# Purple Wave Auction Scraper (`crawlerbros/purple-wave-scraper`) Actor

Scrape Purple Wave (purplewave.com) farm, construction, and truck/trailer equipment auctions. Search by keyword/category/state, browse a specific auction, or fetch full lot detail. No login, no API key, no paid proxy.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/crawlerbros/purple-wave-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Crawler Bros](https://apify.com/crawlerbros) (community)
- **Categories:** Automation, E-commerce, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#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

## Purple Wave Auction Scraper

Scrape [Purple Wave](https://www.purplewave.com) — a major online auction house for farm equipment, construction equipment, trucks & trailers, and support equipment across the US. Search by keyword, category, and state; browse every lot in a specific auction; or fetch full detail for a shortlist of lots. Get title, make/model/year, technical specs, current bid or final sold price, location, photos, and lot URL. No login, no API key, no cookies, no paid proxy.

### What this actor does

- **Three modes:** `search`, `byAuctionId`, `byItemIds`
- **Search filters:** free-text keyword, 11 top-level equipment categories, all 50 US states + DC, upcoming vs. past auctions, 4 sort orders
- **Post-retrieval filters:** manufacturer contains, min/max price, min/max model year — narrow results by criteria Purple Wave's own search doesn't expose natively
- **Rich specs:** hours, miles, horsepower, engine make/model, transmission, fuel type, drive type, axles, cylinder count, and more — whatever the listing has populated
- **Empty fields are omitted** — every record only contains fields the source actually provided

### Output per listing

- `itemTitle`, `description` — plain text, HTML stripped
- `make`, `model`, `year`
- `category`, `familyCategory`, `industryCategory`, `industryCategoryId`
- `hours`, `miles`, `horsepower`, `engineMake`, `engineModel`, `transmissionType`, `fuelType`, `driveType`, `operationalStatus`, `cabStyle`, `axles`, `cylinderCount`, `gvwr`, `serial`
- `currentBidUsd`, `soldPriceUsd`, `nextBidUsd`, `bidCount`, `sold`
- `auctionId`, `itemNumber`, `auctionTitle`, `auctionType`, `auctionStartTime`, `lotEndTime`, `auctionClosed`
- `streetAddress`, `city`, `county`, `stateAbbreviation`, `stateName`, `postalCode`, `latitude`, `longitude`
- `imageUrl`, `thumbnailUrl`, `imageUrls[]` (capped at 20), `numImages`, `videoUrl`, `repairReportUrl` (PDF, when the auction provides one)
- `company`, `shippingAvailable`, `likeKindExchange`
- `sourceUrl` — the lot's page on purplewave.com
- `recordType: "equipmentListing"`, `scrapedAt`

### Input

| Field | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `mode` | string | `search` | `search` / `byAuctionId` / `byItemIds` |
| `searchQuery` | string | `tractor` | Free-text keyword (mode=search) |
| `industryCategoryId` | select | `151` (Ag Equipment) | Top-level category (mode=search) |
| `stateAbbreviation` | select | – | US state the equipment is located in (mode=search) |
| `dateType` | select | `upcoming` | `upcoming` / `past` / `all` (mode=search) |
| `sortBy` | select | `current_bid-desc` | Sort order (mode=search / byAuctionId) |
| `makeFilter` | string | – | Manufacturer contains, e.g. `John Deere` (applied after retrieval) |
| `minPrice` / `maxPrice` | int | – | USD range on current bid / sold price (applied after retrieval) |
| `minYear` / `maxYear` | int | – | Model-year range (applied after retrieval) |
| `auctionId` | string | – | Purple Wave auction ID, e.g. `260916` (mode=byAuctionId) |
| `itemRefs` | array | – | Lots as `auctionId:itemNumber`, e.g. `260916:EU5862` (mode=byItemIds) |
| `maxItems` | int | `20` | Hard cap on emitted records (1–500) |

#### Example: search ag equipment in Kansas

```json
{
  "mode": "search",
  "searchQuery": "tractor",
  "industryCategoryId": "151",
  "stateAbbreviation": "KS",
  "dateType": "upcoming",
  "maxItems": 50
}
```

#### Example: browse every lot in an auction

```json
{
  "mode": "byAuctionId",
  "auctionId": "260916",
  "maxItems": 200
}
```

#### Example: fetch a shortlist of specific lots

```json
{
  "mode": "byItemIds",
  "itemRefs": ["260916:EU5862", "260805:NA9436"]
}
```

### Use cases

- **Equipment procurement** — source used ag, construction, or trucking equipment by category, state, or budget
- **Market research** — benchmark current bids and final sold prices across model years
- **Auction monitoring** — track a specific upcoming auction lot-by-lot
- **Inventory sourcing** — build a shortlist of manufacturers/models in a target price range
- **Regional analysis** — compare equipment availability and pricing state-by-state

### FAQ

**What's Purple Wave?**  An online auction house running weekly farm, construction, and truck/trailer equipment auctions across the US. See [purplewave.com](https://www.purplewave.com).

