Stocking Guide
Auction buying intelligence with BUY/CAUTION/PASS verdicts and max bid calculations
Purpose
Stocking Guide answers the most time-critical question in the dealer's week: should I bid on this vehicle right now? It decodes the VIN, pulls dual retail predictions, checks local supply, and retrieves sold velocity data — then outputs a BUY/CAUTION/PASS verdict with a calculated max bid price in under 60 seconds.
Beyond the per-VIN check, the skill generates a Hot List of the fastest-turning models in the dealer's market (ideal acquisition targets) and an Avoid List of slow movers with estimated floor plan cost exposure. The Category Gap Finder reveals which body types the dealer is under-indexed on relative to what the market is actually buying.
How It Works
Execution flow. MCP tool calls are shown inline on each step.
decode_vin_neovinDecode VIN to confirm year, make, model, trim, body type, drivetrain, engine, and fuel type. Present one-line summary for dealer confirmation at the auction lane.
↔ Parallel Execution
predict_price_with_comparablesPredict retail value using the dealer's own dealer_type from profile — this is the price the dealer can expect to sell at.
predict_price_with_comparablesPredict retail value using the other dealer type for cross-market context.
search_active_carsPull active listings for this YMMT in the dealer's market — total count, median price, and average DOM of competing units.
get_sold_summaryPull prior month sold count and average days to sell for this make/model in the dealer's state.
Calculate max bid, D/S ratio, expected turn days, floor plan cost, and projected net profit. Assign verdict: BUY (D/S >2.5, turn <35d, profit >$2K), CAUTION, or PASS.
MCP Tool Calls
| Tool | Calls | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
decode_vin_neovin | 1 per VIN | Decode VIN to YMMT for comp search and spec confirmation |
predict_price_with_comparables | 2 per VIN | Dual retail price predictions: primary dealer type and cross-market secondary |
search_active_cars | 1 per VIN | Local supply count, median price, and avg DOM for D/S ratio |
get_sold_summary | 1 per VIN | Prior month sold count and average days to sell for velocity score |
Example Output
AUCTION VIN CHECK — 3 VINs ════════════════════════════════════════════════ VIN 1: 1FTFW1ET3NFA12345 2022 Ford F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4x4 | 52,400 mi Franchise Retail Value: $38,200 Independent Retail Value: $36,100 Your Retail (franchise): $38,200 ← basis for Max Bid Max Bid: $30,370 (38,200 × 85% - $1,500 recon) D/S Ratio: 2.71 | Expected Turn: 22 days | Floor Plan: $770 Projected Net Profit: $6,060 VERDICT: BUY ✓ Supply: 18 units in market | Median Ask: $39,500 | Avg DOM: 22d ──────────────────────────────────────────────── VIN 2: 1N4BL4BV2NN302841 2022 Nissan Altima S 2.5 | 71,200 mi Franchise Retail Value: $17,800 Independent Retail Value: $16,400 Max Bid: $13,630 D/S Ratio: 0.90 | Expected Turn: 58 days | Floor Plan: $2,030 Projected Net Profit: $620 VERDICT: PASS ✗ — oversupplied, slow turn, thin margin ──────────────────────────────────────────────── BATCH SUMMARY: 1 BUY | 0 CAUTION | 1 PASS | 1 pending
Cost Estimate
200 VIN checks/month ≈ $4 – $20/month
Limitations
- US market only for full pre-auction check. UK dealers receive comp-median pricing only — no ML prediction, no sold velocity.
- Hot List and Avoid List are US-only workflows requiring get_sold_summary.
- Max bid calculation uses profile values for target_margin, recon_cost, and floor_plan_per_day — set these accurately in /onboarding.
- D/S ratio is calculated at state level. Micro-market supply conditions within a metro may differ from state-level averages.
- CPO max bid requires dealer to have cpo_program=true in profile and adds one additional prediction call per VIN.
More in the Dealer Plugin
Demand-to-supply ratios and aging alerts across your lot
View details →Real-time price positioning against live market comparables
View details →Value retention curves and depreciation rates by model and segment
View details →Quick one-command price check for any VIN or vehicle description
View details →Same Capability, Different Plugin
These skills share the same underlying methodology but are tuned for a different audience.