How to Attend an Auction

I often chatter about auctions to friends and colleagues. Just goes to show you how clueless I can be - some of them have never been to an auction and have no idea what happens there. I promise them they'll never buy overpriced junk in a department store again, and then I show them the ropes, summarized below (mostly for in-person auctions, although find a couple notes for online auctions at the end of this list).

1. Auctions are usually advertised. Check your local newspaper to see if they list local ones...that's fairly rare these days, but check. A good online site for locating auctions is auctionzip.com - you put in your zip code and they tell you what auctions are available on any given day within a particular radius of your home. Not all auctioneers advertise in AuctionZip, but many do. HiBid.com is the biggest clearinghouse for online auctions.
2. Auctioneers must charge sales tax (except for estate sales of some types), but usually charge a "bidder's fee" as well - this is a very common fee, tacked on to the cost of winning auctions, and it is sometimes excessive. (You pay the bidder's fee only if you win an item. If you don't win anything, no fee). Pay attention to this - some auctioneers do not charge bidder's fees, and I try not to attend any auction where the fee is over 15%, although if you're a hard-core collector, you do what you need to do.
3. For an in-person auction, you can look over the merchandise about an hour or two before the auction starts. For real estate and high value items, inspecting the items may be on a different day, and for online auctions usually by appointment. (Depends on the auctioneer, the items' location, and what's being sold.) Inspect if at all possible. Dig around in boxes and under tables and look items of interest over very carefully. Auctions are usually "caveat emptor" - buyer beware - although the best auctioneers will mention damage while they're calling bids. Items are for sale as is and where is, no returns, so this inspection is very important.
4. Consignment auctions consist of items from several people or organizations - these might be auctioned at a fire hall or other community space, or at a private auction house. Estate auctions sell the estates of individuals, and are often held on the property of that person (although these items might be moved to a community venue or auction house, too).
5. Once the auction starts, you need a bidder's card to participate, so get one early while you're still inspecting. This generally involves showing your driver's license to an auction employee sitting in front of either a computer or a log book, who will record your contact information, and then give you a card - about 10" x 4" in size - that has a large number, the auction rules, and sometimes a space for taking notes on it. That's the bidder's card, and it's a contract. Don't lose it. Don't put it down anywhere while you get goodies at the lunch counter or visit the restroom. You're responsible for payment on anything successfully bid with that number.
6. The auctioneer will go over the rules at the start of an auction, usually very, very fast. (The regulars in the audience don't even listen - the rules are pretty standard.) Then they start calling bids on individual items or "tray/box lots" of items. Each auctioneer will call bids differently. If you're new, listen until you get the cadence of the bid call. (Some auctioneers are intelligible to anyone, others move very fast indeed and their sing-song is barely understandable.)
7. To bid on an item while the auctioneer is calling bids on it, raise your card so the auctioneer can see it. If you don't think the auctioneer sees you, it is usually appropriate to call out "here" or his/her name to get attention. Keep your hand in the air as long as you want the item, and shake your head if you want to stop. The runners who are holding up the merchandise will help direct the auctioneer's attention to bidders, but they are busy and can miss people. I personally like to sit either in the front row (although that's often reserved for dealers and thus unavailable) or on the center aisle. I often stand to one side or in the back, too. Auctions move fast - if you aren't ready to plunge in, don't. Just watch until you're ready.
8. You can check out when you're done buying (you don't have to wait until everything is sold). Take your bidder's card to the same desk where you got it, and pay for your purchases. Most auction houses accept credit cards - some don't! Find out about this ahead of time. Even auction houses that accept credit cards in general may be unable to do so at particular venues - I was at an estate sale, for example, where I had to pay cash, even though the auction house accepts credit cards most of the time.
9. What if you buy a box lot and don't want some of the items in it? Or you can't move a piece of furniture right away? Be careful here! Some auctioneers will have you fined if you leave any unwanted items behind. Others will encourage you to put unwanted goods in a particular location for others to look through. For large items, you can sometimes wait a day or so to arrange pickup, but ask first. When in doubt, assume you are responsible for removing every single thing you buy when the auction ends, even if you're taking it right to a thrift store.
10. Since Covid hit, online auctions have been a useful alternative. The upside is you can participate in your pajamas if you want, the online platform charges your credit card directly for your winnings, and you can pick won items up later (usually a week, sometimes only a specific day); the downside is it's much less likely you'll be able to inspect items closely. The best auction houses (whether online or not) describe every little crack and chip...avoid ones that don't.
    

--Gail