Tips and FAQs

Here are our hot tips for you and answers to some of the frequently asked questions:

TIPS

  1. Bid sooner rather than later. If you are the opening bidder you will always be bidding less than your opposing bidders.
  2. Make your bid clear. A wink may not be good enough.
  3. Clear, readable listing sheets make the auctioneer’s job much easier. Verbose descriptions will be summarised by the auctioneer.
  4. Eating our home-made cakes will do you more good than eating a ……………………….. 🙂
  5. When the hammer falls and you are the winning bidder, it belongs to you, not the Auction or the seller. Please keep an eye on your lots.
  6. Buyers you can confirm that you have bought something by paying at the desk. Check your card against the lots you think you have bought and gather into a neat stash. Don’t take a lot home that is not yours. (Happens by mistake everytime!) 🙂
  7. Sellers please check your finished sheets. Don’t take lots home that have sold. (Happens by mistake everytime!) 🙂
  8. We also make mistakes, please don’t be afraid to challenge us politely (Happens several times every auction!) 🙁

FAQS

  1. Why is the auctioneer ignoring me?
    • Sometimes it because they have spotted two people before you and the auctioneer’s is waiting for one of them to stop bidding.
    • It could be the light, someone blocking their view of you. Hold your bidding card up high, wave it and shout if necessary.
  2. Where do you start the bidding when you have commission or absentee bid?
    • If there is a reserve: at the reserve, if the bid is equal or more than that.
    • If there is no reserve and no other commission bids: at an amount the auctioneer believes reasonable.
    • If there is more than one bid at the highest bid.
    • If there are equal high bids, the first person to leave the bid has priority.
  3. How many lots per hour do you sell at?
    • Bob has managed 200 lots per hour
    • We try to be more than 150 lots per hour
    • We have 3 hours and about 450 lots to sell on average
  4. If a lot doesn’t sell, can I haggle with the seller?
    • Yes, providing you do it through our desk staff.
    • Deals in the car park bypass all the effort we have made to organise and attract people to the auction.