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MachVerity vs Purple Wave: check value before you bid

Purple Wave is a well-run online auction with no reserves. MachVerity is the independent, free value and history check you run before you place a bid, on any machine, not just Purple Wave lots.

MachVerity and Purple Wave are complementary. Purple Wave is a place to bid on and buy used equipment in timed, unreserved online auctions. MachVerity is the independent step you take before you commit: an honest value from real comparable sales, live safety recalls, and a due-diligence checklist for title, liens and theft, on any machine you are considering.

Check any machine free

Serial, PIN or VIN in. Market value, recalls and a title, lien and theft checklist out. No account.

What Purple Wave does well

Purple Wave is one of the larger internet-only auction companies in the United States, selling construction, agricultural, transportation and government equipment in timed, unreserved online auctions. It publishes clear lot details and photos, and because the auctions are unreserved, the results reflect real clearing prices. For buying and selling equipment online transparently, it is a solid venue.

How MachVerity is different

MachVerity is not an auction and is not tied to one seller's lots. Enter a serial number, PIN or VIN and get a market value from real comparable sales across sources, live NHTSA recalls, and a checklist to verify title, liens and theft, for free, with no account. Purple Wave tells you what a specific lot is selling for today. MachVerity tells you whether that price is fair against the wider market and whether the machine is clean to own, on any listing, anywhere.

MachVerity vs Purple Wave, side by side

FeatureMachVerityPurple Wave
What it isA free value and history checkAn online auction marketplace
Price✓ Free, no accountFree to browse, buyers register
Works for any machine anywhere✓ YesIts own lots
Market value from real sales✓ Across sourcesUnreserved results from its own auctions
Safety recall check✓ Live from NHTSANot provided
Title, lien and theft checklist✓ IncludedVaries by lot
Buy or sell the machineNo, we are not a marketplace✓ Yes
Independent of the seller✓ YesIt is the auctioneer

MachVerity is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any company named on this page. Product names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners and are used here only to describe and compare. Details reflect publicly available information as of 2026 and may change, confirm current features and pricing with each provider before deciding.

When to use each

Use Purple Wave when

You want to buy or sell equipment through transparent, unreserved online auctions with clear lot details.

Use MachVerity when

You want an independent, free read on a machine’s value, recalls and title status before you place a bid, on Purple Wave or anywhere else.

These are not either-or. Most buyers use both: MachVerity for a free, independent value and history check, and Purple Wave for what it does best. Whatever you use, verify the serial or VIN before you pay.

Frequently asked

Is MachVerity an auction site like Purple Wave?

No. MachVerity does not buy or sell equipment. It is an independent value and history check you run on a machine before you bid, wherever you found it.

Can I check a Purple Wave lot on MachVerity?

Yes. Take the serial number, PIN or VIN from the lot and look it up on MachVerity for a market value, recalls and a title, lien and theft checklist, free.

Does Purple Wave show what a machine is worth?

Its unreserved results are real, useful sold-price data for that lot. MachVerity pulls comparable sales across sources and adds recalls and a title, lien and theft checklist, independently of any one seller.

Which should I use?

Use both. Check the machine on MachVerity first (free), then bid on Purple Wave if it is the right venue for you.

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