"The Auction 411" Part 2: Auction Dos and Donts; Proper Procedure & Etiquette

Welcome to Part 2 of the 3 Part Series:  

The Auction 411

You can find Part 1 of the series HERE.

Today is when we get to the meat.

Get your coffee or tea and a little snack and get comfy.

This is the long part.

Alright...  

Let's get started on the good stuff!

So,  you've done your homework and found a local auction.

Today's the day!  

You're there!

Okay...  

Deep breath.  

What do you do now?

1.  KNOW YOUR STUFF.  

This is something I'm still learning and it's more than knowing what you like.

If selling,  know what's hot and what's not.  Know the difference between antique, vintage, and reproduction.  The worst thing ever is to figure out that you've bought something that is NOT what you thought it was.  I did this the other night with what I thought was hand-tatted handkerchiefs.  Nope.  They weren't.  Total reproductions!  Doh!

Be able to tell the difference between veneer and hardwood.  Know the difference between pine, maple, cherry, oak, etc...  Pine goes cheap here.  For me, it doesn't matter because I'm going to paint it.  But oak and cherry will almost definitely bring a higher price.  That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to get the piece, just be prepared that you might have to pay for it.

2.  Walk around and check out the items.

 Its a good idea to arrive ahead of time for this purpose, but not a necessity.  You can always look while the bidding is going on, unless there's a rule not to.  Otherwise, that's up to your discretion.  

Before getting a bidder's number, walk around and make sure there's anything you want first.  If there's a lot of things I'm interested in, I also make a list, so I don't forget items that have caught my eye.

I look the items over carefully - especially the furniture.  Make sure you look at the overall condition.  Do drawers slide easily?  Is there any visible damage?  Does it wobble?  Do the doors stick?  Is there any missing hardware?  Does it look like poo, but have good bones?  Look passed what it is and visualize what it could be.  On smalls, make sure what you're buying isn't just a really good reproduction, if you care about that kind of thing.

If you have a question about an item, you can seek out one of the auction workers.  Don't be afraid to ask!  That's what they're there for!

Lastly, write down the top number you're willing pay.  

And stick to it!  

(Pot calling kettle...)

3.  Get your Bidder's Number. 

If you find items that you're interested in bidding on, there will be a table where you can get your auction number.  Generally, you have to show your driver's license and give a phone number to be issued a bidding number.  Sometimes these are on paddles, sometimes the number is written with a Sharpie on a white card with the auction services info on it.

This is YOUR number.  It is how the auction service will keep track of your purchases.  Guard it with your life and DO NOT lay it down anywhere!  This protects you from having to pay for things you didn't buy AND it protects the auction service from you skipping out without paying.  If you leave without paying, you WILL be getting a phone call. 

Okay...  You've got your number clinched in your fist or tucked inside your purse, and you're ready to go.  

What next?

1.  Be prepared to wait.  

Its a long process.  You will have to sit and wait for the item you want to come up for auction.  It takes a while.

Its a good idea to use this time make some connections and just get to know people.  They're fun to talk to (especially the older people), it makes the time go by faster, and you can learn a lot!

Not one to strike up a conversation with a stranger?  

That's okay!  

Walk around some more and take the time to really look over the items you're considering bidding on again.   Or, bring a book to read.  That works too.  :)  Generally, they will have refreshments for sale.  They want to keep you there.  We have awesome homemade pies at the ones we go to.  :)   Or, bring something to eat and drink, if you don't want to pay for food.

I usually spend about 4 hours at each auction.  

That's average.

2.  Unless one of the items you want is up for bid first, sit back and just watch.  

There's two reasons for this...

A)  You can learn the procedure at your particular auction.

