Most of the very successful and highly paid auctioneers in the country are paid for one thing: Bid calling.
High-level bid calling encompasses many disciplines in addition to a rhythmic, smooth, fast, mesmerizing chant; crowd control, humor, accuracy, timing, wit, legal compliance, ethics and political correctness are also important.
And those very good at it get paid very well.
This type of work is considered within the auction industry as “contract auctioneer” work — and casually referred to as “bringing in a hired gun,” traced from early references to mercenaries.
For centuries, contract auctioneers have been paid a premium due to their enhanced bid calling skills. Even with the onset of auctions requiring no bid calling at all, these hired guns are highly sought after, and compensated handsomely.
For instance, a highly regarded auctioneer might be paid travel, hotel, meals and incidentals in addition to an hourly bid calling wage…
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