Reasons Why You should Hire a Professional Charity Auctioneer

The auctioneer is the key of success of every charity auction . He can make the most undesirable auction goods into something that's worth, not necessarily a fortune but a significant amount of money. While many talented volunteers can excite the audience, acquired skills of a professional charity auctioneer can make a big difference. Read on and you'll know why hiring a professional charity auctioneer is worth the investment.

A professional charity auctioneer does what he knows the best: he connects with the audience, raises the money and sells items as high as possible for your cause. While in the real sense, the bidders have all the control over the final price of each auction goods on sale, a good auctioneer can stimulate the crowd to bring up the cost of the goods by bidding higher. Other volunteers and celebrities can raise the bidders to their feet but it takes more than applause, smiles, and laughs to raise a good amount of money; a task that only he can do.

A professional charity auctioneer can give you useful insights and help you plan better the event that very few members of your team can match. Since the auctioneer participates all throughout the planning, he becomes part of the team. This is important, without a good plan and organization, there is no charity auction will success. A professional charity auctioneer may cost you some amount but he provides the service which is worth more than he charges. Besides, there are auctioneers who will willingly give their service to charity auctions free of charge or for a very small amount.

Take note: a traditional auctioneer has high skills in his on rights but there is a special level of skill required when calling bids for a non-profit auction.

Tips on How to Bid Safely

Every movement on the bidding floor- even the slightest nod- could mean a bid to the auctioneer. Some people accidentally win items being auctioned because of some gestures that were natural for them, say waving at a friend during the auction. This could happen to anyone and it could happen to you.

Here are some bidding safety tips:

Eye Contact

You may be sitting far from the auctioneer but whenever you have the chance, catch his attention. Maintain eye contact afterwards. Keep your eye contact whenever possible, this will establish your identity to him. Thus, when it is time for you to bid on an item you intend to buy, you will have no problem in communicating this to the auctioneer.

Establishing Connection

Once you start bidding see to it that you don't lose the connection with the auctioneer. You could start by making a determined hand gesture or unabashed bidding using your card. From this point on, he will come back to you whenever your bid is upped. A simple nod or a slight gesture will tell him that you willing to raise the price a bit higher.

Dropping Out

Sometimes people feel pressured if the auctioneer keeps on coming back to them. If you want to quit from the bidding, a polite shaking of the head will signal the auctioneer that you are backing out.

Entering The Bid

You should always know when to enter the bidding. Some people come in too early, some are too late. Both positions have low chances of getting the item or property being auctioned at a price they want. If you want to set the price, try to enter midway into the bidding.

This way you are giving yourself a fair chance of getting out of the bid if you want to quit or pursue your bid if you are serious with the item. If you are doubtful on whether or not you should buy the item, never enter the bid when you feel that there are fewer people participating on it.

If, however, you intentionally entered the bidding game late, there is a chance that you could be overlooked by the auctioneer. If this happens, try to get his attention by politely saying a word to signal your interest.

Quick Decisions

Bidding often happen fast and sometimes it leaves you no room for analyzing whether you should place the next highest bid. In this case, try to think as fast as you can because the bidding will never stop for you.

Tips on Finding the Right Auction House

There are so many police auctions, government auctions, and privately hosted auctions happening across the country. And choosing one may be a bit confusing.

1. Know what you want.

Not all auction houses sell everything you need. Some only sell properties while others focus on certain items such as cars, antiques, artworks, memorabilia or jewelry. Police and government auctions sell various things including real estate properties, vehicles, boats, motorcycles, home furnishings, jewelry, and consumer electronics among others.

2. Do some research.

Finding a public auction is not rocket science. Search online and "off-line". Different auction companies and auction houses have websites and newspaper ads where you can get information on when and where the next auction will be. Government and police agencies announce their auction schedules online and on their bulletin boards.

Auctions are also announced in local newspapers especially if the auctioneer is holding it nearby. Do not forget your yellow pages. Auction companies have listings in your dusty old phone book.

Get auction brochures. They contain listings of the items that are about to go on sale which will give you an initial idea on whether the items you are looking for will be sold at the auction or not.

3. Ask a friend.

Sometimes, all you need to do is to ask your neighbor, your officemate or your relative if they know any auction houses.

 

4. Choose within your proximity.

The main reason why you are choosing auctions over other ways of purchasing goods is because you want to save money. So keep your expenses monitored. The amount to spend on the item is not limited to the final sale. It includes the cost of gasoline you spend on the commute, the food you spend for the day, and the time you waste to participate in the auction, not to mention the depreciation of your car on your way to the auction house and back. In order to keep your expenses low, choose an auction house nearest you.

The Problem with Auctions

Why do some bidders stick with their bids even if they are starting to go beyond the rationality of the sale? Why are there so many people who jump into the hype of auctions without really knowing why they do it? And why are there so many bidders who tend to get themselves caught in bidding wars while knowing that they will have to pay more than they can afford?

Bidding frenzy is a common problem in joining auctions which also makes some people reluctant in buying from such. Why is this happening and why are there some people who just can't stop even when the rationality of auctioning is crossed?

Here are three reasons behind this:

One, it may be due to the combination of arousal, excitement, competition, an overwhelming desire to win and extreme reluctance to back out.

Bidding frenzy is comparable with addiction to gambling in terms of the adrenaline rush and the continued excitement running in the psyche of the people involved. The more intense the bidding war becomes, the more interested the bidders become.

