Total Cost-to-Win Estimator
The winning bid is just the first line. Add premium, tax, shipping, insurance, and handling for the true landed cost — and the cost per item when a lot holds more than one.
Total cost to win
Count the whole cost before you bid
It’s easy to fixate on the hammer price and forget everything stacked behind it. The buyer’s premium and tax are percentages that scale with the bid, while shipping, insurance, and handling are real costs that can dwarf a cheap win on anything heavy or fragile. Add them up front and you know the true price of victory.
For box lots and multi-item wins, the landed cost per item is the number that matters. It turns a tempting headline price into a sober per-unit figure you can weigh against what each piece is actually worth to you or to a buyer down the line.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is landed cost?
Landed cost is the total you pay to get the item in your hands: the hammer price plus the buyer's premium, sales tax, shipping, insurance, and any handling or import fee. It's the only number that lets you compare a local pickup against a lot shipped across the country — or decide whether a 'cheap' win is really cheap.
Why does shipping matter so much at auction?
Because auction shipping is often unbundled and can be brutal on heavy, fragile, or oversized items. A $30 win on a cast-iron piece or a framed picture can carry $60 of packing, freight, and insurance. Estimating shipping before you bid stops you from winning something you can't afford to actually receive.
How do I find the cost per item in a box lot?
Enter the number of items in the lot and the tool divides the full landed cost by that count. This is the figure that tells you whether a mixed box lot is worth chasing — a $90 landed total across 15 usable items is $6 each, which may be a bargain or a bust depending on what you can do with them.
Estimates only. Get a shipping quote and confirm fees with the auction before you commit to a bid.