**Why are some listings missing `currentBidUsd`?**  A listing only carries a current bid once bidding has opened. Closed/past listings instead carry `soldPriceUsd` (only if the lot actually sold).

**Why is `hours` sometimes `0` but present, while `miles` is missing on the same record?**  Purple Wave tracks hours-on-meter and odometer miles independently per item type; `0` hours is a real reading (e.g. a new/unused unit), while a missing field means the source never populated that spec for that item.

**How do I find an `auctionId` or `itemNumber`?**  Every record from `search` mode includes both — copy them into `itemRefs` (as `auctionId:itemNumber`) for mode=`byItemIds`, or just the `auctionId` for mode=`byAuctionId`.

**What are `makeFilter`, price range, and year range applied to?**  Purple Wave's own search API only supports keyword, category, and state natively. This actor applies manufacturer/price/year filters itself after retrieval, so you can narrow results further than the site's own UI allows.

**Does this cover past (closed) auctions?**  Yes — set `dateType` to `past` or `all` in `search` mode, or use `byAuctionId` with a closed auction's ID.

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

What to fetch.

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

Free-text keyword, e.g. `tractor`, `skid steer`, `John Deere`. Leave blank to browse all listings in the selected category/state.

## `industryCategoryId` (type: `string`):

Restrict results to one top-level equipment category.

## `stateAbbreviation` (type: `string`):

Restrict results to equipment located in one US state.

## `dateType` (type: `string`):

Only search upcoming (open) auctions, only closed/past auctions, or both.

## `sortBy` (type: `string`):

Result ordering.

## `makeFilter` (type: `string`):

Case-insensitive substring match applied to the equipment manufacturer/make after retrieval, e.g. `John Deere`, `Case`, `Volvo`.

## `minPrice` (type: `integer`):

Drop listings with a current bid / sold price below this amount (applied after retrieval).

## `maxPrice` (type: `integer`):

Drop listings with a current bid / sold price above this amount (applied after retrieval).

## `minYear` (type: `integer`):

Drop listings with a model year below this (applied after retrieval).

## `maxYear` (type: `integer`):

Drop listings with a model year above this (applied after retrieval).

## `auctionId` (type: `string`):

Purple Wave auction ID, e.g. `260916`. Found in a listing's `auctionId` field or in the auction's URL (`/auction/260916`).

## `itemRefs` (type: `array`):

Lots to fetch in full detail, formatted `auctionId:itemNumber` (e.g. `260916:EU5862`). Found in a listing's `auctionId` and `itemNumber` fields.

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

Hard cap on emitted records.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "search",
  "searchQuery": "tractor",
  "industryCategoryId": "151",
  "stateAbbreviation": "",
  "dateType": "upcoming",
  "sortBy": "current_bid-desc",
  "itemRefs": [],
  "maxItems": 20
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `listings` (type: `string`):

Dataset containing all scraped Purple Wave equipment 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 = {
    "mode": "search",
    "searchQuery": "tractor",
    "industryCategoryId": "151",
    "stateAbbreviation": "",
    "dateType": "upcoming",
    "sortBy": "current_bid-desc",
    "itemRefs": [],
    "maxItems": 20
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("crawlerbros/purple-wave-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 = {
    "mode": "search",
    "searchQuery": "tractor",
    "industryCategoryId": "151",
    "stateAbbreviation": "",
    "dateType": "upcoming",
    "sortBy": "current_bid-desc",
    "itemRefs": [],
    "maxItems": 20,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("crawlerbros/purple-wave-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 '{
  "mode": "search",
  "searchQuery": "tractor",
  "industryCategoryId": "151",
  "stateAbbreviation": "",
  "dateType": "upcoming",
  "sortBy": "current_bid-desc",
  "itemRefs": [],
  "maxItems": 20
}' |
apify call crawlerbros/purple-wave-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,crawlerbros/purple-wave-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/AtWDVuao1q9lrjjf9/builds/GKVSd8rPtpi9BKGml/openapi.json