Buying At an Online Real Time Auction

Well... today is the day I have prepared for.  The auction is in the Midwest so there is a bit of time difference.  I need to set an alarm to notify me when I need to  sit in my reserved seat in front of the computer.

Let's review the steps I have taken to prepare for this day.  I looked through the online catalogue quickly at first.  Then I selected the categories from their listings that I wanted to look at more closely.  I looked at the pics of items that sounded interesting or I was interested in looking at further. Next step I wrote the Lot number of the item.  I rechecked some pics wrote some more Lot  numbers down and crossed off some other Lots.

Some auction houses post the starting bid, it can go lower to start depending upon the bidders' response.  This auction house does not list starting bids, because they have an audience in real time and on the Internet the auctioneer starts where he thinks the item should start at.  I wrote a bid range
next to each item on my list.  I determined the range based upon my current knowledge of pricing and items.  But I did not stop there.

I hit the books!  The antiques and collectible price guides Collectible Books that is.  They are an essential source of information and great for fully illustrated pictures and even history about some items.  Prioritized my list and placed the list next to the computer where it waits for the auction to start.   There were some larger items that would not fit through a mail slot, no need to worry if I am the winning bid.  Auction houses have the names of companies that ship long distances, usually at a very fair price.

Talk with you after the auction.  Till then stay well, stay happy.
     

www.antiquesattheirongate.com

 

 

 

 

 

School Supplies and Internet Auctions

Enough of the buying of school supplies.  How much can a little child write in the first days of school.  Anyway there is always the internet to order from and have delivered to your door within a day.  We have already begun to select from the childrens' magazines of which ones to subscribe to. As for the weekend it was a glorious time for internet auctions that allow auctions to continue for days, months even if they auction items to a store!

Unlike live auctions you can take your time deciding whether to bid, how much to bid, and when to get in the bidding. Those types of internet auctions are not nearly as exciting or nearly as good as teaching quick decision making.  However, there are live internet auction sites that allow you to experience the excitement of a being at a real live auction and still enjoy the comfort of sitting in your home, having your favorite foods within arm reach, the telephone in another, and be able to keep up with what is going on at home as well as with the auction.  That's what I am looking forward to this week.  One of my favorite auction houses from the West is having a huge antique and collectible auction.  Sure there are some things I don't want or need right now, like a tractor but the listings  of household items hold a great deal of interest for me.

Before the auction I will look through the categories of items of interest. It's a good idea to write down the number of the item, called a lot number, and a title of the item, for example Mission Oak Chair. During the week I will look at the pics I am most interested in a few times, maybe even email the auction house with any questions I have.  Auctioneers would rather have you ask questions before time than to be unsatisfied with an item you won and then did not like I am comfortable with this auction house having done business with them before.  This time I am not looking for anything in particular, but that's the fun of auctions, one never knows the treasures that lurk in the next lot called.

List of School Buying

So this is the time of year where I switch from buying and hunting for treasure to looking for deals on school supplies.  Not as much fun but more practical, especially for the kids.

Auction Catalogues

Passing a rainy day looking through some old auction catalogue I had purchased at....an auction of course.  It's always fun to browse the pics in the catalogues.  Some day I hope to find a doll I have come to acquire to be in one of those catalogues.  I better check the auctions for this week who knows what treasures are lurking in those boxes.




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Porcelain Dolls







Abandoned doll factory in Thuringia

 One of the items I enjoy collecting and looking at if I can't  afford it are German dolls of the last century.  I happened upon a fellow who took these pics of the abandoned factories where the dolls were once made.  It was a flourishing business up until the wars, then lots of building were bombed or abandoned and there was little money for things like dolls and toys.  I can only imagine the grand activity that once took place in doll factories.  I know it was grand because the surviving dolls made in German factories can be found in the best museums and private collections. 

 

 





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Simple Tips For Buying at Yard Sales

Yard sales are a great way to decorate on a limited budget and to find unique gifts for family and friends you know appreciate the special thought and time that you have taken to give them a special gift.  I previously thought to give someone a " secondhand or used" item that was not purchased at a name retail store was tacky and to be avoided.  I however have always had a love of the old, the previously owned items.  For me there is the mystery of the previous owner, where and how they acquired the item and then... why they chose or had to sell it.  I have always enjoyed receiving such items, more so if the item came with a story, or as they say in the antique world, provenance.

When approaching a yard sale drive by and give an over glance of the items and how they are arranged.  If it is plastic toys you want and you see several proudly displayed then find the nearest parking spot.  Walk at a fair pace and all the time keep your eyes roving to what is displayed.  If there are not many people at the sale stop and look at a few items you may or may not be interested in.  Start a conversation with the seller.  Compliments on what they are selling, the weather, anything positive to get them  talking with you. Finally, ask about the item   you are really interested in purchasing.  Ask questions, how did they get it, what are they asking for the item.  If the price sounds fair go for it.that is buy it .  If the price is too high for you then give a counter offer.  It is best not to offer too low of a price as to not insult the seller.  More on bargaining later.  Usually a price can be agreed upon.  You are at the sale because you want to buy, the seller is there because they want to sell.  Everyone wins.

The best yard sales are those I  walk away from feeling like I got a bargain and that the seller was paid a fair price.

I would love to hear from other buyers and sellers.


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Buying on Internet Auctions

I was first introduced to online auctions in 1998.  At that time very few folks had computers in their homes no less knew about what computers could do for buying and selling of merchandise, new or used.  I did not have my own computer but our school would allow us to sign a school computer out over the weekend.  That is how I got my start.

There were few sites in those days, but the one that I turned to, I don't know if there were any others really, was the one I have remained with since 1998.  When I mastered the sign on and registration part it was all rather scary since they asked for information, none that was confidential but at that time folks were not accustomed to typing in their name, clicking submit, and left to wonder how many places it would go to in a virtually new world.

I was a shopper from a very young age, having a sister who was in the fashion industry and a mother who was as well.  I browsed the categories of items for sale, set my favorites, compared prices, shipping fees.  As the saying goes, I won some and I lost some.  But what I quickly learned  there were always more items to view and bid on.

My strategy for bidding

When I browse through the items in the category I am currently interested in I immediately look at the pics.  Are there sufficient pics to see the item from all angles, if that is important.  I read the item particulars, new or used, condition.  Condition is very important and there are keywords an experienced seller will use to describe the condition of the item they are selling.  More about that at another time.   Of course I check the price and make quick calculation of what the top bid I would place. Then...I go to the seller's information page to see what other items they are selling, to check what other folks have said about their purchases, if they have a bio I read that, it is usually short and that's OK.  If I have a question about anything  about the item, return policy , even ask for more pics sometimes, I email the seller.  When I get a response and it is to my satisfaction then I will place  my top bid.  At that point I walk away and wait to be notified if I am the winner.,  Why do I not keep checking in...because I have found that bidding fever develops when a bidder keeps checking in to see how the bidding war is going and that often results in bidding more than you intended, and  that leads to buyers remorse.

Hope you have found my strategy helpful.  I would love to hear from others how they approach auctions.   Happy bidding! 

 

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