How to Enjoy a Country Auction Sale and Buy Great Bargains, Steal and Deals!

I still get butterflies in my stomach following the "Auction Today" signs and pulling up at the end of the line of parked trucks. Usually both sides of the road are lined as far as the eye can see with other hopeful auction-goers. A lot of estates in Rural Canada are sold by auction. Farm items are bulky and what better way for the items to take themselves away.

Anyone just moved to the country and new to auctions will get their weekly entertainment at an auction sale. It's where we got our people watching fix after the moving away from the city malls. Once you get over the initial fear and nervousness, they are a great form of entertainment. A good way to meet neighbours, hear about the people who used to live at your farm, bargain shop and people watch all rolled into one.

Get there early and take a close look at what you might bid on. Be careful about bidding on something you haven't looked at. Impulse purchases can be fun but a pain to deal with if it is junk. Print and take any online flyers for the sale as a reminder to look for the treasures you wanted.

Get a bidder number as soon as you get there and keep it safe. Get a duplicate card if there more than one auctioneer selling. Auctioneers need a buyer number when you bid. Not having one is irritating for others and slows the sale. Just because you get a number, doesn’t mean you have to bid. But you never know! That’s the fun!

Stay late if there's something you want. The longer the sale or worse the weather, the better the price you'll get it for. If you take a book or handheld game, time will pass quicker if you are only staying for 1 or 2 items.

Be prepared. If buying furniture have a multi screwdriver handy, as dressers sometimes have mirrors that need to be removed, we learnt that the hard way. Take things like magnifying glasses and flashlights if you are looking at hallmarks or jewellery, or want to look the part! Tie downs, blankets and a trailer or truck help too.

If you can't make it, or stay, you can sometimes leave an Absentee Bid This can be a really good way not to exceed your budget.

Talk to the people you are sitting near or browsing with. They often know some interesting things. If you don’t know what an antique item is, ask another browser. It is fun to guess.

Don't worry about accidentally bidding by scratching your nose or any other comedy routine gestures. Scratching it with your bid number while you the auctioneer in the eye may be another thing altogether! They are looking for eye contact at least for your first bid on an item. They'll be looking out for your signs or a nod after that. If the auctioneer is not sure, he will ask if it was a bid.

Don't look too interested in the items you have your heart set on. Also don't be too eager when the bidding on those items starts. Others interested in those same items may be taking cues from you

Sit or stand near the back where you can see who is bidding against you. Depending on the auctioneer, you may not be bidding against anyone at all.

Decide on your limit before you start bidding or you can easily get carried away by the excitement and go way over your budget. This happens as you either try to out bid someone, or really want an item that is not unique, or just get caught up in a fast round of bidding.

If you really like it, buy it and feel good about it, don't second guess yourself. Consider whether something is unique or not. Some things like Crokinole boards and floor fans show up at every sale!

Don't be the opening bid if you can help it, that's the quickest way to pay more for it! You may get caught up and counted in when bidding is going fast and the prices move up higher than you want. By starting to bid near the end of the bidding on an item, you can avoid getting caught. You can wait until the hammer is just about to come down before you bid again, but don’t be too late.

Watch when there is a really competitive round of bidding and the price goes up and up. The very next item is almost ignored as people recover from the bid before and discuss it with their friends meanwhile a really choice item goes for almost nothing. On the first bid.

Make them wait for your bid occasionally while you "decide" (inwardly unable to believe your luck!) it makes the other bidder wonder if it's really worth it. If they are just bidding you up and they don't really want it, it makes them stop as they think might get stuck with it.

Be prepared to pay one bid more than a round number or possibly 2. You'll probably get it for that!The limit is usually a round number in most people’s heads.

Heavy or hard to move things (like books and glass jars) usually sell relatively cheaper as no-one wants to lug them home. Really large furniture can be like that too.

Don't be too subtle when bidding especially if you want to come home with anything. If you think the auctioneer can’t see you, move to where he can or if there`s no time and you want to start to bid on an item say "Yep" in a loud voice. If in doubt that he`s seen you, have your card in your hand and hold it up. Use your card til you know the auctioneer well and know he is looking for your bid.

Think quickly. Have backup items you can buy if no one bids on them and you can get it for a song or if the main lot you wanted is gone.

Always take your buys home or to your vehicle as soon as possible or someone else may swipe it! Especially the smaller expensive items.

The auctioneers job is to get the most money for their clients (and themselves) in a given period of time. Sometimes they will fly over the box lots of junk and take forever to sell the largest most valuable items.

They will wheedle, cajole, guilt, flatter and do anything to get your bid. All have their foibles and if you become properly hooked you will have your favourites! They in turn have their favourite tricks for upping the final bid amount. Don't let the auctioneer make you feel guilty for not bidding! They'll try.

Usually the first price an auctioneer starts with on his calling is the price he wants for the item. You can tell if he is having a good day or he has misjudged the items value if the bids go way higher than that. You will notice he stops trying quite as hard for bids once it goes over that amount.

Auctioneers are really good at reading people and will get to know what you usually buy and look for your bid on certain items. Don’t ever feel like you have to bid.

Shill bidders are fake bidders in the crowd (employees of the auctioneer) that bid up the price but don’t buy. You will get to know them as helpers lifting up items etc at other sales. If the bidding gets disjointed at the end and the auctioneer “loses” a bidder in the crowd, and you end up winning the item, chances are you weren’t bidding against a real bidder. The really smooth auctioneer will take bids form an empty spot in the floor.

"On Choice" sometimes with a "take one or take all" means there are probably a group of similar but not identical things maybe ranging in condition and the bid amount is for the one you pick. If one is obviously way better, just take it, as the bid probably won't go up as high second time round. Though I have seen things go for more in later rounds, a sure sign that people weren’t paying attention first go around. We have some evil auctioneers round here that sell pictures and paintings on choice and they get their money out of them!

"Times 2 or three" means the bid price is for one item but you have to take all the similar ones in the lot. They usually tell you how many. Usually done on identical items. Be careful, this trips up a lot of newbies and can be a shock when you got to pay so listen out.

When the auctioneer says “as is”, it means it's definitely broken!

To get started, go to a likely auction and sit on your hands and watch. See if you can tell who the bidders are and how the auctioneer works them. They often have staff walking through the crowd watching what is going on and communicating with the auctioneer by signal. See if you can see the signals. They can be very subtle. I find if you stand at the back you can see it all, that's why you have a good look at the items up at the front before the sale starts.

There's lots of information in the article, but don't be intimidated, auctions are fun and addictive. It is quite the game and strategy, and fascinating to watch and participate in. You may come home with beautiful solid wood furniture for less than you would pay for factory-made particle board items, and often original paintings got for $20. So dive in and have fun!