B)  You can usually gauge how the prices are going to go by paying attention to the first few items up and what the winning bid amounts are.  Understand that the prices things go for depends on the crowd.  Just because stuff goes cheap one night, doesn't mean it will the next time.  You'll also be surprised at what people will pay for one thing, but not for another.  And don't be surprised if your definition of "cheap" changes the longer you keep going.  ;)

TRUE STORY:  The night I bought this antique dresser, I paid $135 for it (Its already sold, so I can share.  LOL!).  That same night, I watched a dated veneer set go for triple what I thought it was worth (Think upper end 3 digit number that starts with a 3 and it was UGLY!).

That night, the crowd was not there for antiques.  Seriously, its all in what the people want and that might not necessarily be what you think it would be.  For instance,  a month later, I knew FOR SURE I could get this one antique dresser cheap.  It was literally falling apart and needed tons of work.  It went for $110! And the next one that wasn't NEAR the quality of the one above, totally plain jane oak dresser with a mirror, sold for $190.  See?  You never know.  Prices totally depend on the crowd.  Keep that in mind.

3.  The "Furniture Nazi's"  (AKA, Scott's) Auction Rule Numero Uno:  Never be the first bid.  EVER.  

Pay attention.  The auctioneer is fast (like Road Runner fast) and sometimes its hard to tell if someone has bid.  Be ready to bid, but never be THE FIRST to bid.  Again, never ever EVER be the first bidder unless its down to the bottom dollar or you really want something, you know what it's worth, and you don't want to play.  Even then, your goal is to get it at the cheapest price possible, so wait!  Don't be a FALSE STARTER!

  (Or you get stuck paying $10.00 for a round mauve formica table with four pleather chair - Ahem...  Scott!)  

OH!  And be careful to keep your hand DOWN.  Don't raise your hand to gesture, flip your hair, pick your nose, whatever...  The auctioneer has eyes like a hawk.  And he can mistake a raised hand for a bid.  Now is NOT a good time to practice your bend...  and SNAP!

4.  Time to bid!

Your item is up.  

Are you breathing fast yet?  

Hands sweating?  

Good!  

You're ready to bid!  

The price is at its lowest or someone has already bid.  

Just do it!

Special thanks to Greyson, my hand model!

How?

Get the auctioneer's attention.  I usually raise my bidder's card, not just my hand.  Some people do, some don't.  I don't, unless I'm up in the front.  Honestly, I never sit up front, however, Scott prefers it.  If I'm the one bidding, I generally will pick out a seat that is farthest back in the room, but in direct line of sight from the auctioneer.  That way, I can see how many people are bidding against me, who they are, and where they're located.

Back to placing your bid...  Raise your auction card.  The white of the card will catch the auctioneer's eye.  They also have spotters roaming the crowd when multiple bidders are bidding.

After you've indicated your intention to bid and they've acknowledge you, put your hand down.  For the course of the auctioning of that item, they'll look directly at you.  You can either raise the card again to signal you accept taking the next higher bid, raise your hand, or just nod.  I usually nod.

Did the price go too high?

Okay, then.  Stop bidding.

How?

If I decide I don't want to go on with the bid, I shake my head, "No."  You MUST give some indication that you aren't willing to pay the next bid amount.  You don't just walk off or look away and start talking to someone.  That's rude.  Let the auctioneer know your intentions.  This is elementary, but worth mentioning.

5.  Don't pay ANY attention to the other bidder.  

You might have some people that stare you down to try to get you to back off, especially in more aggressive markets.  I've seen this a few times, but not very often.  People say Scott is intimidating when he's bidding.  LOL!!!  He doesn't stare people down, he just puts on his USMC face. HA HA HA!  Once I see who the other bidders are, I don't look around.  I look at the auctioneer or at Scott.  No one else.  No eye contact with your competitors.  That way you don't get intimidated.  It works better that way.  :)

Sometimes you might be bidding against someone that is your "auction friend" - meaning you hang out with them and talk to them at auctions, but not in "real" life.  You WILL make these, if you go often enough.

