Auctioneers and the seller’s identity

Mike Brandly, Auctioneer Blog

First, let us say that at most all auctions in the United States, the seller’s identity is not advertised nor disclosed to the (potential) bidders.

Secondly, there are no laws which require auctioneers to disclose the seller’s identity to (potential) bidders.

Despite these facts, it is necessary or proper to disclose (in advertising or otherwise) the identities of the sellers?

Let’s review the duties owed clients (sellers) by auctioneers: http://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/what-do-auctioneers-owe-their-clients/

As well, let’s review duties owed customers (bidders/buyers) by auctioneers: http://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/what-do-auctioneers-owe-their-customers/

From these duties, it is clear that first, if disclosing the identity of the seller is in the seller’s best interest and the seller authorizes such disclosure, then such is prudent. If a bidder wants to know the identity of the seller (for a particular item, or generally,) then such should be disclosed if authorized by the seller.

Too, such advertising or disclosure is not to be misrepresentative independent…

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Auctioneers and the number of combinations

Mike Brandly, Auctioneer Blog

Dr. Mary Dewalt is retiring from her medical practice. She is 83 years old and is moving permanently to her condominium in Florida.

Mary’s family has owned 2,540 acres of farmland in southern Indiana for 135 years. The land includes four homes, nine large barns, and two 300,000 bushel grain handling systems.

Mary has contacted a local auctioneer to sell her farm at auction. The auctioneer has suggested that the land be sold by “open combination bidding” or as some call it, a “multipar,” “multi-parcel” or “multiple parcel” auction.

We wrote about a particular aspect of a multiple parcel auction (selling absolute) and a bit more on the history of these types of auctions here: https://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2012/10/16/an-absolute-multiple-parcel-auction/

Today, we explore another aspect of the multiple parcel auction: The number of combinations the various parcels can be grouped. For instance, let’s say Mary and her auctioneer decide it’s best to divide the…

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Auctioneers and D U S T

Mike Brandly, Auctioneer Blog

We run an auction house located in central-Ohio. There are over 2,000,000 people residing within 50 miles of our facility and we have bidders sometimes come from over 300 miles away. We’ve run weekly auctions at this same location for over 13 years.

Our average crowd numbers right around 250. We’ve had over 700 in attendance when our inventory was widely varied and interesting, and we’ve had only 100 bidders when we’ve had a narrow inventory such as just coins, just matchbox cars or just guns.

Everything we put up for auction sells without reserve (absolute.) That means there are no minimums, no reserves, and the seller is prohibited from bidding. I’m convinced we get consistently larger crowds due to this — in fact, I know as much.

On average, we run 2 or 3 auctioneer rings, and we’re fortunate to have Peter Gehres and Laura Mantle currently helping us…

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Supply sophism

Mike Brandly, Auctioneer Blog

11 years ago this month, I was boarding a Gulfstream G100 on a flight from Ohio to Missouri.

We were flying to Missouri to inspect a noted inventory of antiques and collectibles. The owners (husband and wife) wanted to discuss us selling this entire collection at auction, live and online, at our secondary auction facility in Lancaster, Ohio.

Once on the ground in Missouri, we met our prospective clients. We enjoyed some dinner and then proceeded to their home stocked with these aforementioned items.

As I walked from room to room … to room, both the husband and wife showed me paintings, pottery pieces, glassware, silver, furniture, statuary, and so forth. For each item, a typical remark was something along the lines of “Now this piece is particularly rare …”

“Particularity rare?” I thought not. I had seen (and sold at auction) many identical like-kind pieces numerous times. In fact…

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