A short video of my first auction experience.
Last month killed me… I am actually writing from beyond the grave.
(Such is my commitment to you.)
I might not even be here today, if it were not for the fact that I went to my first auction, (apparently even in death, I cannot pass up the possibility of a good find) and I wanted to submit a brief report.
Brief report:
Auctions are an endurance sport of having your nerves shredded.
I do not have the mental energy to form coherent thoughts about it.
Except:
WHY ARE AUCTIONS HELD IN A LANGUAGE THAT IS NOT HUMAN?
This cannot be the best way.
In auction world – you can have THREE auctions. In the SAME warehouse. At the same TIME. And give all the auctioneers a microphone.
For the first hour, I felt like screaming – SPEAK NORMALLY!
After that, I was too busy attending to the bleeding from my ears to be bothered anymore.
Plus, on top of the noise, chaos, and way too many strangers –I had rolled out of bed and gone in pajama pants. Which was a bad plan because it was HOT. So unbelievably hot. The kind of hot where you are sweating, just standing still.
I would have left immediately. Except, obviously that would have interfered with acquiring my thing. What was it? A sofa. For Elvis.
It is a little bit oversized for her, but (like me) she likes her fancy things to be giant. Plus, it is her favorite color. And it is upholstered in velvet which means she will not have to even work to shed all over it.
Seeing as how not one of you told me about auctions, I think it speaks to my selfless good nature that I am not stingily keeping this new goldmine to myself.
If you have never been, I made you a short video. If you cannot watch it at work, here is the synopsis:
Indecipherable, anxiety-inducing noise.
Finding something I need.
Elvis.
Like a metaphor for my entire life.
July 15, 2014 @ 12:42 pm
Ok. I am a frequent auction goer. Here is a little information that I wish I had known at the beginning of my auction going career.
1. Go to the preview or arrive early to look over the items. It is really important to know what you are buying.
2. There are NO FRIENDS at an auction. In other words, everyone is there to buy, so get in the game.
3. You will get the hang of the auctioneer’s patter. Many times they will try to start the bidding high. DO NOT get suckered into the trap. Often, that initial price is where the auctioneer thinks/hopes the item will end up. It is a mind game to get you thinking the item is worth a lot of $$$. It is good business on the part of the auction company. They are in business to make money.
4. The auction company needs/wants to sell the items. They have contracted with an individual or a company to sell their items at the highest price possible. You are only one their means to make that happen. They still have online venues and private sales if the right buyer is not at the auction that day. Most auction houses will tell you if there is a reserve (minimum selling price) ahead of the sale.
5. Hope your item is late in the auction. People tend to spend their $$$ early. Prices can and often do get cheaper as the auction progresses.
6. Last one. Get to know the auctioneer. They are usually really smart and fun folks. If they like you and know the kinds of items that interest you they will be sure to let you know about upcoming sales, or even help you find items that you need/want. Many of them are pickers at heart and are extremely well versed about what they are selling.
July 15, 2014 @ 4:01 pm
I am !crushed! I have given up my bundle contract and am using hot spot on cell phone which told me it would take 4!four! hours to access your video….so came to my Martins grocery store to view your wonderfulness!!!! and your privacy settings don’t allow it. Could I watch it in my local Library? I have Norton 360 so I hope I am protected in public places. Anyhoo And Boo Hoo…………………..I will still spend all of my data allowance to follow your blog. It is the highlight of my day.
July 16, 2014 @ 10:07 am
I appreciate you letting me know it did not work! These are the kind of things I cannot know unless someone tells me… However, I rarely know what the solution is.
It worked on my phone, so I will have to ask some friends to look on theirs, to see if I can figure it out.
xoxo
August 6, 2014 @ 2:35 pm
I go to auctions all of the time in Baltimore and have gotten deals you could not believe! I bought a small settee with down cushions, and blue striped silk fabric in perfect condition for $20, a chain-stitched rug for $10, two beautiful slipper chairs for $40, 40+ pieces of four sets of 50’s bar-ware for $10 and most recently, 80+ pieces of the most gorgeous Old Willow china for $150, which is more than I usually pay, but it was still a massive deal!
See the china here
August 17, 2014 @ 8:34 am
I love the craziness of auctions and attend whenever I can to keep my shop stocked. My first auction I brought my husband which was a huge mistake! Now I go alone, this is my favorite way to stock my place and I always get something for myself 😉
February 28, 2017 @ 12:04 pm
The Elvis yawn at the end of the video is the best!
February 28, 2017 @ 2:51 pm
No auctions available in this little town, but my parents and I attended antique auctions a lot while I was growing up, and I continued until I moved. My husband has never been to one and really wants to go to try out a new experience. Someday we’ll do that and I’ll be an auction guide, a new profession for me.
I think they are lots of fun. Just like ambulance or traffic noise in the big city, you learn to tune out the bidding and noise until a piece you are interested in comes up for bid. Then it’s time to practice deep breathing and focusing on your top bid mantra so you don’t get carried away. And you get good practice at how not to cry in public when what you really, really, really, wanted gets snapped away right at the last minute. One thing to remember is there is nothing one of a kind or rare at those auctions. OK, so there is, but 99.9% of the items sold at a normal antique auction is there because it is not rare, is old, and may need work. The auctioneer will tout everything as rare or one of a kind just because a company isn’t around that makes it anymore. That doesn’t mean it really is rare or one of a kind. Most of the furniture available was at one time mass produced just like furniture today. The attraction is that it doesn’t look like all the generic new stuff in stores. If you lose out, just keep looking and you’ll probably find something similar that you like just as well or more.
I miss going to auctions. You are so lucky!