58 buyers RSVP'd Registrations live now
Register to Sell
58 buyers RSVP'd Registrations live now
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The Community's Used Car Buy and Sell Event.The Community's Used Car Buy and Sell Event.

Drop off your car in front of hundreds of serious buyers.
They call you to make a deal, you sell for top dollar —
without the listings, dealers, and risky meetups.

Harper College Lot 10, Palatine
Sep 26–27 10 AM – 5 PM
Register to Sell *Free cancellation until Sep 23.

$99 Flat Fee · We don't take commissions

Sep 26–27, 2026·10 AM – 5 PM
Next event
Harper College, Palatine
event not affiliated with the college
Sep 26–27, 2026
10 AM – 5 PM

Not a dealership. Not an auction.

Think flea market, but for used cars.

A Simpler Way to Get More for Your Car

Buyers here aren't browsing. They came to buy a car.

Hundreds of local buyers walk the lot comparing privately owned cars in one place. You set the price, we display your car for you, and interested buyers contact you directly. No chasing messages or meeting strangers one at a time. You keep 100% of your sale.

Buyers walking the lot inspecting cars at a Chicagoland Auto Fair event at Harper College 600+ buyers walked the lot · past events
$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.
600+ buyers
walk the lot at every single event.
Everyone who walks this lot came specifically to buy a car — they're pre-qualified by the simple act of showing up. Park once, and 600+ of them walk past your windshield in a single weekend.
Peace of mind
No more sketchy meetups, online listings, or haggling with dealers.
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.
The Process

How It Works

We don't buy your car, and we don't sell it for you. We put it in front of hundreds of local buyers. You set the price, take the calls, and keep 100% of the sale.

Register your car online in 3 minutes
Step 01
See if your car qualifies

Clean-title, privately owned cars only. Tell us about your car and we'll confirm if it's a fit for the fair. Once approved, reserve your spot for $99.

Drop off your car Saturday morning
Step 02
Drop it off. Go enjoy your weekend.

Bring your car Saturday morning, hand us the keys, and you're done. We supervise the showings while you enjoy your weekend. No strangers at your house, no meetups to schedule. Buyers call you after they've actually seen your car.

Get calls from real buyers
Step 03
Take the calls. Set your price. Keep 100%.

Buyers who are interested call you directly after seeing your car in person. You negotiate the deal yourself, decide what you're willing to take, and keep 100% of the sale.

Register to Sell

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

A seller standing with her car at the Chicagoland Auto Fair after selling it in one weekend.
Standard
$99
Flat fee — your reserved spot for one full weekend.
Registrations live now
  • 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
  • Complete Seller Toolkit — pricing worksheet, bill of sale, title-transfer checklist & safe-sale kit
  • Support staff, security & police patrols on-site — vehicle never left unattended
Register for $99 Free cancellation until September 23rd
Avg. seller nets $3,200 more than trade-in — based on KBB private-party vs. trade-in gap data.
Why This Works

Two weeks of strangers.
Or one weekend.

For decades, weekend car fairs have been the proven way to sell a car private-party in cities across the country. It's finally in Chicago.

The headache of selling online

The usual two weeks

Day 3
The ghosting begins.
Is this still available?
Yes! When did you want to come see it?
Seen 2:41 PM · no reply
Day 9
The lowball arrives.
would u take half if I come today? cash
Day 14
A stranger wants your home address.

He'll “swing by sometime tonight.” You're deciding whether someone you've never met should know where you live.

Day 21
Renew. Repost. Repeat.

The listing's gone stale — and the car is still in your driveway.

At the Auto Fair

September 26–27

7–9 AM
Drop off your car.

Hand our staff the keys at Harper College. That's your whole job for the day.

9:00 AM
Gates open. You're at brunch.

100+ buyers walk the lot. Every showing is staff-supervised, and your car stays locked in between.

12:10 PM
Your phone rings.

They saw your window sticker — price, specs, your number. You take the call from wherever you are. Nobody gets your address.

Incoming call
Buyer at the fair
Sunday
Sign the title. Keep every dollar.

A real local buyer, a public lot — and we take nothing from the sale. Your only cost was the $99 registration.

25+ cars sold at our last event

Chicagoland Auto Fair co-founder photographing a couple who just sold their Toyota at the fair
Selling Your Car Made Simple

The Smarter Way to Sell Your Car.

We bring serious buyers to your car. They contact you directly. You make the deal and keep every dollar. Just live, straightforward deals so you can skip the hassle.

Common Questions

Seller FAQ.

Register online, drop off your car between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m. on the day of the event, and go enjoy your weekend.

We professionally display your car with a custom window sticker (price, key details, and your contact info), while our staff is on-site to safely assist buyers with viewing and starting vehicles.

Instead of dealing with one-off messages and no-shows, your car is seen by dozens of serious buyers in one place — creating real demand and competition.

You stay in control — set your price, talk directly with buyers, and negotiate on your terms. No middlemen. No commissions.

Pick up your car by 5 PM on the last day of the event — no pressure.

Most sellers benefit from having multiple interested buyers viewing their 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 returning sellers receive a discounted display fee.

Our turnout guarantee only applies if fewer than 50 buyers attend.

You handle everything. We don't touch the deal.

CAF simply brings the buyers to you. You set the price, negotiate directly, and complete the sale on your own terms.

No commissions. No hidden fees. You keep 100% of the sale.

With multiple buyers seeing your car, you're in a stronger position to negotiate.

No — clean title vehicles only.

Every car is VIN-checked before approval to maintain a high-quality marketplace buyers can trust.

If a salvage or rebuilt title vehicle is found on-site, it will be removed without a refund.

  • Your vehicle (clean and ready to show)
  • Car keys
  • Valid driver's license
  • Registration confirmation

We handle the rest — including all signage and display materials.

Have more questions?

View all seller FAQs
Trust & Safety

Safe. Verified. Organized.

Chicago's entire market: serious buyers and verified sellers gathered in one secure, convenient public lot.

Large public lot
Established campus in Palatine with built-in security, clear access, and free parking for all attendees.
Security on-site
Regular support staff, security personnel, and police patrols on-site all day. Your vehicle is never left unattended or unlocked.
Staff-supervised showings
A staff member accompanies every buyer who views a vehicle. Cars remain locked at all other times. Your keys never leave our staff.
Title transfer paperwork
Illinois RUT-50 forms and step-by-step title transfer instructions provided on-site. No guesswork after the sale.
A seller and buyer closing a deal at a Chicagoland Auto Fair event
Registrations live now

Save your time. Skip the hassle. Sell your car.

One weekend. $99 to list. The average seller walks away with $3,200 more than any dealer would have paid them. That's the deal.

Register to Sell Free cancellation until September 23rd