No two auctions are ever perfectly identical.
The mix of items, photography, cataloging, buyer audience, marketing, lot grouping, closing sequence, and even pickup logistics can all influence the final result.
When two comparable auctions come from the same seller/source category in the same market, they can provide valuable insight.
That’s what makes this comparison interesting.
BidRush's first-ever auction in the Greater Toronto Area generated $1,599 CAD in gross hammer.
A comparable closed auction with similar items from the same seller the following week on the other auction platform generated $1,245 CAD. (ID 110846)
That’s $354 more in gross sales on BidRush — approximately 28.5% higher—before even considering seller fees.
Comparable Results
Both auctions consisted primarily of vintage, décor, furniture, household, and collectible items from the same seller/source category in the Greater Toronto Area.
Links: BidRush ID 38GQ7B vs. Other ID 110846
Although the BidRush auction sold fewer lots, those lots realized substantially higher values.
The average sold lot on BidRush generated $17.39, compared with $11.97 on the comparable auction on the other platform.
That’s approximately 45.3% higher value per sold lot.
This isn’t intended to suggest that every individual item sold for more on BidRush, nor that every future auction will produce the same outcome.
Rather, it demonstrates that, in this comparable auction, BidRush produced both a higher overall gross hammer and a higher average realized value per sold lot.
Gross Hammer Isn’t the Whole Story
Gross hammer is only part of the equation.
The more important question is:
How much does the seller actually keep?
BidRush allows sellers to offset platform seller fees through the buyer’s premium.
Seller commission structures on competing platforms vary by seller, program, and pricing model, so the examples below illustrate several common commission levels.
On an auction this size, the difference is measured in hundreds of dollars.
For professional estate sale companies and auction businesses running dozens of auctions every year, those savings can quickly become one of the largest financial differences between platforms.
Even If Both Platforms Produced the Same Hammer…
The fee advantage exists independently of auction performance.
Imagine both platforms generated the exact same $1,599 hammer.
The seller would still give up approximately:
Those dollars remain with the seller when BidRush’s buyer’s premium offsets the platform seller fee.
That’s why seller economics matter just as much as auction performance.
Looking Beyond a Single Auction
One successful auction is encouraging.
What’s even more meaningful is what happens over time.
Professional sellers who have switched to BidRush have continued to run regular auctions while building significant transaction volume and cost savings.
Links: LifecyclePro and The Downsizing Doula. Annualized using each seller’s auction activity during the periods shown.
These aren’t one-off success stories.
They’re established businesses continuing to run auctions on BidRush while processing hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual sales.
At that scale, platform economics become increasingly important.
Saving a few hundred dollars on one auction is meaningful. Potentially retaining tens of thousands of dollars every year can materially improve profitability, cash flow, hiring, marketing, business growth, ability to attract more clients due to lower fees and goodwill in the community by reducing buyer's premium!
The Takeaway
No single auction proves how every future auction will perform.
Every auction is unique, and factors such as merchandise, photography, cataloging, marketing, buyer participation, and timing will always influence results.
But this comparison demonstrates something worth paying attention to.
In BidRush’s first-ever Greater Toronto Area auction, the platform delivered:
- 28.5% higher gross hammer
- 45.3% higher average value per sold lot
Just as importantly, BidRush’s seller-first fee model gives businesses the opportunity to keep substantially more of what they earn.
On an auction of this size, that can mean hundreds of additional dollars staying with the seller instead of being paid in platform commissions.
Across a full year of auctions, that can grow into tens of thousands of dollars—or, for higher-volume sellers, potentially six figures.
Higher auction results are never guaranteed. However, keeping more of your proceeds is.
Features that makes BidRush difficult to ignore:
- Publish auction without review delays
- Edit lots while auction is live (with ability to reset bids for any material changes)
- Access buyer contact info for pickups
- Lower buyer's premiums to keep more money in your community
- Retain 100% of the buyer's premiums to increase your business revenue
- Lower seller fees to attract more clients
- BidRush markets your business, which drives sellers directly to you!
When BidRush’s very first auction in a brand-new market produced a stronger overall result than a comparable auction on another platform, and the platform’s fee model leaves more money in the seller’s pocket, it's hard to ignore.