posted on October 18, 2001 09:41:47 PM
I plan on attending an auction for "estate posessions" this week-end. It will be my first ever auction. I'm really not interested in the furniture items or glassware that is advertised. I'm curious about the box lots of junk. I'm really just going to check things out.
I have no idea how bidding works at these events. Is there such a thing as bidding etiquette? I'm assuming that they allow previews of the merchandise?
I would love to hear about your experiences and tips.
posted on October 18, 2001 11:36:37 PM
Don't scratch your ear or nod unless you intend to bid on something! Have fun and don't worry too much, just watch the others for awhile before you bid to see how and what they do and soon you'll feel comfortable.
Be sure and preview!!
posted on October 19, 2001 12:13:23 AM
I agree with rawbunzel about scratching your nose. Usually they require you to register with a drivers license, and give you a card with a number on it. This number will match you regisration number. When you wish to bid, show your card to the auctioneer. They may have sighters, (people who watch for bidders). If you are having trouble getting your bid noticed by the auctioneer, yell the word YES! to him. This is not going to be quiet anyway.
I would like to suggest that you would NOT tell any of the other bidders that this is your first auction. Try not to look to excited. They may be bidding against you. Also, don't tell them what your're interested in and how much you're willing to pay for it. Same reason.
I don't go to auctions very often, but when I do, I usually sit in the back. This allows you to see what the other bidders are doing, and if they want to see who may bidding against them, they have to turn their head and look back. If they do this, you will know they may be also interested in the item your're bidding on.
I would suggest thet you try to arrive as soon as they open the doors. This may allow your to check out the items your're interested in. On the box lots, dig to the bottom of the box too. The prize moght be at the bottom, like in Cracker Jacks.
Here's an important thing to watch for. If the auction is understaffed, some bidders may try to organize box lots to suit their own needs. Taking things out of certain boxes and creating a "good box lots" and leaving "junk box lots" for everyone else. I would watch for this.
If this auction is in a building that allows smoking and you don't smoke, then sit next to a door if possible. You will get fresh air this way and will able to breath too. If you are cheap like me, eat before you go there. The food is sometimes pricey.
I hope I haven't discouraged you in any way. I'm sure you'll see people get some real bargains and some get ripped off due to emotional bidding battles. Go and HAVE FUN!!
posted on October 19, 2001 01:07:57 AM
My two cents:
If they have several similar items up at the same time (say four chairs, or four box lots) pay very close attention to how they word the auction.
If they say "one money" you are paying the bid price and getting all of all of them for the bid price. If you bid $10.00, you get the whole bunch for $10.00.
If they say "times the money" you are buying all of them but paying the bid price for each (ie. $10.00 bid X 4 chairs = $40.00).
If they say "choice" and you bid $10.00, you get to choose which ones you want for $10.00 each.
Also make a mental note of how much you are willing to pay for something and stick to it. It's very easy to get carried away, especially at your first auction.
Hope this helps.
[ edited by BlondeSense on Oct 19, 2001 01:09 AM ]
posted on October 19, 2001 04:28:31 AM
I love box lots!
My husband regularly attend an auction in a town 45 minutes from our home. We get there at least 30-45 minutes prior to the auction and go through the box lots like pack rats!
Last weekend I won CHOICE on a lot of 3 boxes. I was only going to take one, but at the last minute decided to take all 3. And, boy, am I glad I did! One of the items in the first box that I was originally going to take had a second piece that had been placed in one of the other boxes. I didn't even know the two were related until I got home and was cleaning the items up. Now I can sell as a set, instead of by the piece.
My pet peeve about box lots is about buyer etiquette: The people who come to buy box lots but don't get there in time to preview the boxes. They hold up the entire auction while they leisurely paw through the boxes to see which ones they want. Some auctioneers will stand for that and others "rush" them up or move onto a single piece auction so the rest of us won't get bored waiting.
posted on October 19, 2001 05:11:10 AM
I use to go to a night auction in the middle of the week . When the auction was near the end and the people had spent most of there money what a great time to bid . One night I waited and at the end you can request an item to be put up for bid . I bought this huge 30 gal. stoneware crock for $10.00 the deal of the day!! Good Luck and if you find that box with a treasure DON'T take your EYE off that box!!
posted on October 19, 2001 05:34:28 AM
Watch for bidder numbers like 111 and 999 winning auctions or bidding against you, most likely they belong to the auction house and are shills. Also watch for "phantom bids" where the auctioner points at the crowd in general and takes a bid. I went to several auctions w/Phantoms and always point it out during the bidding like saying "who was that? didn't catch the number" and so on.
