Here’s what you need to know if you’re a first-time auction-goer.

With Salcedo Auctions’ “The Well-Appointed Life: An Auction Weekend” happening on September 19 and 20, Philippine Tatler gives you a few tips on what to do before, during, and after an auction.

Before


Secure a copy of the catalogue and attend the preview. The previews provide you with a great opportunity to view and inspect the items you’d like to bid on.

(Take a look at some of the pieces that will be auctioned off this coming auction weekend: part one, part two)

Familiarise yourself with the jargons. Aside from the unusually fast pace of the proceedings, you will also find the lingo quite disorienting. One way to be able to keep up is to study the technical words and phrases that are usually used during auctions.

Set your limit. You might get carried away in the heat of the moment, and that might cost you more than you are willing to shell out. Plan your limits beforehand and remember them at all times.

During


Richie Lerma of Salcedo Auctions

Listen attentively. When an item is first introduced to the bidders, the auctioneer will share some information about it before starting with the bidding. If there are any changes from the catalogue description, you’ll want to know.

Make yourself known. In a large crowd, the auctioneer might find it hard to see you, so you have to raise your hand, card, or paddle properly and only set it down once the auctioneer has acknowledged your bid. When he goes back to you to bid again, give a simple nod to affirm.

Keep your cool. Don’t treat the bidding as a game and never compete with your fellow bidders.

After


Inspect your item. Even though you’ve already scrutinised your item at the preview, you still have to inspect it before paying for it. Damages and losses are not the auctioneer’s responsibility anymore once the deal is done.

Finalise the payment. Once the auction has finished, settle your purchase right away so that everything else that follows will go smoothly.