subject: Want to Bid Online? Auction Houses Make it Possible [print this page] Want to Bid Online? Auction Houses Make it Possible
If you have never heard of the concept of using the Internet to pursue your collecting interests, you will be delighted to know that you can, indeed, bid online. Auction houses all over the world have taken their business online and that means that you can access many more events. Let's take a look at how you can get in on the action.
Find Live Auctions Online
It doesn't take much to find auctions online, but you want to differentiate between the kinds of auctions you see on sites where you engage in proxy bidding and those where you actually get to bid live. With live bidding, you know what is going on, you can watch the auction, participate, and assess how people are reacting and bidding. With proxy sites, you have no idea who is participating or what their goal might be.
Start your search by looking for auction houses that host live auctions on the Internet. They will offer a glimpse at their online catalogues and ask that you register if you wish to participate in any auctions they sponsor. Once you have registered, you will have access to every auction in which your house participates, not just those they host.
What do You Collect?
You can find just about anything online. From ancient coins to baseballs, vases to postcards, it is all hiding somewhere, in someone's attic or estate, and when it comes to light, it makes its way to an auction somewhere. Unfortunately, that auction isn't always held in your neighborhood. That is the true benefit of an online auction. No matter what you collect, wherever it is being presented, you can access it.
Save Time and Money
When you opt to bid online, you have the advantage of not needing to be at the auction to participate. Even those auctions that take place in relative proximity to your home can take hours. Traveling, viewing, sitting through all the other lots, waiting for the auction to finish so you can get your items; it all takes time.
Online, you can find out when the auction will take place, get registered for that particular auction, and are told about when your lot will be presented. All you have to do is open up your computer at the right time, log in and stream the auction, live to your desk. When your lot comes up, bid, just like you would if you were sitting on the floor. Your bid is considered equally, and if you win your lot, you make arrangements to have it shipped. It doesn't matter if the auction is taking place around the block or around the world, the result is the same.
Prepare in Advance
If you want to be able to bid online when you spot an item you like, then you should take the time to get registered in advance. Auctions are taking place all the time and you don't have to be available at the time they start to stake your claim. If you are already set up, then getting permission to absentee bid is even easier. Place your bid, go do what you need to do on the day of the auction, and check your email later to find out if you won; it just takes preparation.
For avid collectors, the world of online auctions is an exciting innovation that will allow them to gain access to a greater variety of potential prizes.