Tim
posted on October 19, 2001 06:23:33 AM
STAY TILL THE END!
You get the best deals at the end of the auction! (NEVER ask the auctioneer to sell something early unless you have to leave.)
Also, watch carefully for a while to see where the opening bids start. Some auctioneers will not go below a certain amount... they will add items to the current item or just hold the item till the next auction. So when YOUR item comes up and the auctioneer gets near that number... BID!
Ditto on watching your desired box lot. Items get moved from box to box a lot. Do not be scared to walk up there and peek in the box just before it goes on the block.
Take a pen. If the lots are numbered, jot down the numbers you want on the back of your bidding number. Sometimes the only description you get when an item is up for bids is the lot number.
GET THERE EARLY. This gives you time to root through stuff and stake out a good spot to sit. If it is outside, take a throw blanket. Hours of inactivity make you really cold if it is chilly outside.
posted on October 19, 2001 07:31:29 AM
Plan to arrive early to inspect the goods and stay late for the bargains. Don't be discouraged if prices seem high at the beginning - I've noticed many prices going too high near the beginning of the auctions (people paying more than you could even hope to sell it for on ebay or elsewhere!).
The best buys are often had at the end of the auction, when the crowd is thinning and bids decline as people's funds get tapped out. I picked up a box lot at auction's end for $8 that eventually made me close to $500.
I also keep a stash of reference books and price guides in my car. If I see something I'm interested in bidding on but don't quite recognize it, then I can quickly check it out before bidding. Don't be a slave to the price guides, of course, but do realize that they are a usually good for identifying *relative* rarity and desirability - and with the competition on ebay being what it is today, you want to be able to pick out the wheat from the chaff.
The live auction also provides a great educational experience. Observe the prices, even on items you're not interested in. That widget that sells at the live auction for $50 may be the same one you later stumble across at the next yard sale for a buck.
posted on October 19, 2001 07:59:02 AM
Watch for the Buyers premium often 10 to 20 % so your 10 bid is really 11 to 12
dont worry about shrill bidders decide what your max is (including the premium and stick to it.
IF the auctioneer is having trouble getting bids started open it up for him he will apprecaite it and often cut you a break later..I have been to lots of auction wher he has say a obvios 100 item nobody opens at 75 no bids at 50 you yell out 25.00 starts things off..usaully the bidding will then quickly go to the 100 or higher If no one else bids you get one hell of a deal at 25 or the auctioneer will take your 25 bounce it off a couple of walls (no bids )and keep it either way things move along.
Agin don't be shy yell out your bid regardless of what he is asking for if he dosnet like it he will let you know real quick.
spock here......
Live long and Prosper
posted on October 19, 2001 07:59:30 AMholdenrex: Your comment on the price guides reminded me of something that happened to me at last Saturday's auction. The auctioneer had several (new) price guides up for sale on a variety of subjects, i.e. dolls, salt and pepper shakers, children's books, McDonald's, etc. After I was looking in my box lots at the end of the night, I discovered that I had purchased a doll. I was kicking myself for not buying the doll price guide. We did purchase the S&P guide which came in handy a little later when some S&P sets came up for auction.
posted on October 19, 2001 08:14:48 AM
Hi, great advice here! Went to my first auction in about 5 years the other day. Remembered my sons tip about just listening for a little bit to get the patter of the auctioneer down. He was quick! I was told that he runs about 100 items/hour. Almost got stuck on what I think is called a ladder. Started at $50 and after a pregnant pause it dropped eventually to $10. As an alternative to yelling out a low bid, be sure to wait a few seconds to see if goes down instead of up. Best advice of all - pick what you want to pay and don't let your competitive juices flow (like mine do). Box lots are great fun - my last box of "old paper stuff" for $20 has already made me over $200. By the way, this was admittedly a "junk" auction, not very high class material.
posted on October 19, 2001 08:39:40 AM
Depending on the auction, be prepared to take lots of extras home. I don't know how many times I've wanted a blanket or widget and had my arms piled full. Some people do leave their extras there but I donate the junque to the goodwill and the extra books to the library. I keep the better extra junque for my annual garage sale.
Auctions are fun but the first ones I went to I just watched. You can learn a lot by watching. Also all auction companies are different. After a while you know which ones you want to avoid and which ones you like.
It also helps to have a helper to put the goodies in your vehicle so that you don't miss anything. I can't tell you how many times I've left for a minute only to find out that widget I wanted is sold.
