If you are an avid auction participant, the idea of taking your interest to the Internet may seem strange. After all, why bid online? Auctions are supposed to be attended, right? Well, yes and no. There is more here than meets the eye.
Convenience versus Attendance
No matter what you collect, from antique silver to sports memorabilia, sooner or later there will be an auction which you desperately want to attend, but can’t. It might be distance that prevents you from getting to the auction, timing, or even a previous engagement, but with online auctions, it just doesn’t matter.
Once you have registered and received permission to bid on a particular auction, you don’t have to be there. You can sit down at your computer, stream the auction live, participate, bid, and triumph without setting foot outside your home. This is particularly wonderful if the auction is taking place several states away. You don’t have to spend a ton of money for travel only to end the day empty handed.
Absentee Bidding Online
Of course, if the real problem is that the auction is taking place when you have another engagement, live bidding won’t work. For this there is absentee bidding. The concept isn’t new – people have used agents at auctions forever – but you never really know if your agent will represent you accurately.
With new software, you can look through an online catalogue, evaluate what you wish to bid upon, and place a maximum bid silent auction ideas well in advance of the actual auction. You can do all of this when you have the time and can make a good, rational decision.
Later, when the auction takes place, you have the assurance that your bid will be raised to your maximum limit, automatically. You can check in when you are free to see if you won your item; if successful, shipping arrangements are made and your prize will arrive in due time.
A Broader Selection
If you are like most collectors, you are very much limited by geography at this point. You can plan to attend auctions that are out of state or far away, but it involves a lot of effort. Finding out about smaller auctions may not even be possible. With online auctions you can find out about any advertised auction, browse the catalogue, and make your decisions in leisure.
By accessing more auctions, as you do online, you have a better chance of seeing something special. Your auction house isn’t limited to just the merchandise it has in stock; it can connect and coordinate with many other vendors, providing you with a better selection.
Secure and Safe Transactions
We all hear about security issues that crop up with online purchases – you don’t have to worry when you participate in online auctions. Your information is processed with 128 bit encryption to protect your data from any prying eyes.