First Time to an Auction?

The rhythmic pitter-patter of a good auctioneer's chant is a joy to hear. The singsong melody focuses bidders' attention and pumps their adrenaline. So when an auctioneer steps to the block and declares, "Let’s start the auction sale" the excitement begins. As an auctioneer, I receive many questions about auctions. One of the things that can confuse a lot of people is the auctioneer's chant. What is it? Why is it used? What should you know that maybe you don't? Well, let's take a look.

What Did He Say?

If you ask the best auctioneers what the single most important characteristic of a good chant, the answer is easy: clarity. How can bidders make intelligent bids if they don't know what the auctioneer is saying? They can't. New or self taught auctioneers often don't realize this, and their strained effort to achieve unnatural speed garbles the numbers they're calling. The result is a jumble of unintelligible noises and a lot of puzzled bidders.  Let’s break it down, if you clearly heard him say, “I'm bid a hundred, now a quarter, one and a quarter, one and a quarter.”What exactly does that mean?  Well, an auctioneer usually will call two numbers in tandem. The first number is the money he has bid for the item. The second number is the money he's asking for the bid to be raised to. So let's look at what our bidder heard.  When the auctioneer cried, "I'm bid a hundred," it meant just that. He had received a bid of $100 for the item. When he added, "now a quarter, one and a quarter, one and a quarter," the auctioneer was asking for $125. Auctioneers often use words to represent certain numbers, for example, a "quarter" is $25, and a "half" is $50.  If the auctioneer receives the bid he's asking for, he will immediately ask for a higher bid. This continues until the bidding stops, and the auctioneer sells the item to the highest bidder.  Auctioneers will commonly use filler words to keep their chants rhythmic and interesting. Usually those “filler” word are lightning fast and are not meant to be understood.  If you pay more attention to the numbers an auctioneer calls out and not the filler words he is saying in between, you will be able to make more intelligent bids.

Why Do They Talk So Fast?

Why can't auctioneers just talk at a normal speed? There are three reasons.  First, auctioneers have many items to sell in a limited amount of time. You'd speak quickly too if you had to sell 300 to 600 lots, in 4-5 hours and you wanted to keep the buyers’ attention. Second, forcing bidders to make fast decisions is part of the strategy of auction marketing. Competitive bidding is what makes an auction sale successful.  Third, a good chant makes the auction process interesting for the bidders. The chant is the auctioneer's calling card, and the best bid callers use speed and clarity blended with style and entertainment.

Don’t be shy… go to your local AUCTION !!!

Never been to an Auction?  Feel free to just get your feet wet — many auction attendees find the experience to be thrilling and addictive. They report that there’s nothing quite like the thrill of finding something they want and then bidding against others who want the same thing. Auctioneers are always glad to welcome new bidders to their auctions. You don’t have to go to your first auction ready to bid. Attend an auction or two in your area to get a feel for how they are conducted. Watch and listen, then move on to bidding when you are comfortable.

What if I have a question?

Often before the sale many auctioneers spend some time discussing the terms and conditions that bind that particular auction. Often they will address commonly asked questions and explain how the auction is going to work.Always remember that at an auction you’re free to ask a question if you don’t understand something. Auctioneers and their staffs want people to continue to come to their auctions, so they’ll do all they can to encourage repeat business! Ask a question of a member of the auctioneer’s team, or directly to the auctioneer, and they’ll find the answer for you.

First things first.

When you arrive at an auction site, find the auction office and register for a bidder number. Often you will be required to present Photo Identification to register, make sure you bring a drivers license or other acceptable ID. It’s important that you read the auction rules (terms and conditions) printed on brochures, catalogs or handouts. Again, ask questions if you don’t understand a policy or a term. Inspect the merchandise you’re interested in, as most items are sold on a "as is, where is" basis. This means it is not guaranteed. When you buy an item, you become responsible for it. And, keep in mind that you must pay for the items you purchase before you leave the auction, even if you aren’t taking everything with you that day.

Bidding.

In order to bid at an auction, you need to make contact either directly with the auctioneer or the ringperson. A ringperson is someone who takes bids from the audience and then passes those on to the auctioneer. To bid, hold up your bid card, your hand or shout "yes." The auctioneer or ringperson will make eye contact with you, take your bid and immediately turn and seek another bid. You can remove yourself from the process at any time by shaking your head "no" or saying "no" if the auctioneer or ringperson turns your way. Should an auctioneer or ringperson misinterpret any of your signals, simply report the mistake right away and the auctioneer will correct the situation.

First Time Buyer?   Some helpful hints…

INSPECT THE ITEMS BEFORE YOU BID You as the Buyer have a responsibility to examine the items carefully before you bid on them. If you have any particular concerns about defects, quality or anything else, check it out BEFORE you bid. Often each and every lot will be sold “as is, where is” without any guarantees whatsoever. That means that once the auctioneer determines that you are the high bidder and declares the item sold, you own that item. Regardless, of any misunderstandings you may have as to the representation of that item.

READ THE CONDITIONS OF SALE posted in the sale catalog or at the auction office. These are the rules that will govern the sale. When you register for a bid card you are entering into a legal contract with the auctioneer for that sale. The terms and conditions represent the legally binding issues of that contract. Generally it involves basic information such as the payment terms, removal terms, fees of that auction etc. However each auction company uses slightly different rules or conditions so please read them over carefully and if you have any questions, please call the sale management.

LISTEN FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS and descriptions made just prior to each item selling. The auctioneer has an ethical responsibility to you the public, to announce any and all defects that they are aware of. Many of these announcements are vital to you being able to make a good buying decision.

YOUR PROTECTION IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. Every auction company wants new bidders to have a fun and enjoyable experience. Often when a new bidder leaves having a bad experience it’s because of some misunderstanding or they didn’t follow these simple guidelines. Please remember, when you buy an item, you become responsible for it. Risk of theft, damage or loss of purchases is the sole responsibility of the buyer immediately after the auctioneer says SOLD. Please protect your purchases.