The rule of thumb in this situation:

If they really want something and you really don't care about it much, don't bid on it.  Be nice!  Don't bid on it just to one-up them!  HOWEVER, that being said...  If you both REALLY want the same thing...  Its an auction.  May the best person win.  That sounds kind of blunt, but by no means should you back off something you really want - and respect that they shouldn't either.  Its auction business and that's how the game is played.  Just examine your motives and if they're pure, go for it!

TRUE STORY:  I had to learn that lesson the other night.  Its a tough one.  An "auction friend" and I were both interested in the same piece (the piece pictured above.)  She indicated her desire to bid on it, but upfront I told her I would be bidding too.  Honesty is the BEST policy!  Since it was a something that we don't see very often out here, I was compelled to bid (although I did have a friend bid for me, so I wouldn't get all competitive and go over my "set" amount).  If it had been something we see all the time, I absolutely would not have touched it because I know I would be seeing more of the same later.  I ended up winning it because I was prepared to pay more.  She wasn't very happy with me, I think.   Friendship should have NO BEARING in that kind of situation.  Unfortunately, I don't think she saw it that way and proceeded to later bid me up on an item that she previously had no interest in.  :(

The Lesson Here:  Don't be afraid to bid against someone you know just because you know them, but be prepared to be a good sport if you're not the final winning bid.  

Sportsmanship applies here!  

Be nice!

6.  Do NOT bid on an item that you haven't checked out first.

Senario:  All of a sudden they're bidding on something that for some reason you didn't see on your walk through.  It's something you're interested in, but you're not really sure about the condition of the item.  DON'T BID ON IT!  More often than not, it's not what you think it is or it's not in the condition you think it is.  Better safe than sorry later, and having a bad case of buyer's remorse.  Don't bid!

TRUE STORY:  The other night I saw what I thought was hand-tatted/hand embroidered handkerchiefs (that I mentioned and pictured above), I got distracted and didn't thoroughly go through the box.  I ended up buying them, but didn't realize until after the fact that they were reproductions.  Lesson learned!

7.  Do NOT go over your set price.

I know I mentioned it briefly above, but its important enough to mention it again.  Seriously, you can be out of your league really fast.  Don't wind up asking yourself how in the world you paid $145 for an oak hall tree (Ahem...  No one I know...  {insert innocent look here}).

Honestly, I do have a hard time with this.  I'm competitive and I WILL win.  That's why Scott does most of the bidding, unless we've split up between furniture and smalls.  Trust me, if you go over your set price, you'll end up regretting it.  I do, almost every single time.

But... If you're buying to keep, then it might be worth it.  Only you can decide that.  Buying to sell?  Not so much.   Go with your gut instinct on what you initially thought it was worth, so you don't get caught up in the competition of it all.   I can't stress this enough.  Keep in mind what you can pay for it, the labor and materials that needs to go into it, and the price you can sell it for.  Otherwise, you will not make a profit.  And you're not doing this for free!

8.  You have to buy the trash to get the treasure.

On smalls, most auction services will bundle junk with the good stuff because they know people will pay more for it with something good than what it will bring on its own.  Be willing to buy the junk.  Sometimes, you can turn it over before you ever leave the building - or just pitch it later.

TRUE STORY:  At one auction, I was bidding for old milk glass spice jars with screw-on lids and the original metal rack.  Coupled with that, were three Campbell's Soup Mugs and 2 Coleman tin camping mugs - late 1980s.  Remember those?  I had no desire for them, but I wanted the spice jars.  I won the bid.  Sure enough, the other bidder came up and asked me if I was interested in the mugs.  He had been bidding to get the mugs.  Go figure.  Since I wasn't interested in the slightest, I sold him the mugs and recouped a portion of my cost without ever leaving my seat.  NICE!

Most of the time though, it doesn't happen that way.  I had to buy a bunch of clear Ball jars, just to get the Blue Ball Jar I wanted.  Old.  Glass top.  I'm stuck with the clear ones, however, I can use those to store small craft supplies in, so all in all, it wasn't a bad deal.

Be prepared to buy the coal to get the diamond!

