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Auction bidding your opinion please

W

wilson ind

Well-known Member
Dislike bidders at an auction who waste ever ones time with slow bidding. Especially those who seem to enjoy making the auctioneer beg for their bid. Maybe a pet peeve, just seems rude to me. Time back I had an auction where one of the bidders just waited and waited to bid. I thought he was just wanting the attention.On one piece of machinery after putting up with this guy I told the auctioneer to sell the damn thing, folks here have other things to attend to.I got applause from most and the sale did pick up. I do think prices got better and all bid quicker.
 
anytime a auction drags it costs the seller----just sell the item out from under the dragger---most time they just want attention
 
It should be up to the Auctioneer to say "SOLD"!
One of the auctions I go to, they announce before the bidding starts on various lots of tools, that they will be doing over 120 lots per hour.
They wait for nobody.
 
I have found most slow bidders think they are going to get a deal. If I am bidding against them I not only will hammer right back at them I will jump the bid. Example: tractor worth $5,000. The bidding started at $2000. Jump it right to $3000 and then maybe $4000. Many slow bidders will stop.

I also agree it is the auctioneer that set the pace of the sale. One local fellow here just about always has his auctions done by 1:30. He hammers on. He does not waste time on the sale rack items if your interested you had better have your hand in the air. He flat out will tell you that being late on large items can easily cost the seller many times what the hay rack items are worth.
 
JD somewhat agree with you on this one but not sure if he might be talking about one of those where the auctioneer keeps bantering for bids, trying to get more for the item, or to get someone to keep bidding. I have seen this mess and it was a pain. example the bidding stopped at $7500 and they tried to get $8000 or there was a reserve of $8000. Also see an item not sell so they tried it again later in the day and it failed again!!
 
There was an auctioneer here who always used to sell the first item off the wagon to the first bidder. Didn't even try to get a second bid. He said that set the pace for the whole sale.
 
The auctioneers running the auction I was at on Saturday kept the bidding moving without having to scold or prod anyone. There WAS some slow moving stuff but they quickly bundled it with some other things to get past it. Heck, I saw paintings that were falling apart, black mold on the frames, busted frames and they got them sold, if only for $5 or so. Every now and then, they'd have to wake up the crowd with "c'mon, let's have a sale". Auction started at 10:30 AM and I left at 6:00 PM and they still had half a pole barn and a bunch of hand tools to get to yet. I counted maybe a hundred people or so at what seemed to be the peak around noon. I think most people know that if they try to slow bid, the auctioneer can go "once, twice, sold", pretty darn fast. :lol:
 
One of the biggest auction houses around here will sell the first item for the first bid too. Bid or go home.
 
Seems to me that at the few auctions I get to, the only item to sell for more than scrap value is the one I want, and it usually sells for 110% of retail...
 
When I go to an auction I always go early so I can look things over and see what I want to bid on. When I find something that draws my interest, I decide how much I want to pay for the item. With that amount in mind, that will be my maximum bid that I will go on that item. When the bidding starts on that item I let someone else start the bidding, then I start. After someone else bids I fire right back with my bid and keep going until I reach my maximum bid, if it goes that far. Many times by bidding faster you will scare other bidders out because they know you're a serious bidder. I always try not to waste time when bidding but I only go to the amount I have in my head and that's it. Never think, oh if I bid one more time the other bidder will stop, that's where you get in trouble and pay too much. Most of the time I'll get the item a lot cheaper than what my maximum was.
Another thing to remember at auctions, is it something you need, or is it something you want, then place your maximum bid accordingly.
Dick
 
(quoted from post at 17:32:51 11/02/16) Seems to me that at the few auctions I get to, the only item to sell for more than scrap value is the one I want, and it usually sells for 110% of retail...
Click to expand...

Sounds like my luck.
 
I think sometimes it is just a style. I have known some guys who I would call professional auction buyers. They attend two, maybe three a week sometimes. They buy big ticket, big dollar heavy equipment. I have watched this one old guy many times. He will always bid slow. He sometimes will bid twice what something is worth. Sometimes just walk away on a good deal. But ALWAYS slow. He will buy hundreds of pieces sometimes, but you can NEVER predict what he will do. I have seen him drive guys nuts. His wallet is fatter than most guys and he is battle hardened. Its just his style. Al
 
I've never been to an auction where somebody doesn't raises their hand/bid# as high as they
can reach and hold it there. They never flinch and keep their hand held high, even when the
price has surpassed the units value.

I'll bid them up every time and dump it on them. There has been only a few times where I had
to 'eat' the bid.
 
I hate slow bidding. I will lowball the opening bid and throw em out fast. I don't let the auctioneer come down $100 at a time from three times the items value. If you are bidding against me you better be paying attention.

