--/-- Spots Claimed
-- Buyers Attending

PublicUsedCar
BuyandSellEvent

Private sellers with clean-title vehicles and 100s of ready buyers from the community meet in one weekend, on one lot.

May 30–31·9 AM – 7 PM
Harper College, Palatine
1200 W Algonquin Rd (Lot 10) · not affiliated with the college
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Claim My Seller Spot
—Early bird pricing ends May 27th—
Buyers: Always Free →
Private Party · No Dealers
VIN-Verified · Clean Titles
Real Buyers · No Marketplace Flakes
Simple Process

How It Works

Whether you're selling or shopping, the whole thing is designed to be effortless.

Register online
Step 01
Register Your Car in 3 Minutes

Fill out the registration form, pay the display fee, and you're confirmed. We'll send event-day instructions straight to your inbox.

Drop off car
Step 02
Drop Off and Walk Away

Pull in Saturday, check in at the booth, and go enjoy your weekend. Our staff handles every buyer interaction — your car stays locked until we open it for a showing.

Get calls from buyers
Step 03
Get Calls From Real Buyers

100+ buyers walk the lot and see your window sticker with your price and contact info. You take the calls, set the price, and negotiate directly. No middlemen. You keep every dollar.

Just show up
Step 01
Just Show Up — Free

Walk a full lot of privately-owned cars in one place — no appointments, no salespeople, no pressure. Show up anytime May 30 or 31 between 9 AM and 7 PM. Admission and parking are always free.

Browse cars
Step 02
Browse 40+ Private-Party Cars

Every vehicle has a window sticker with the price, mileage, and the owner's contact info. Walk the lot at your own pace. Compare options side by side. Zero salespeople, zero pressure.

Deal directly
Step 03
Deal Directly With Owners

Call or text the seller, negotiate face-to-face, and skip the dealer markup. No middleman, no commission. Buyers typically save $2,000–$5,000 compared to dealer prices.

Learn more about selling
Vehicle Preview

Spots Filling — Browse What's Already Listed

Updated daily as sellers register List Your Car — $50
Why Sell Here

Skip the Trade-In. Keep the Money.

Every year, Chicagoland sellers lose millions leaving cars at dealer wholesale prices. CAF changes that math.

$2–4K
More Than a Dealer Trade-In
Dealers offer you wholesale. Private buyers pay retail. The gap on a typical used car is $2,000 to $4,000 — money that belongs in your pocket, not the dealership's margin.
Based on KBB private-party vs. trade-in average gap, 2024 national data.
100+
Serious, In-Person Buyers in One Day
No lowballers. No no-shows. No scam texts. Everyone who walks this lot came specifically to buy a car. They're pre-qualified by the simple act of showing up.
Zero
Strangers at Your Home
Stop inviting people you've never met to your driveway. CAF is held in a public, secure setting in Palatine with professional security on-site. You sell in public, protected, on your own terms.
∞
Hours You Get Back This Weekend
Drop off your car Saturday morning, hand us the keys, and go enjoy your weekend. Our staff handles every buyer interaction. Just keep your phone nearby when it rings.
Register to Sell

Save time.
Skip the hassle.
Get more for your car.

Selling your used car the traditional way can be a headache.
So we made it simpler. Selling at the Chicagoland Auto Fair saves you time and gets you more value for your car.

Early Bird rate only until May 27th.
$75 $50
Early Bird Rate only valid until May 27th. $75 rate applies for late registration and walk-ins.
31 of 50 spots claimed — filling fast
  • Reserved parking for your vehicle displayed in front of hundreds of ready buyers
  • Standardized for-sale window sign with your details
  • Buyer marketing — social media, email & paid ads
  • Vehicle preview in online gallery pre-event
  • Support staff, security & police patrols on-site — vehicle never left unattended
Avg. seller nets $3,200 more than trade-in — based on KBB private-party vs. trade-in gap data.
Claim My Seller Spot
Secured by Stripe · Encrypted checkout

Looking to buy?Free admission, no signup needed →

Trust & Safety

Safe. Verified. Organized.

Every mechanism in this event is designed to protect both buyers and sellers from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave.

Large Public Lot
Established campus in Palatine with built-in security, clear access, and free parking for all attendees.
Seller ID Verified at Check-In
Every seller presents a government-issued ID that matches the vehicle title before they get a spot. No title, no entry. Buyers know every car here is legally the seller's to sell.
Clean Title Required
Every vehicle is VIN-checked and title-verified before approval. No salvage titles, no rebuilt titles, no exceptions.
Your Car, Your Control
Your car stays locked while buyers browse. Our staff holds the keys and accompanies every buyer who wants to look inside. No one opens your car alone — ever.
Paperwork Done Right, On the Spot
Illinois bill of sale, RUT-50 tax form, and title transfer checklist — all provided at the event.
CAF Staff On the Lot All Day
Our team isn't just at a check-in table. We're walking the lot from open to close — available to answer questions, step in if something feels off, and make sure everything runs smoothly.
FAQ

Common Questions

No. Drop off your car between 7–9 AM on Saturday, May 30th, hand our staff the keys, and leave. Our staff holds the keys and accompanies every buyer who wants to look inside. No one opens your car alone — ever. Just be reachable by phone.
Pick up your car by 6 PM on Sunday, May 31st — no pressure. You'll have had multiple interested buyers viewing your car over the weekend — not just one or two conversations online. If it doesn't sell, you'll be first to know about the next event and receive a discounted display fee as a returning seller. The $50 pre-registration fee is non-refundable. Our turnout guarantee only applies if fewer than 50 buyers attend.
Your vehicle (clean and ready to show), car keys, valid driver's license, and registration confirmation. We handle the rest — including all signage and display materials.
Yes — completely free. Just show up during event hours and walk the lot. No tickets, no hidden fees. Browse a full lot of privately owned vehicles in one place — no pressure, no dealership environment.
Buyers and sellers deal directly with each other — no CAF in between. Agree on a price, arrange payment, and complete the title transfer just like any private sale. We provide the marketplace; we don't handle payments or take a cut.
Yes. If you're interested in a vehicle, our staff will be there to open it and allow you to look inside and start it. Each car also includes a window sticker with the price, key details, and the seller's contact info — so you can call or text them directly when you're ready.

Have more questions?

View the full FAQ
Only 50 Seller Spots Available

May 30 & 31. Skip the dealership.

100+ local buyers and 50 private sellers, face to face for two days at Harper College. No middlemen, no markup.

Claim My Seller Spot
Buying a car? Admission is always free.
1200 W Algonquin Rd, Palatine, IL · May 30–31 · 9 AM – 7 PM