9.  P-p-p-p-oker face.

For real.  Keep a poker face.  I get excited when I win, so I've had to learn to keep the grin off my face.  It gets easier with each auction and you'll get it after a few times.  But realize you've won, so someone else has lost...  Don't rub it in by gloating.  ;)  Again, be nice!

10.  You've won the item...  What next?

The auctioneer will announce " SOLD!  [Price of item]... [Item]... [Winning Bidder Number]."

Hold your card/paddle up after you win, so he can clearly see your bidder number.  Each item sold has an individual ticket and your number will then be written on the ticket to be taken to the purchasing desk.  Its how they keep track of who wins what for which price.

It's also a good idea to keep a list of what you've won - and if you're into that kind of thing, keep a list of what you lost and what it went for.  Both are good ideas.

Why?

A)  Keeping a list of what you win enables you to know exactly how much you've spent and what items you've bought, just in case there's a discrepancy between what you won and what the purchasing desk has record that you've won.  Mistakes do happen!

B)  Keeping a list of what you lost let's you keep a record of what prices certain things are going for.  If there's a trend in losing a certain type of item repeatedly, then maybe you need to adjust what you're willing to pay.  That particular item may be popular right now.

Depending on the auction, on smalls, the auction worker will bring the items to you at your seat or you can meet them halfway.  On large items, you can just let them sit where they are until you're done for the evening - unless you live in a city with a high crime rate.  Look around and pay attention to what the "old hats" are doing.  Copy them.   

Special Situations:

Bidding for Choice:  Sometimes the auctioneer will group several like items together.  (For the sake of illustration, the four chairs pictured above.)  In this case, you're bidding to pick which item you want or how many of said item you want.  The highest bidder gets to pick which of the items they want or they buy ALL the items for the bid amount times the number of items.  So, when you're bidding for choice, keep in mind that the winning bid gets first dibs AND has the option to buy it ALL.  They're not necessarily going to pick just one.  On the chairs above, I paid the winning bid times 4.  Does that make sense?  They'll let you know if you're bidding for choice or for all.  Just listen carefully.  If you don't understand, ask that the auctioneer clarify.

Also Worth Mentioning:  No backsies.  If you win it, you're stuck with it.  There's no such thing as a return.  All sales are FINAL.

**That being said, if you truly regret your purchase, see if you can seek out who you were bidding against.  You can always offer it to them at the price you paid for it or decide if you want to take a loss just to offload it.  Have them pay in cash, because its still your responsibility to pay the auction company.  Your number was the winning bid. And don't count on being able to do this...  You bid.  You win.  You're committed to the purchase.

Really, auctions are a lot of fun.

It sounds like a lot to learn, but it's not.

I promise!

I'm a people watcher and I get a kick out of watching people.  And you see all types:  Grandma and grandpa that have come for the social aspect of it...  Dealers who walk around looking all important and serious (and intimidating!)...  Young couples furnishing their homes that get excited when they win...  Children grinning because mom and dad bought them some old Matchbox cars, toy tractors, or leggos.

It's a good time!

And once you realize what you can get and what you can pay for it, you'll never stop going!

We've been taking our college-aged nephew with us and he swears when he gets his own place, he's going to furnish it from an auction.  He's already bought a computer chair for $2.00, some storage containers, a few hats, and even a guitar.

Seriously, I love it for the social aspect, as much a I love it for the getting cool pieces at great prices.  

You meet lots of really great people and very few stinkers.  ;)

It's a total win-win!

Stay tuned tomorrow for Part 3 of this series:

THE AUCTION 411

Part 3:  YAY!  I've won.  Now what?

Hope to see you tomorrow for the final installment!

XO,

Disclaimer:  I am by no means an expert.  Auctions vary from state to state, town to town.  I'm posting from a small town perspective, so there may be differing opinions/etiquette depending upon where you live.  It is YOUR job to find out proper procedure and etiquette in your area.  Never go by the word of someone else.  Do your homework!  ;)