The rush of emotions can't be discounted when trying to understand why people participate in bidding wars. At this point, it really no longer matters whether logic is working or not, what is more important is that the person is satisfied emotionally. Also, people loose their best judgment when their minds are clouded with emotions.

Two, it may not be purely on winning the item but on testing the personal threshold of the bidder and the competitor.

People who aren't so interested in the item but get caught in the bidding war no longer feel the need to get the merchandise but the need to make the other person pay dearly when the ending price is several times over than the original price.

Three, it may be due to the lack of experience with auctions.

Bidding wars are more commonly observed among people who are just beginning and are not backed by sufficient information on how exactly they work. It must be noted that some bidding wars are intentionally encouraged by the auction organizers themselves. This is working on the principle that the more interest the public has on the merchandise, the higher the value it receives and the more interested buyers bid on it. This does not only increase the hype over the item but also adds to its market value.

Must-Know Things about Car Auctions

It is a smart move to buy a car at an auction. But you need to do extreme care because public car auctions have inherent risks and benefits.

First, although the cars at auction are generally sold at lower prices, however the car suffer mechanical condition. Some car auction won`t let the buyers have a viewing time, so we won`t know if the car has mechanical defects or if the paint is still original or not. It means that any potential buyers are not sure if the deal they are facing on is good or bad.
The other thing you need to know, that all car that has been auctioned will be sold as-is. If the car has problem in it, then you will buy the problem along with the car. Almost all auction organizers won`t fix the car before they auction them.

Second, the extra charges. Many buyers paying extra cash for some fees that they were not prepared for could spoil the deal. Paying the buyer's premium, a fee charged to the person with the highest bid, could sometimes cost a couple of hundred dollars.

Third, the type of car auctions. There are several types of car auctions and these provide features that may not be had from other types. For example, there are auctions specializing only on second-hand cars, there are those that sell vintage cars and there are others that attract people wanting to buy salvaged cars.

Fourth, knowing where to look for auctions. Different auction houses have different mediums for relaying their activities to the public. Advertisements are commonly found in radio announcements, local TV networks and car sale magazines.

How to Sell Your House at an Auction

An auction is a popular selling method for houses, especially for the owners of foreclosed homes, due to its many benefits. It is the quickest way with the highest guarantee of sale. Here are some guidelines that will help you determine whether you should auction your house or not.

Which Properties to Sell

There are several types of properties that are best sold at auctions rather than under normal circumstances. They include:

Houses that are hard to sell through conventional means: There are certain types of houses that simply can't be sold through the open market fast. These include those that are in really bad shape and have received no repairs over the years, properties that have very unorthodox designs and those that don't receive good advertisement. All of these types could have a fair chance of getting sold through an auction.

Houses that have no definite value: These are houses that are marked for their distinctiveness but are rather hard to sell on the open market.

Foreclosed houses: Owners of foreclosed homes usually resort to auctioning their houses for faster sale to compensate the expenses, the unpaid bills and sometimes even to save the house itself from being foreclosed.

Highly-demanded properties: Popular houses get exceedingly higher selling prices when auctioned.

Evaluation Period

This entails the process of assessing your property and the potential auctioneer/s. Before you decide to sell it at auction, it is best to shop around for auction houses that fit your requirements. Have your property evaluated first so you'll know what is the reserve price of your house and the total value you should get after the auction. Then, check the price range of the properties that the auctioneer offers. This way, you'll be able to increase the possibility of getting a satisfactory deal for your property.

Properties at auctions are sold as-is but the owner has the option to increase its value first. For example, repairs, doing a bit of cleaning and restoring the property will actually increase its selling price.

Knowing the Cost

Auctioneers don't come free. They charge their clients for the brochures, advertisements and the general services they provide whether the house is sold or not. Also, you might pay a minimum commission of 2.5% from the sale of the house. To get around the unsolicited expenses and the payments that you may not expect before and after the auction, negotiate well with the auctioneer and read everything before signing anything.

Selling Proper

Before offering the house for auction, set the reserve price first - this is the starting bid for the property. Consult with your auctioneer before setting the reserve price. Second, arrange the contract. Finally, prepare the property for viewing by willing bidders.

Selling itself will occur during the auction. Potential buyers will bid on it. The one with the highest bid wins and the sale is official and legally binding.

Understanding How Silent Auction Work

Fundraising method that is commonly used at charity events is a silent auction. It is different from the usual auction wherein an auctioneer calls the price from people who raise their hands or numbers to bid for a particular lot. Silent auction is the most preferred way of raising money as it does not detract people from the event.

A table or a display that shows the items or services on sale is set up for the people to see at the silent auction. Some items or services may have a minimum bid as they may be of high value. Some silent auctions have one receptacle to hold the bids for all the goods on sale; others have individual container for each item. The bidders have the chance to view all the items during the event and bid the item they like.

Previous bids can be shown publicly through a bidding sheet at the silent auction. This will let other bidders to know that they need to outbid in order to bring home the item. This also will let the bidder a chance to review the current bidding sheet and place their final bid prior to the closing of the auction.

Silent auction keeps the bids privately throughout the event. This make silent auction has an advantage over the regular form of auction. Since it is largely used at charity events, silent auction don't need to hire a professional charity auctioneer.

A regular auction capitalizes on impulse of the buyers to bid for the items in a very short amount of time. Silent auctions on the other hand allows bidders to consider the amount of their bids longer.

More often than not, charitable events use both silent auctions and regular auctions to take full advantage of both systems.