I've proclaimed my love for auctions time and time again in the past, and although some claim they're sad and depressing, I would much rather show some love for abandoned furniture and give it a new life. There are a few tricks of the trade when it comes to scoring the exact piece you want, so listen up here's how it works:
Auctions are funny places. Each one has it's own vibe and feel and to make sure your auction-going-experience is a success, here's a few tips that you can take to the bank:
1. Check It Out But Don't Look Like You're Checking It Out: There's a natural reaction to walk into an auction and just start touching things. It's easy to get excited and start squealing because it's just like the piece you saw on *insert website or magazine here.* Instead, cool is the name of the game as you want to casually stroll in and examine a piece without showing any real interest and look for defects. Your enthusiasm can mean others bidding up your prices or auctioneers being able to take advantage of you.
2. The Sit, Wiggle, Smell Rule: Many personal property auctions are held outdoors so things can appear different than when you get them home. A piece might feel wobbly outside on the grass and because of it's location you assume that when you get it home it will be fine on a level floor. That's not always the case and 6 times out of 10 your find will smell of some sort of animal. Smell (with caution) because it's a long ride home with it in your car. Most smells can be removed, but you'll know instantly the ones that are more stubborn.
3. Know Your Fix-It Resources: Although a nick or scrape here is totally forgivable, some pieces might need a little more work. Just because you can score an amazing mid-century dresser for $5 that would have cost you several hundred on Craigslist, doesn't mean you can repair it for less than that. Anything that appears structural instead of hardware-defective should always be purchased with caution unless you have a handyman in your back pocket.
4. Make The Auctioneer Drop The Price: Most auctioneers take a cut in the percentage of the sales made the day of the auction. Just because they start the bidding at $20 doesn't mean they won't come down. If no one bids, they'll take it lower and lower until it drops down to $1. Although it can be a little frustrating to repeat the process each time (thus extending how long you're standing in the how sun), it can save you some serious bucks. You never know if you'll have competition or not!
5. Buy What You Can Re-Sell: There's always a certain margin for error when you're bidding on an item. You might think you know how much space you have for a specific piece of furniture, but when you get it home, you can easily be off a few inches or more. Make sure the pieces you bring home can easily be cleaned or fixed up without much effort if you need to re-list them on Craigslist asap to find them a new home. Bonus — you can usually sell them for 4 to 5 times what you purchased them for if you were a savvy bidder!
6. Preview Auctions/Photos: Many websites (I like auctionzip.com) have a photo preview or slideshow gallery of the pieces that are being offered. Make sure to check out the main sites and auctioneer's personal sites to get a full listing of what might be available. Photos can give you scale of a piece before you arrive as well as condition if you look closely.
Do you have any furniture shopping tips to add to this list? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
Image: Flickr member rileyroxx and Sugar Pond licensed for use by Creative Commons
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Thanks for a really useful post. Thinking of finding furniture auctions, and I feel a bit more confident now about giving it a go.
Just a note to add to Number 4: if the item is appearing in the auction for the first time and it has a reserve, the auctioneer typically will not lower the starting bid if no one bids. It's only in the subsequent auctions that the price drops. Sometimes they will get offers after the auction is over if a lot has not sold. This is where the negotiation can happen if you're not willing to pay the reserve price. I have found a number of items this way - the auctioneer started the bidding too high, but I made a decent enough offer after the auction and they accepted. Happy bidding!
I swear I think they put "plants" in the auctions to drive up the prices. I went to an auction and saw lots of stuff that was bid on but then later when I went after the two day limit they had to pick it up, lots of those same items were there.
Sometimes consignors shill bid on their own items. This is illegal in most (maybe all?) states and auctioneers are not supposed to allow it, but many do. Many auctioneers are shady themselves and will call out phantom bids from the back of the room. You have to be careful. If you suspect something like this, drop out of the bidding. I don't know if bidders are allowed to ask who else is bidding. I mean, you can ask but I don't know if the auctioneer is obligated to tell you.
A lot of auction houses have a minimum starting bid, too. Some may have as low as a dollar, but many do $5 or even $10 and will not drop to $1 eve if there are no bidders. Also, just because no one is bidding at $20 does it mean that no one else is interested! Lots of times, a bunch of people will be using that same strategy and as soon as the auctioneer drops it down to $5 or whatever, six hands go up!
dmh, there are regular bidders at every auction house and sometimes they bend the rules for these people because they spend money regularly there. I have been to hundreds of auctions at a few places and I would always see people storing their stuff until they can get it later in the week.
Some do shill, though.
Go to auctions put on by reputable companies. Ask around, or find out who sells in your area regularly (we have two monthly auctions in the SF East Bay, and I imagine most urban areas boast a couple). If they're shilling there, it's pretty crafty, 'cause I've seen lots of things go for a buck.
I love love love auctions. All of my favorite furniture and artwork have come from them, and I shop a lot of other places, too. But if you have the patience, comfortable shoes, and focused mind, you'll score at auction. Think of them as day-long entertainment: chat up the other buyers during lulls, learn some new stuff about art and antiques, find something perfect that you didn't know you needed. So. Much. Fun.