The most common urban myth about auctions is the one about the man who scratched his ear and ended up buying a million-dollar statue. While some bidding might be subtle, real auctions just don’t work that way.
At Dakil, we like to keep our events fun and casual – but if you’re attending your first auction, you might still be nervous. So we’ve come up with a few simple rules to ensure that you have a good time without making any expensive mistakes – or being a bit too conspicuous.
Catch the Auctioneer’s Eye
Once the bidding starts, there will probably be more than one person trying to bid at the same time. If you’re in a large crowd it can be hard for the auctioneer to see you, so don’t be afraid to raise your hand or auction card. Keep it raised until the auctioneer points to you or otherwise acknowledges you. After that, he’ll go back to you to bid again, so a nod of the head will do.
Know Your Limits
Auctions are exciting, and it’s not uncommon for people to get carried away with bidding. But making a bid in the heat of the moment is still making a bid, and you can’t walk away from something once you’ve agreed to pay for it. Most larger auction houses take financial information for all bidders to avoid this situation, but if you’re at a smaller auction, know what you can afford and quit bidding when you reach your limit.
Don’t Go to Compete
Anyone who watches the auction shows on television knows the person who comes in and bids up the items just to make his competition pay. He has no intention of buying, and drops out of the bidding right before the ending – which means that the serious bidders pay much more than they should. This does nothing but create anger and resentment – so play fair, and everyone will go home happy.
Don’t Switch Items
It might seem like common sense to seasoned auction-goers, but you’re not allowed to exchange items in different box lots. Yet almost every auction will find someone changing things around to make his or her own personal treasure box. If you find items you want in multiple boxes, bid on all those boxes. That way, you’re being fair to your fellow bidders – and realistic about the things you really want.
Leave the Kids and Pets at Home
We know that many parents like to spend quality time with their children, but an auction, especially one with glass or other breakable items, is not a learning experience for small people. You’ll spend more time chasing your kids than bidding, you won’t be able to concentrate and do your best when favorites come up for bid, and you’ll likely annoy a lot of other people who managed to get babysitters for their kids. If an auction is a sit-down affair, you know that kids don’t like to sit still quietly. Also, be considerate of the other auction goers and leave pets at home. Another auction participant may be highly allergic to your beloved pet.
Be Attentive
There’s nothing wrong with having a quiet conversation with your partner during an auction, especially between items, but when the bidding is going, keep it down. However, remember that the Auctioneer often gives little bits of information about each item before asking for bids. The auctioneer will also tell how each lot will be sold, i.e., if there is more than one item in the lot or he is going to sell more than one lot, he may sell the items or lots “times the money” which means the bid will be multiplied times the number of items sold. If you’re holding forth on the funny thing little Jimmy did last week, you and the person sitting behind you may not be able to hear. And the auction items are what you’re all there for, right?
If you’ve never been to an auction, check out our post on auction jargon.