If you have young children leave them at home or with a sitter.
posted on October 19, 2001 11:17:22 AMfishbowl: While I was out to the post office, I remembered something else. You stated you were going to an estate auction and I wanted to give you a possible scenario. I saw this happen when my own grandparents died and saw it again a few weeks ago at a local auction.
In my grandparent's case, the children (my mom and her siblings) could not come up with a good way to divide up the property. They decided that each "child" could go into the house and pick out one item for themselves, with the oldest going first. Anything remaining was to be auctioned off.
The grandchildren were on their own at the auction. This included a lot of sentimental items that we grown-up grandchildren were willing to pay whatever we could afford for.
A few weeks ago, my husband and I went to a local estate auction. We did not know any of the people involved, but we listened to other people talking while we were perusing the tables. As I was looking at some jewelry, one lady came up to me and said I bet if I looked in that box long enough, I would find a lot of jewelry I gave Grandma Smith over the years." That was Clue #1 that the heirs were there to bid.
Clue #2 came just as the auction started. There was an item that I have seen in antique stores over the years that typically has a $100-$125 price tag. Two men (I assume they were brothers by the looks of them) ran the bid up to $275 and one of them walked away a winner.
Clue #3 was when I overheard two of the grandchildren being "congratulated" by their parents for keeping an item out of that side of the family.
Clue #4 was when an elderly lady bit at the first high bid the auctioneer threw out. When he said who will give me $50 and she bid, I thought the auctioneer was going to pass out! She was, of course, the only bidder.
We never got to Clue #5 because we were out of there within 20 minutes of the start of the sale.
posted on October 19, 2001 11:35:40 AM
Two more cents.
I used to attend more auctions than I do now. At one auction, one of the assistants picked up a lamp base. The auctioneer glanced at it and said "Oh, looks like alabaster" and started the bidding. When it ended at $25.00 and they passed the lamp to the winning bidder who was sitting near me, it turned out the lamp was plastic, not alabaster.
Check everything out yourself.
posted on October 19, 2001 12:03:19 PM
Oh, one more thing. Look very closely at everything especially glassware because the auctioneer doesn't always let you know there is a flaw. Why would he? My mother laughs at me because the first thing I do is pick it up, turn it over and then run my fingers around the edges.
posted on October 19, 2001 02:12:46 PM
I always run my finger around the outside rim of the glass looking for chips. If you think there might be one, you can also use you fingernail on a suspected chip. It will be very rough.
Let's not forget about the auctioneer who says, do you know how much this will go for on eBay? Forget about that item.
posted on October 19, 2001 02:58:29 PM
I was doing a antique show in Atlanta once and I went to a country auction on sat night
I got there late and hadn't inspected the items
As I walked in there was a nice looking cabinet obviosly old going cheap so i bought it for 50.00 when I opened it after the action there had been a fire inside the whole inside was charred and the bottom burned out...DON'T BID IF YOU HAVN'T INSPECTED.
As I recall I did manage to sell it at the show on sun but it took some fancy talking and a little luck to find sombody who was going to use it as a plant stand.
spock here......
Live long and Prosper
posted on October 19, 2001 11:03:07 PM
I go to 2-3 estate sales a week and heres a couple tips.
1) When you see that box full stuff of that you are not interested in be sure to go through it completely you never know what else could be in there. A couple of months ago I came across a bx of light bulbs and I discovered a couple dozen bubble lights. Needless to say I got the box for $2.00.
2) Set a limit before you start to bid.
3) Normally I will wait till the bidding is near the end for a particular item then I will start to bid. This normally narrow the bidding down to you and the other high bidder and if you were paying attention and they were already hesitating you can be pretty sure it will be over soon, and probably in your favor.
4) When you are bidding and are getting to the limit you set for yourself do not hesitate. 9 times out of 10 when a bidder hesitates It is a sure sign that they almost out and you can normally get the item with another bid over them.
5) I know a lot of people that prefer to sit in the back so that they can monitor who is bidding against them but when sitting in the front you have a good view of the items and and can inspect the item even while the bidding is going on since you dont have to trapse all the way from the back of the hall.
posted on October 20, 2001 09:55:50 AM
Hi Fishbowl!
Reading this thread makes me miss all the auctions we used to go to. Here's my suggestions:
1. If you are going to an outside auction, don't forget to bring a lawn chair.
2. Keep track of your winning bids on the back of your bid # card. This way you can compare to the auctioneer's lot stubs you will receive when paying for your day's purchases.
