The last few months have been a challenge for everyone in our city, state, and country. The burden of unknowns and what to expect for the next day, let alone the next week, is unnerving. But, as a progressive nation, we adapt and move forward with adjustments to keep each other safe during this coronavirus pandemic.
As the state of Oklahoma and Oklahoma City slowly reopens, we, too, at Dakil Auctioneers, Inc. will resume our role as a statewide leader in the auction business. This reopening process, set for May 15 online and May 19-20 at our facility, will look and feel different. But, we’re doing so to ensure the safety of our clients and customers. Today, we’ll go through a rundown of what you can expect at upcoming Dakil auctions.
Oklahoma City’s Shelter in Place order expired April 30, allowing businesses to reopen in phases under specific criteria and guidelines defined by the White House and Oklahoma State Department of Health. In Oklahoma, the initial reopening began April 24 and May 1. The state is currently in Phase I with hopes of transitioning to Phase II by mid-May once hospital and incident rates remain at a manageable level for 14 more days. May 15 is the target date. By June 1, the state hopes to implement Phase III as long as hospital and incident rates are under control.
For your safety, we plan to follow rules and regulations set forth by the OKC-County Health Department. Our first auction May 15 for Browning Waters & Co. will be online-only at 9 a.m. We’ll then implement new precautionary measures May 19-20 for our expansive, two-day Crescent Pipe and Supply auction. Registration begins both days at 8 a.m. with the auction to follow at 9 a.m. May will end with four more auctions: King Value & Machine Shop on May 27; Oklahoma Gourmet Prep Kitchen and Western Sizzlin on May 28; and a variety auction of firearms, ammunition, coins, and other memorabilia on May 30 (note: You must pick up firearms and ammo in person. We can’t ship them.).
After May 15, we’ll hold the auctions in our expansive 7,000-square-foot ballroom to maximize space for social distancing. We’ll follow state and city guidelines and stagger seating arrangements, with two seats between customers and every other row closed off. When you enter the building for registration, you’ll see signs and markers on the floor to signal 6 feet of social distancing (the same way grocery and retail stores do).
You’ll still be able to enjoy our gallery benefits even as we practice social distancing. Our climate-controlled environment features a theater-sized screen and the latest audio and video technology. We’ll also provide virtual inspection of merchandise during the live sale.
We sanitized our offices before reopening as a safety precaution. We’ve also prioritized keeping a clean and sanitary environment by purchasing thousands of masks and gloves and dozens of cleaning supplies. We’ll have hand sanitizer available to avoid spreading COVID-19 by touching surfaces and then your face. You can bring your own face covering or we can provide a mask.
Even as we take measures to get back to our daily lives, it’s important to keep practicing social distancing, washing your hands regularly (use hand sanitizer when hand washing isn’t available), and wearing a mask or face covering in public. Covering your face isn’t just a way to protect yourself. Instead, its primary purpose is to prevent spreading COVID-19 — either to others or on surfaces — especially if you’re asymptomatic and carry the disease without knowing it.
Please refrain from attending one of our auctions if you have COVID-19 symptoms or suspect you may have come in contact with someone who had the coronavirus during the past few weeks. As a precaution, we have a thermometer to take temperatures at the door, but you should know you can still carry COVID-19 asymptomatically.
Phase I and II encourage adults 65 and older or those with suppressed immune symptoms to stay home except for essential measures (grocery shopping, picking up food, etc.). This includes people with underlying health conditions such as high blood pressure, chronic lung disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma, and patients receiving chemotherapy for cancer.
If you fall under one of the categories and are thinking about attending one of our auctions, you may consider bidding online for the time being as a precaution.
Online bidding is nothing new for us at Dakil, or the entire auction industry for that matter. In fact, there was a shift to online platforms even before the coronavirus pandemic hit. That was more than a decade ago when technology became mainstream enough to where someone across the world could view, bid, win, and ship an item with a few mouse clicks.
Nowadays, we feature world-wide live online bidding, specialized customer contact databases, and computerized custom auction software.
At least 50% of Dakil auctions come from online bidders. The majority of online bidders are under the age of 49, while many in-house bidders are 60 and older. It’s around a 50-50 split between the ages of 50 and 60.
Here’s a brief online bidding refresher course if you’re interested in our May 15 auction but aren’t familiar with the process. We use Proxibid, an online auction service, to list and detail auction items so you can bid in seconds.
The best part is you don’t have to be in front of a computer, either. Proxibid allows you to bid on your phone, making the auction process easier than ever. All you need to do is sign up for a free account. You’re ready to start bidding once you enter your payment information.
This next aspect is even more important in our current climate where social distancing is paramount. You can view items online during the pre-bid process, giving you the flexibility to see what interests you without having to get in a car and drive to a physical location to inspect items.
Find something you like? You can enter a bid before the auction even starts. Click the “watch” button to track and receive email notifications on items that interest you. You can also set up alerts and notifications on items when someone else places a higher bid. There’s an option to select a “max bid” amount. In this case, the computer bids for you up to the desired maximum amount you’re willing to spend.
Keep tabs with our upcoming auctions page to see what’s next on the calendar. We update our calendar regularly with new additions. Contact us today, or call directly at (405) 751-6179, if you have general questions or specific inquiries to our upcoming auctions. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to speed with the latest trends in the auction industry.
