Auction guide – Registration and commission bids
ByHere is part six of my ten part beginners guide to real life auctions – Registration and comission bids
The auction has been viewed you have researched your potential purchase . The final part of the process before the sale begins is to register with the auction house or leave commission bids with them. The choice is yours however I would normally recommend that you only leave commission bids if you really cannot attend in person.
Registering to Bid
Auction houses will normally operate a bidding by number system. That is you register your name and address with them and they will give you a number to hold up once you are the successful high bidder. Go to the auction house prepared to register – some require proof of name and address. Some auction houses I know charge a refundable deposit to obtain a bidder number. Allow time to register – I have seen substantial queues at busy sales and you could loose out on early bids whilst waiting for your card.
If you become a regular at an auction house they may offer you a “Permanent number” this you can keep and use week after week without the need to register each time.
I have seen variations on the number bidding system at smaller auction rooms. You may just have to shout out your name once you have won the lot. One auction I know about employs porters who come to you at the end of each lot with your item and want payment immediately but this is quite a rare practice.
Comission Bidding
Instead of partaking in the living bidding in the sale room you can leave a written big with the auction house. Ask for a form, you will need to add your contact details and the number / description of the lots you are interested in . you also put in your maximum bid for the lot. The auctioneer will submit your bids for you up to this maximum bid. ( Please see part 10 of this guide for a few warnings on commission bidding).
Some larger auction houses now operate a system where you can leave your commission bids though the Internet – you need to see their individual websites for details.
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