I have even flustered a few auctioneers that weren't ready for the pace.
 
Yup, I encounter that too. Item comes up. easily worth $10,000.00. Auctioneer starts asking for bids at $9,000.00. Bidders stay quiet until auctioneer gets down to around $500-$1000, then they start bidding.

That's when I'll put in a bid at $7000.00. Auctioneer usually says thanks and continous from the $7000.00 bid. I've had many times, the other bidders are just caught there with their mouth open when the auctioneer says 'SOLD' and gives my #. The other bidders thought they would get the item for cheap. Even though I thought my bid was still a good deal.
 
I agree with some of the others here. Bid your number. It scares off the 5 dollar folks. That nickel/dime stuff doesn't set well.

I have been to auctions where the auctioneer (and helpers) will not notice my bid because they are too busy with their two bidders. I step in and bid but they take no notice. After the gavel drops, someone will ask why they didn't take my bid and they try to re-auction the thing. I think the auctioneers get caught up, too.

The last auction I attended was well attended by the well-heeled. I hid my number to prevent any mistakes! I stopped on the way home and bought a really nice back blade for half of what they were going for under the hammer.

Aaron
 
Its the auctioneer not the bidders that set the pace,if an auctioneer goes on and knocks the item out the slow bidder won't be bidding.Several auctioneers I know will knock an item out on the first bid if the bidding starts to drag that gets bidders attention in a hurry.
 
I've seen auctioneers raise the bid increment by $1 for $100. I watched an auctioneer sell a sale in Dakota, IL last year. he had 8 or so bale feeders and he decided to sell choice. First top bidder looked through them and took one. Second top bidder looked through them and took one. Third time, he mumbled into the mike that "Unless you guys start taking multiples, we're gonna be here 'til the moon comes up...." HE set up the auction!

I'll bid as fast or as slow as I please. It's up to the auctioneer to decide if they want to SQUEEZE. EVERY. LAST. DOLLAR. out of a crowd on each item. It usually bites them when the serious big bidders drive off before the big stuff sells.
 
Here's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Many, many years ago wife and I were shopping for houses. I had been to a couple vintage car auctions but never a property auction. There was a nice 4bdrm house for sale, and I knew the value pretty well. Wife and I agreed at $150k, and that was that. The home is in Simi Valley CA.

Open bidding done by the Ventura county tax assessor. He hired an auctioneer and things were going along well. They had the house open the prev week for inspection and I knew it was worth every dollar of $150k. Bidding opened at $100k, he was going in $5k jumps. Everytime there was one of those s-l-o-w bids, I immediately stuck up my paddle and gave a short whistle. Well, after a couple of these, the auctioneer points at one of the others and says "to you sir at xxxxxxxx....". We stopped at 135k, and the auctioneer started to say his "to you" thing again, and just dropped the hammer, 'sold'. Maybe the other bidders shook their had, or mouthed no, or something but I think the auctioneer saved me about 5-15k on that place. I still own it, and learned a heck of a lot about bidding.
 
Ive been to a lot of auctions and never seen anyone jump a bid from $1000 to $7000. Sounds like a lot of smoke up my butt to me.
 

Worst problem here is 500 old geezers with no intention of buying anything that crowd around the items
making it often impossible to see or bid or even hear the auctioneer. Just wish they would get out of the way.
 
I was on an auction once where I swore they were selling steel fence posts one at a time. I stuck around 'cause there was an IH two point blade and I had an 856 with two point at the time.

It drove me nuts. The blade was also about the last thing that sold. I actually bought it for a fair price, but I shied away from that auctioneer after that.

I was also on an auction once, bidding on a Gleaner combine. Some kid was screwing around, bidding a dollar at a time. On a combine. I wondered why the auctioneer let him get away with it. I ran the price up and stuck the kid with the combine.
 
Steve Oller- "Ive been to a lot of auctions and never seen anyone jump a bid from $1000 to
$7000. Sounds like a lot of smoke up my butt to me."


Me-"That's when I'll put in a bid at $7000.00. Auctioneer usually says thanks and continous
from the $7000.00 bid. I've had many times, the other bidders are just caught there with
their mouth open when the auctioneer says 'SOLD' and gives my #. The other bidders thought
they would get the item for cheap. Even though I thought my bid was still a good deal."

Steve- Maybe, you are one of the guys we are talking about!....Dollar bidders just make
everyone miserable. HTH!
 
(quoted from post at 21:15:22 11/02/16) Steve Oller- "Ive been to a lot of auctions and never seen anyone jump a bid from $1000 to
$7000. Sounds like a lot of smoke up my butt to me."


