A Day at the Auction...My Hot Tips

This morning I feel like I'll leave the auction-going to the Brits on the BBC show Cash in the Attic. To be fair, it's just the fatigue talking. I didn't get the greatest sleep so it's amplifying my tiredness. Here's what I've gleaned from attending my first auction as a seller of numerous items.

Auction lesson #1: Smartphones and the net change the process.
People do check to see what items are going for online, so as a seller, you should check too. If something is particularly valuable and easy to pack and ship, consider opening your stuff up to a national or worldwide market if your local auction house might not generate the right interest. I have a collectible WWII knife that did not meet the reserve, and I am sure I will have much better luck online. The net also makes the buyers more savvy which can be both good and bad for you when it comes to bids. At any rate, online info is a major reality and your buyers often have a sense of the national market.

Auction lesson #2: You have no idea what's hot and what's not that day with that group.
This truth added to the entertainment factor. The crowd might be in love with that 1940s pocket watch and then totally pass on some interesting Victorian furniture. Some of my stuff got next to no interest while other items really surprised me. An old fishing stringer got $20 or more while a cute aqua pitcher got zero bids. Who's to say? But when you are disappointed with one lot, the next sale might just cheer you up. 

Auction lesson #3: Try to treat the sale as entertainment when possible.
This is difficult if you must get good money for some valuable items, so my non-expert advice is to be careful where you sell your stuff if you can't take the sale lightly. If it's stuff you can more easily part with, you can more breezily let go of the outcome and enjoy the sale. If you seriously need to get a certain price, do your research before and consider your choices of auction houses, consignment stores, and classifieds beforehand. 

Auction lesson #4: Items might not sell and you still have to part with your stuff somehow.
I used a newer auction house outside of Austin. I knew that this meant some larger and more valuable items might not catch the right group of people, and unfortunately that was the case. (I wasn't willing to go ridiculously low.) I now have to make plans to move some furniture to a consignment store or directly to another buyer. 

While lesson #4 is not fun, I'm happy to report that several smaller items did get more than expected, so it was still a worthwhile sale and I had an interesting day. I also enjoyed seeing who bought what and how my inherited clutter is another person's treasure. The lady who danced when she bought my punch bowl was especially awesome.

In the end, the marketplace determines the demand.  Perhaps an auction is the place for a Zen master to practice the art of letting go in more than one sense. I'm not Zen, but Zen-like skills are certainly useful when we face unpredictability, which is what an auction is all about.