3. If you do get interested in glassware, be sure to bring boxes and paper with you to wrap your items.
4. Definitely leave the kids at home.
5. Enjoy yourself, but don't let yourself get "bidder's fever". With as many auctions as we used to go to, every now and then I still just HAD to win the bid. Competitive to the end beyond reason sometimes.
posted on October 20, 2001 11:11:15 AM
Great thread. I like to either go very early or the previous-day preview and reserve a chair on an aisle (yes in regular auction houses you can do that). Then I can get up, walk around, stand in a better place to see certain things. You really can't do this if you are trapped in the middle of a row. Also, I didn't see sniping mentioned here. I would hold off and not bid right away, running the price up. Sometimes I snipe a jump bid late in the game, seems to scare some bidders out. Yes, become a 'friend' of the auctioneer. Open some up for him, surprise him with a jump bid, give him the 'half' sign. You will not miss out later, because he will be looking for your bid. And if he wants to wake up the crowd, he may knock a bargain down to you.
posted on October 20, 2001 11:27:33 AM
Go prepared--If possible, research the items ahead of time on e-bay's past sales. It will give you a ball park figure of what you can resell certain items for.
Also, in the back of my car I have my "Auction Box" with my ever-ready auction supplies. They include (1) a collapseble umbrella (you can stay for the good stuff when everybody else goes home 'cause it's raining) (2) a blanket (same scenario, only colder,) (3) a pair of gloves (you can tell I live in a cold climate) (4) a refillable mug (great for a Mountain Dew when you need pepped up to wait for the end) (4) a couple of antique price guides (just to check) (4) blank paper and a good pen (great for writing down the number of the item you want, or "Coffee box" etc.) It's really easy to get mixed up when a lot of boxes are coming through. I've also used the pen to make a small X on a box I was interested in--just so I remember which one it is.
I also like to sit in the front. This gives me a better view of the items being auctioned, plus I don't end up being intimidated by the icy stare of the professional antique dealer. I just set my price in my mind and go for it.
Be nice to your auctioneer. Smile. Be polite. Say "thanks" when they hand you the item. They are human too. They will be more apt to throw a favor your direction next time if they like you.
ASK if you didn't hear whether the auctioneer is offering "choice" or "one money takes all," etc. It can save you a lot of grief later on when you find out you're the dismayed owner of 5 boxes--all at times the money.
posted on October 20, 2001 09:05:07 PM
Thanks for all the tips and advice!
It was an interesting experience. Most people at this auction didn't sit in a seat and were milling around looking at the junk while the auction was going on. And junk was most of it was. A majority of the furniture looked like what you'd find along side the road for trash pick-up.
The stuff went for pretty cheap though. Just about everything went in lots. Only one auction went over a hundred dollars.
I was pretty surprised to see so many people bringing small children and infants.
Now I'm wondering if the atmosphere and quality of merchandise is indicative of this particular auction service.
posted on October 20, 2001 09:41:13 PM
A couple of thoughts:
* Although I do try to stay right at my limit on most things, if I've been outbid all night I will tend to go a little higher for something I really want toward the end. But of course it's true that things go for less near the end, too!
* A regular weekly auction I've been going to for 6 years--and he sometimes has a Sunday auction of antiques he brings in by the truckload from the east coast--is run by a somewhat shady character. Sometimes he'll bid with his "shadow" number on something that doesn't sell at all, then you'll see it in a week or two, again, at the auction! I got wise to that pretty fast. This tends to happen more at the "good" auctions on Sundays. And sometimes he just runs the price up by looking in one corner or another. He knows me so well by now that I've figured out how to play HIM! As I approach my limit, I hesitate, play-act, and then bid, and if he's just running it up on me, he'll stop.
These auctions truly are addictive. We're moving to another state, and I'll miss them, shady folks and all! ~Adele
posted on October 21, 2001 06:32:42 AM
Recently went to an auction where they were selling counterfeit Roseville. Very poor workmanship and just too perfect.
Be careful.
posted on October 21, 2001 07:41:39 AM
None of the auctions around me are too fancy though there is one auctioneer that brings a large crowd and does nicer stuff. Usually when I go to his auctions it's to look and learn (and maybe get lucky on the "cheap" table).
There is another local guy who ends up with estates the other auctioneers don't want. His auctions are normally short, small, and not well attended. However I try to show up at them! It doesn't take long to go through the stuff and see if it's a bust or not. If there is some good stuff I can usually get it cheap. It may not be worth the time for the bigger dealers but tickles me pink!