Me-"That's when I'll put in a bid at $7000.00. Auctioneer usually says thanks and continous
from the $7000.00 bid. I've had many times, the other bidders are just caught there with
their mouth open when the auctioneer says 'SOLD' and gives my #. The other bidders thought
they would get the item for cheap. Even though I thought my bid was still a good deal."

Steve- Maybe, you are one of the guys we are talking about!....Dollar bidders just make
everyone miserable. HTH!
Click to expand...

Not only have I seen jumps bids I've done it myself when I knew the values of the item!

We have several auctioneers here who will drag out the bid on each item. By the time they get to the big ticket items a lot of buyers have left! Auctioneer messing themselves over!

I too hate the slow bidders. Was bidding against one for an unusual item. He was messing around. What was so funny is he was about 5'8" and pudgy. I. 6'5" and 250 plus. When he identified me as the only person bidding against him he tried staring me down. Now I had figured 850 max on that item. When we hit 350 you could tell that he had about hit his limit! I got the item for 380! The guy gave me the evil eye once more and stomped off! Funny part is a month later at family thing on my wife's side he's this guy! He's married to one to the wife's many cousins!

Rick
 
I wonder if everyone is too used to ebay where they start at .99 cents and go up .99 cents a bid ?
I don't go to a lot of auctions. But many I do go to I see the auctioneer having trouble even getting an opening bid so many times I'll shout one out !
One time an auctioneer I know and he knows me but not real well I got stuck in the crowd and was right up front by him when he came to an extension ladder. I didn't need one so I was not interested. He was trying to move the sale along and not a lot of luck getting an opening bid. He looks right at me and acts like I gave him one ! I still laugh about it. That ladder took right off and sold good.
 
Bill,
A friend thought he got a bargain at an auction, $90 for a rusty delta table saw. Then like many friends, he wanted me to repair it. I told him, he paid more for the table saw than anyone at the auction thought it was worth. He thought about it and then agreed.

Why does everyone want me to fix things for them?

geo.
 
no one mentioned that some auctioneers seem to waste time with their ridiculous idea of a first bid,,and keep lowering it till someone starts bidding.that takes a lot of time too?
 
I havejumpt bids many times to let the other bidders knowi mean bizniz and usually get what I came for ,,.and I usually will holler out a starter bid for nikle items to move the auction along ,.. I got allot of 2dollar electric drills, bolts screwdrivers that way,,just because then auctioneer fully knew it was worth more but everyone was just dragging along and he decided to shake them up by knoking it off on me as soon as I bid ,, if I ever find myself with a tire kiker time wasterwhocant malke up his mind ,, I will jump the bid a hundred if its a item I really want and the value is definitely there ,, if ya don't , he will play leap frog with ya se3rveral hundred more than you are willing to go ,. if it is a nice big ticket item like a farm , real estate ,house, very nice tractor , combine or a hi dollar charity auction , I ont mind the bidding taking its time ,,.
 
Actually I love slow bidding,auctioneers that take forever to sell smalls,really hot weather and equipment left down in the weeds especially on those hot days as I can usually get some really great bargains towards the end of the sale.I always bring plenty to eat and drink and plan to spend the whole day at the auctions.I've made way more money per hr at auctions than I ever have farming with a lot less work.
 
Not sure, however I have two battery chargers that have their brains discombobulated that are coming your way!!! LOL
 
2nd that one too.

or the guy with 4 kids running around, over and thru the stuff they're trying to sell.
 
well, you won't like me at an auction then

i am a slow bidder. the whole purpose of an auction is to get what a want for the price i want or less and quite often, not always, slow bidding is the way to get there. if you're in a hurry bid over my limit and it will end real quick.

yeah, auctioneers that start a $200 item at $800 bucks and stay there are a waste of time. or trying to get $5000 for a $1500 car.. nutty.
 
Why do you have so many problems with chargers? You know where I live. Or I should say your boy knows where I live. If I'm not home, just put them by the garage door at house.
 
I am pretty sure they teach auctioneers at school to start the bidding at or slightly above what they think it is worth. That puts the idea of what it might be work in your head. Once the auction gets going, some bidders might be tempted to bid higher because the auctioneer hinted to them what the item might be really worth. A good auctioneer will only try for that high opening bid for a second or two, but that will be enough for him to set the perceived value for you. A lot of it is mind games. A good auctioneer should know that and use that info to get a higher price for the seller.
 
Went to a sale with a lot of tools a couple years ago. They'd start at $100 on a wrench set, get down to 5 or 10, lucky to get back to 50. Tried making the first bid at 40 or 50 several times, "WHO SAID 5?".

Literally,
50 50 50
HERE!
WHO SAID 5?

I left after the third one. All 3 went for less. Didn't need them that bad.
 
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