fixed prices or higher than market value at high overhead dealerships.

Our process eliminates all these outdated methods and unnecessary hassles!

If you're looking to purchase an Auto, Boat, RV, or Cycle, the Sierra Auto Fair is like nothing you've ever experienced. We have no consignments, commissions, or salespeople. Buying a vehicle at the Auto Fair involves no fees or charges whatsoever. All vehicles are for sale by private individuals just like you who have rented space for the weekend. This is a community event, and there is no dealership involved. We generally expect to have hundreds of vehicles at the event, and the selection changes every weekend. You should come down and check it out for yourself, as one premise of the Auto Fair is that used vehicles need to be seen in person to determine further interest. Also, only about 10% of used vehicle buyers end up buying the exact model they set out to buy, so looking at hundreds of vehicles in person often speeds the buying process by clarifying purchase options. Our presentation allows buyers the efficiency of seeing hundreds of for sale by owner vehicles all in one location, and offers sellers the efficiency of only speaking with truly interested buyers who have already seen their vehicle in person. Ask around and you'll find your friends and neighbors are some of the thousands who have visited the Auto Fair each weekend since 1997, and we're willing to bet they'll rave about the experience, whether they were a buyer or a seller.

Private sellers drop their vehicle off for the entire weekend, and each vehicle has a standardized Sierra Auto Fair "Vehicle Profile" window sign posted with all of the information you want to know, like year, make, model, price, the owner's phone #, miles, equipment, etc. When you find a vehicle you are interested in, Auto Fair staff are on site to accompany you to open and start it for vehicle security purposes only during your initial screening of the vehicle. The Auto Fair staff are a friendly bunch, but please keep in mind they have no knowledge of the individual vehicles and are not permitted to provide their personal opinion nor in any way sell a vehicle or offer advice, so you won't feel any pressure. To go any further like ask additional questions about the vehicle, request a test-drive appointment, or make a deal, you will call the seller directly at the phone number posted on the Vehicle Profile window sign.

DAYS/HOURS: We have been open every weekend, rain or shine, regardless of holidays or other conditions since 1997, so you never have to wonder whether we are open this weekend.

During EVENT HOURS Auto Fair staff will accompany buyers to open and start vehicles.

During BUYER PREVIEW

Saturdays you'll see the most vehicles, as they continue checking in on Saturday but also continue selling throughout the event. You will NOT see as many vehicles if you come early on Friday or Sunday PM.
During LOT CLOSED hours gates are closed and security will not allow anyone on the premises.

Hours page

Buyer FAQ Answers:

Parking for Auto Fair Buyers at Sierra College is free during our business hours. Note: Vehicles may not be parked on the campus with any type of "For Sale" sign or writing during Auto Fair business hours, for any length of time, unless they are registered for the weekend with the Auto Fair and parked inside the For Sale display lot. No vending or advertising of any product or service is permitted on the campus and all campus parking regulations apply. Loitering in the Buyer or For Sale lots, inside or outside of a vehicle, is not permitted.
Sorry, but we can not take phone calls on vehicle inventory and do not post our inventory our website, as vehicle status and inventory changes moment to moment, and sellers don't always tell us when they have a sale in the works or when a vehicle is sold.
Financing is not offered by or at the Auto Fair. You must arrange your own financing if necessary.
The private individual sellers generally will expect payment via their choice of: Verified cashiers check; cash; or electronic funds transfer.
Vehicles are not certified or warrantied in any way. You are buying from a private individual seller, not Sierra Auto Fair. Buyers are always advised to seek a pre-purchase inspection, and a listing by city of some shops that provide this service is provided for your convenience only on the "Buyer/Seller Resources" page of our website. Note: Listed shops have no affiliation to Sierra Auto Fair and our recommendation is not implied.
Kelley Blue Book values and Carfax reports (at your expense) are readily available to the public via your smartphone or by using your other wireless internet-capable device at the Starbucks across the street.
We do NOT knowingly allow salvage title vehicles, and it is very rare that one turns up here because we require sellers to certify that their vehicle doesnot have a salvage title, and that if one is discovered, we will remove it from display immediately upon confirmation without a refund to the seller. Note, however, that we are an advertising service only, not a dealer, and in no way warranty, claim, or certify that any vehicle on the lot is in fact not a salvage title vehicle, as there is no reasonable way we could provide such verification for the extremely low cost we charge sellers and free entrance to the event provided for buyers. Buyers are always advised to research a vehicle's history before purchase via paid services such as Carfax or the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (http://www.vehiclehistory.gov). These services are mentioned for your convenience, and no endorsement of any individual service is implied.
For information on selling your vehicle at the Auto Fair, check out the "How the Auto Fair works", "Display Fee Pricing", and "Tips For Sellers" pages in the website menu. When you are ready to sell, click on the "Register To sell" page to pre-register for the weekend.

Sorry, dogs are not allowed on campus, and the pavement is usually too hot for their paws anyway.

Note: Vehicle pricing and descriptions are supplied by the private individual sellers. Sierra Auto Fair is not a dealer, is not party to any transaction, and is not liable for any error, omission, or misrepresentation.

Display fee proceeds benefit scholarships, programs, and equipment through the Sierra College Foundation.

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