# AuctionTime Equipment Scraper (`parseforge/auctiontime-scraper`) Actor

Scrapes heavy equipment auction listings from AuctionTime.com by keyword, category, manufacturer, year, price, and state. Returns each listing as a flat row with specs, current bid, and auction details.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/auctiontime-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Automation, E-commerce, Other
- **Stats:** 6 total users, 0 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 1 bookmarks
- **User rating**: 5.00 out of 5 stars

## Pricing

from $23.99 / 1,000 result items

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

[![ParseForge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner.jpg)](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp)

### AuctionTime Equipment Scraper

**Scrape heavy equipment auction listings from AuctionTime.com, filtered by make, model, category, or price, up to a million per run.** Every listing includes its serial number, hours, location, auction date, and current bid. No login or API key. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

AuctionTime lists thousands of used excavators, tractors, dump trucks, and attachments every day, but manually tracking prices across dozens of auctions is slow. This Actor reads the public search results and detail pages directly, letting you pull exactly the equipment you care about by keyword, category, manufacturer, year range, or price band. It returns a clean, flat dataset ready for spreadsheets or a database.

| Who uses it | What they scrape AuctionTime for |
|---|---|
| Equipment dealers | Monitor competitor pricing and inventory turns across regional auctions. |
| Farmers and contractors | Find specific tractor or excavator models within a budget before auction day. |
| Market analysts | Track resale values and depreciation curves for construction and farm machinery. |
| Exporters | Identify undervalued equipment in one state for resale in another market. |

### What it does

This Actor collects heavy equipment auction listings from AuctionTime.com by search URL or filter criteria and returns each listing as a flat row with its specs, pricing, and auction details.

- 🔍 **Keyword search:** Filter by equipment type, make, or model using plain text like 'excavator' or 'dump truck'.
- 📋 **Category drill-down:** Narrow results by AuctionTime category IDs such as 61 for Excavators or 4 for Tractors.
- 🏭 **Manufacturer filter:** Target specific brands like CATERPILLAR, JOHN DEERE, or KOMATSU.
- 📅 **Year and price range:** Set minimum and maximum year of manufacture and USD price to zero in on budget-friendly or late-model units.
- 🗺️ **State filter:** Limit results to a single US state code like TX, CA, or FL for regional buying.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

### What you can do with AuctionTime data

**📊 Track equipment resale values.**

An equipment appraiser runs the Actor weekly with a category and year range to chart how auction prices for 5-year-old excavators are trending in the Midwest.

**🚜 Find a specific machine before auction day.**

A farmer sets a keyword for 'John Deere 5075E' and a maximum price to get an alert-ready list of matching tractors closing this week.

**🌎 Source inventory for export.**

An exporter filters for low-hour dump trucks in Texas and Florida to build a shipment for a buyer in Latin America.

**🏗️ Monitor competitor inventory.**

A dealership runs a daily scrape filtered by manufacturer and state to see which used machines a rival is listing and at what starting bids.

### Why choose this scraper

|  | What you get |
|---|---|
| **Flat output schema** | Every listing arrives as one row with consistent columns, no nested JSON to unpack. |
| **Bulk collection** | Pull up to a million listings in a single run for large-scale market analysis. |
| **No API limits** | Reads the public website directly, avoiding OAuth, rate limits, and API key registration. |
| **Flexible input** | Paste a full search URL or combine individual filters to build your query on the fly. |

### How it compares

No other Store actor targets AuctionTime the same way, so the honest comparison is with the alternatives teams actually weigh.

| | AuctionTime Equipment Scraper | Build it in-house | By hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | Run it now, zero config | Days of engineering | None, but hours per pull |
| When AuctionTime changes | Maintained for you | You fix it | You re-learn the page |
| Proxies, retries, anti-bot | Built in | Your problem | Browser only |
| Output | Fixed JSON schema, CSV/Excel export | Whatever you build | Copy-paste |
| Cost | Pay per result | Engineering time | Analyst hours |

