Auction Tip #6

Hello my friends, I hope all have been well.  The gang and I have been keeping busy the last couple weeks and have come up with a rather unique tip that should help you all.  We have been noticing that a lot of our customers have been assuming that we accept credit cards.  This has led to quite a few of our customers to not bring any cash or a check to the sale.  Obviously, this was a problem when they came to pay and realized that we are not currently accepting credit cards. For this reason, Auction Tip #6 is always check the terms of the sale. 

All auctioneers are required to put in their terms and conditions what type of payment they will accept at their auction.  Most auctioneers, my company included, only take cash or a good check and will be forced to refuse your payment if you come only with a credit card.  Not only should you be checking the terms and conditions in order to save yourself from embarrassment, but it will also help you understand the sale better if you know what the auctioneers expect from you. 

Auction Tip #5

You’ve likely heard it said that patience is a virtue.  This virtue is particularly important to have when you go to auctions.  A lot is happening all at once at auctions in order to keep the sale moving and the excitement high.  Auction Tip #5: Be patient.  Patience is needed for many reasons at auctions.  First, you need to recognize that the auctioneers will sell everything that has been promised to sell and that they will get to all the items in due time.  Asking, “When are you going to sell such-and-such?” “Can you sell this item next?” or other such questions, will only result in disrupting the momentum and flow of the sale and ultimately prolong the time before the desired item is sold.  It also can create a lot of tension and short-tempers if everyone becomes impatient with each other, and we want auctions to be a time and place for enjoyment and purchasing great discoveries.

Secondly, if you have a specific problem or concern that can only be addressed by one of the employees running the auction, you will need to be patient and understanding about the fact that your concern is not their only issue they need to address.  Everyone working auctions has a job that needs to get done, and everyone is happy and willing to help the auction goers in whatever way possible, so long as they are given the respect and patience they need to get both jobs done.  As was said before, auctions move quickly and constantly through selling the items, which means that a problem will be addressed as soon as is possible, within reason.  Trust me, we do care about your concerns, so we ask you all to have faith in us to take care of the concern.

Auction Tip #4

Tip #4 Do Your Homework.  I don’t mean to sound like your teacher or parent, but doing your homework is important.  It is especially important to having a great time at an auction.  Doing your homework includes looking at the advertisements for the auction you are interested in attending and checking out the website of the auction company and their company profile on social networking sites.  Looking at the advertisements and websites for auctions can tell you a lot of helpful information, but the important thing to take note of for this tip is the list and pictures of items that will be up for auction.

 Do your homework and figure out what types of things will be sold at the auction you are going to attend.  Then make a mental note of items you love so you can keep your eye out for them and make sure you get a chance to bid on them, and if your price is right and luck is on your side, you’ll be able to take it home.  Making this mental shopping list better prepares you for auctions, because they can get busy and crowded and make it difficult to get a good look at items that will be sold before the selling begins, especially when the auction has a lot of items up for sale.

Auction Tip #3

In keeping with my theme from last week, I have been continuously attending auctions and making some helpful observations that I think can help us all.  Because it is getting much hotter out, it is becoming more and more uncomfortable to stand out in a hot sun for hours.  That brings me to this weeks tip:

Tip #3: Bring your own chair.  Most companies do not provide chairs for their customers because it is a liability for the company.  Even if the company does provide chairs, it is very hard to find a good seat if you show up late or decide to get up at any point during the sale.  For that reason, it is best to bring your own chair to the sale. 

By bringing your own chair with you, you can have that feeling of security knowing that no matter what, you will have a place to sit and be comfortable while trying to buy some great items.  Additionally, you do not have to be worried about somebody stealing your seat the minute you get up to go look at an item, which actually happens quite often.  Bottom line, you should at least be comfortable when you are buying new items.

Auction Tip #2

Before we get to the Tip of the Week, I have a brief little story I would like to share with everybody.  Today I went to an auction and realized: it is finally perfect auction weather.  The sun was out, it was warm but not terribly hot, and there was very little wind.  In short, it was a perfect day to get out and go to an auction.  At the sale, it seemed like there were quite a few people bidding and even when we got to some of the less desirable items there were still a number of people offering money to buy.  All in all, I was very proud to call myself an auction enthusiast today.  While at the sale though, I did get an idea for a tip, so here it is:

Tip #2: Your information is recorded, but not used for any illegal purposes.  As discussed in the last tip, the cashier will take certain information from you, such as your name, address, phone number, and driver’s license.  Every company differs slightly with the kind of information that is collected but the concept is still the same.  It is important to know that this information is only collected for the purposes of getting a hold of you if a check bounces or you forget to pay your tab.  The information that is collected, at least with my company, is never used again except in those situations.  The only time information would be used for any other purpose would be after getting your expressed permission to do so.  For example, we I (my company) may ask if you would like to provide us with your email address so that we can put you on an emailing list.

If you haven't gotten out to an auction yet this year, I recommend that you check your local paper to see who is holding one in your area.  This is a great time to take off work, or wake up early on a Saturday to go and enjoy being outside with other people and shop inexpensively (in most situations).  Who knows, you might even find that one item you have been searching for for years.  If you are able to get out to a sale, please, leave a comment and tell us about it.  We would love to hear about your experience.

                                                                                                                          

Auction Tip #1

Hello everybody.  I am an auctioneer in the La Crosse, WI, area and I have noticed a funny thing lately.  There have been quite a few people that come to our auctions that have never been to an auction but would like to give them a try and perhaps start going regularly.  This comes as a surprise to me, because I have grown up in an auction family and have been going to them my entire life.  When I think about it though, it makes sense.  With shows like "Auction Hunters" and "Storage Wars" and others like it, people who have never had any interest in auctions are starting to wonder what the appeal is.  This is leading more and more people to try the wonderful experience that is "Auctions."  This phenomenon isn't only unique to the La Crosse area either.  From what we have been able to learn from other auctioneers they are experiencing the same thing.

The question that our company, Goodman's A to Z Auctions, has been trying to answer is how we can best assist those customers that have never been to an auction but would like to start going regularly.  Most of these customers truly want to be there, but they don't know what to do or even where to start.  We have decided that the best thing to do would be to make a regular post with helpful tips that are good not only for the new auction goers but also some of the regulars, because let's face it, we can always learn something new and refresh our memory in the meantime.

With that, I present to you Auction Tip #1.  Always get a number.  Even if you aren't planning to buy anything, if you go to an auction, be sure to get a bidding number anyway.  More often than not you will find something that you are interested in buying and that number would be nice to have.  The nice thing about most auction companies, is that bidding numbers are free.  This means it only costs you your time and a little information, such as your name, number, and address, to sign up.  Bidding numbers can be found at what is known as the cashier's trailer.  There are usually signs to show you which trailer that is, otherwise if you get there shortly before the auction is scheduled to begin, you'll most likely see the line of people waiting to get their numbers.  If you still aren't sure, ask someone! Auctions are group-effort events.  That is, they only succeed if people show up and if everyone works to make it a great auction, so feel free to ask someone, (especially if they look like they know what they are doing or look like they are in charge).

That is the first hint for all of you real life auction hunters, but I promise that there will be more to come very soon.

AJAuctioneer