I have a couple pieces to sell. I don't have time for the tire kickers with typical listings. I have never resorted to auction for anything, but I simply CAN'T mentally handle a no reserve auction with no protection. My luck, there would be only 1 farmer bidder and buy for less than scrap. I'd run on ebay but I think it will be a waste of time. I plan to do detailed pics and an operational video.
There are auction companies that will sell machinery with a reserve set on the sale price. There is also selling by private treaty and advertising in My Little Salesman. You can also consign with a dealer if you don't want to deal with possible buyers. Set your minimum that you want to receive and they can set the advertising price for their commission. Selling isn't easy or without expenses and most people don't understand that.
It would help to know what kind of equipment you are selling. The equipment on purplewave that I see , brings good money, unless it is specialized. If you don't want to deal with the tire kickers, that's the best auction site right now. They get a good sized Midwest market, if you need/have equipment that is old enough for export only market, you need Ritchie bros. If there's a certain dollar number that you have to have, you're going to have to list it on Facebook marketplace and deal with the animals from the wild.
Iron planet, which is tied to Ritchie bros, will allow best offers, and allow you to have a reserve.
I have used Iron Planet's Market place. You set the price and get offers. Pretty good marketing and getting whatever you are selling out there but it can be pricey. Depends on what you are selling. I've sold - Bomag trench roller - to Atlanta 4700 International - to south Florida 420D IT backhoe - Memphis 2014 F250 - to Atlanta The marketplace option gets it out there beyond the local outlets. They broker the deal and the buyer doesn't pick up the item until the money is in the bank.
Some auctions have reserves but there's also a lot of shady auction houses as I discovered a few years ago. Sold a bunch of trailer axles, the most expensive ones all had a reasonable reserve price and were listed as subject to sellers approval. Out of over 50 listings the 3 most expensive lots that clearly showed subject to sellers approval were given away for $10 each! It was written down on their list of lots I spent 2 days helping them with and also on the auction website showing all the lots. I was livid! I told everybody there those axles were very expensive. I ended up getting $600 for them but I'm 100% sure the idiot that did it did it for a friend or regular buyer. I called and asked about the axles and the owner said they were gone and couldn't get them back. The owner didn't even come to talk to me when I went there in person which I thought was very ignorant too. He made me have to deal with the idiot who thought he should still get commission for giving the axles away. I should have taken them to court. I also think they could have legally asked for them back. I was treated like I was selling a few junk items. All the axles sold for over $11,000 so not exactly junk. Five other axles were bid up to $100/ea. I kept inquiring about them and was told repeatedly they were bought by a trailer shop and the guy was just out of town. After about 5 weeks later I'm told the guy isn't paying for them. I asked if they could send a demand letter as per the auction agreement all bidders have to adhere to. Nope, they figured the guy would just throw in the trash. Maybe, maybe not? Some people take letters for payment seriously but all it costs is an envelope and a stamp. Later another idiot there was asking me how many times are you going to try sell those axles. He also wondered why I went back there. You still owe me a cheque for axles that sold, you idiot. I had to go back again because the idiot that gave the other axles away was the only one who knew where the cheque was. The only reason I'm trying to sell them again is because you didn't even try to hold the winning bidder accountable when they should have sold. Probably the shadiest business I ever had the misfortune of dealing with! The biggest problem with online auctions, at least here, is there are no gov't. regulations for online auctions. In person auctions the winning bidder is under a strict contract. Only in rare cases of misrepresentation or items that shouldn't have been in the auction can the winning bidder get out of paying. Online auctions anything goes and the auction houses know it! There are some decent online auctions but be very cautious and even add you own requirements that have to be met. Something like the auction house agree's to pursue non payment and/or winning bidders will be taken to court for non payment. I don't think that should be an issue for a reputable auction house. I hope the owner of the place I dealt with trips and falls and breaks his jaw! Anything out of his mouth is just BS anyway. Just a real a-hole!!
When one has friends there is always a way to have a reserve. Yes, it will cost you the commission, don't know a way around that. Stuff around here is mostly put on either Big Iron or Purple Wave. I have bought from both, but only sold on Big Iron. If you have enough valuable stuff you may be able to get the auction house to rebate you a portion of the buyers fee.