I'm an addict! I have auctions in my blood. Not all auctions mind you, what would I do with as used pizza oven or another police auction bicycle? I'm addicted to household and antique auctions. They often overlap.
The first thrill is the preview. What are they selling that is fascinatingly different and you just have to have? What can you get at a real bargain even if you do not need it and will never ever use. It will still be great fun just to bid on it.
Every city has an auction house or two that usually has a weekly auction, the household things in the afternoon and the better quality stuff in the evening. Do not be fooled by the name, quite often real treasures can be found in the afternoon if you are willing to clean it up a little or if you are outfitting your kid's apartment. You can get everything from lawn mowers to beds to coffee machines here, usually at ridiculous prices. It all depends on what you are after. The thrill of bidding is just the same.
Ah, the good stuff! This is where you find better pieces from household clearances, bailiff sales, bankrupt furniture and gift stores and interesting things that people bring in for any of a million reasons. Get a copy of the catalogue and start searching. What can you find in lots marked “Box of Change Purses”, “Terracotta Jardinière” or ”Framed etched glass pictures of the Titanic sinking”? Have you not always want a zither complete with case? If you want furniture there are chairs, tables, cabinets and pianos. If you are attracted to jewellery there are earrings, watches, necklaces and diamond rings. Do not forget your rugs, framed oils, silverware, china and totem poles for accessories. You will quickly pick up the different names of quality china such as Spode, Wedgwood, Limoges, Aynsley and on and on. These places have a language of their own.
The real fun begins with the start of the auction. Listen carefully to the terms and conditions. There is usually a buyer's premium, so if you buy something for $100 you end up paying more with the premium plus taxes. Settle in now and enjoy watching until your lot comes up. You will get to know who is serious and who is here for just one or two items. Some are here just for the fun of it. Your lot is finally coming up. Are you going to get it for a real bargain? Are there others who want it too and are willing to force the price up? Your heart is pounding. Do you jump in early and scare of the competitors? Do you wait and see where the bidding is going? How badly do you want this thing? Have you exceeded what you were willing to pay? It's yours! What a rush! Who would ever buy a lottery ticket when you can get this thrill and something for your money too?
I have been the proud owner of a jade sculpture that only collects dust, a 150 year framed photo of a British general I don't know, old currency of no value, boxes of old books that sit in the basement, elephant bookends, china dogs and much more. The fun was in the bidding and winning.
There are a couple of other thrills that can happen to you at an auction. The first is when you get blindsided by something you missed in the preview. You always miss something and realize when they hold it up that you have to have it. You will often bid for these objects without knowing if they are broken, chipped or don't work. But that doesn't matter, your addiction has taken over. You buy it anyway.
The other thing that sometimes happens is when you are getting bored because there are a lot of the same thing being sold. It could be boxes of books or china figurines. You put your paddle up just for the heck of it because they are going so cheaply. The auctioneer is bored with this too and trying hard to move along. Surprise, you have just purchased something you do not want and may not even know what it is, but at a good price.
The auction ends and you pick up your treasures. The buzz lives on for a little bit as you anticipate the next sale. The thrill is in the chase, the bidding. Remember, know your limit and stay within it. It can become an addiction.