### Configure the run

Drive the Actor from a direct AuctionTime search URL or build a query from keyword, category, manufacturer, year, price, and state filters, and each filter runs as listings are read so only matches reach your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
  "startUrl": "https://www.auctiontime.com/listings/search?ListingType=Auction&Category=61",
  "maxItems": 10,
  "searchQuery": "tractor"
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
  "startUrl": "https://www.auctiontime.com/listings/search?ListingType=Auction&Category=61",
  "maxItems": 200,
  "searchQuery": "tractor"
}
```

### Pricing

Pay-per-result: **$0.03199 per result** collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $3.20 |
| 1,000 results | $31.99 |
| 10,000 results | $319.90 |

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

### Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. [Upgrade your Apify plan](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp) to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

### Run it

1. [Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).
2. Open the [AuctionTime Equipment Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/auctiontime-scraper?fpr=vmoqkp).
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click **Start**.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the **Dataset** tab.

Run it programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) (`run-sync-get-dataset-items`) or the [ApifyClient](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js) for JavaScript and Python.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to AuctionTime through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=parseforge/auctiontime-scraper"
```

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

### Troubleshooting

**Why am I getting no results?**

Check that your search query, category ID, or manufacturer name matches exactly how it appears on AuctionTime.com. Try broadening your filters or testing the URL directly in a browser first.

**The Actor runs but returns fewer listings than expected.**

Your maxItems setting may be lower than the total available, or your filters are too narrow. Increase maxItems and verify that your combination of filters still returns results on the live site.

**I get an error about the start URL.**

Make sure the URL is a valid AuctionTime.com search page. If you are using filters instead, leave the start URL field empty and fill in the search filter fields.

**The price filter is not working as expected.**

Prices on AuctionTime are in USD. Ensure your priceMin and priceMax values are plain integers without currency symbols or commas.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need an AuctionTime account or API key to use this? | No. The Actor reads the public listing pages on AuctionTime.com, so no login, account, or API key is required. |
| Can I scrape listings by a specific auction date? | The Actor collects all listings matching your filters. You can then sort or filter the output by the auction date field in your spreadsheet or database. |
| What is a category ID and where do I find it? | Category IDs are numbers AuctionTime uses internally. You can find them by browsing categories on the site and noting the number in the URL, for example Category=61 for Excavators. |
| How do I get the full description and photos? | The Actor captures the listing title, specs, price, and auction details. For full descriptions and photo URLs, check the included detail fields in the output. |
| Can I run this for multiple states at once? | The state filter accepts a single US state code per run. To cover multiple states, run the Actor once per state or use a direct search URL that already includes multiple locations. |
| What format does the data export to? | You can export your results to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML from the Apify dataset tab. |
| Does this Actor handle pagination automatically? | Yes, it follows pagination links until it reaches your maxItems limit or the end of the results. |
| Can I scrape sold listings or only active auctions? | The Actor collects whatever listings are visible on the search page you provide. To get sold data, use a URL that includes sold or past auction filters if available on the site. |

### Related actors

Browse the full [ParseForge collection](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp) for more scrapers.

🆘 **Need help?** Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ **Disclaimer.** This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Sandhills Global, Inc. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.

# Actor input Schema

## `startUrl` (type: `string`):

Direct URL from AuctionTime.com search page. Use this OR search filters below, not both.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

How many listings to collect per run.

## `searchQuery` (type: `string`):

Search term for equipment (e.g., 'excavator', 'tractor', 'dump truck')

## `category` (type: `string`):

Equipment category ID (e.g., '61' for Excavators, '4' for Tractors, '135' for Dump Trucks)

## `manufacturer` (type: `string`):

Equipment manufacturer (e.g., 'CATERPILLAR', 'JOHN DEERE', 'KOMATSU')

## `yearMin` (type: `integer`):

Minimum year of manufacture

## `yearMax` (type: `integer`):

Maximum year of manufacture

## `priceMin` (type: `integer`):

Minimum price in USD

## `priceMax` (type: `integer`):

Maximum price in USD

## `state` (type: `string`):

US state code (e.g., 'TX', 'CA', 'FL')

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "startUrl": "https://www.auctiontime.com/listings/search?ListingType=Auction&Category=61",
  "maxItems": 10,
  "searchQuery": "tractor"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

Dataset with scraped auction listings

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "startUrl": "https://www.auctiontime.com/listings/search?ListingType=Auction&Category=61",
    "maxItems": 10,
    "searchQuery": "tractor"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/auctiontime-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "startUrl": "https://www.auctiontime.com/listings/search?ListingType=Auction&Category=61",
    "maxItems": 10,
    "searchQuery": "tractor",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/auctiontime-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "startUrl": "https://www.auctiontime.com/listings/search?ListingType=Auction&Category=61",
  "maxItems": 10,
  "searchQuery": "tractor"
}' |
apify call parseforge/auctiontime-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/auctiontime-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/u8hopCBs2Xt0CZdPI/builds/4CcMqM5VdgyhQoreL/openapi.json