Absentee bid form. Some auction houses have you list all your absentee bids on a single multi-bid form. This is one version of such a form.

This is a sample of a one item absentee bid form. A separate form is required for each bid. If you leave 10 bids, there are 10 forms. Different auction houses use different versions of this form.

Absolute Auction sign letting everyone know that this particular auction has no reserves and no minimums. Everything will sell to the highest bidder.

One of many different versions of a bid card. Some cards, like this one, require you to fill out and sign a section of the card that will be pulled off and filed in the office. Also listed here are some of the basic rules of the house. On these cards, the house has to add each bidder number by hand. These particular cards are useful if the house uses permanent numbers. Such numbers usually apply to those customers who attend on a regular basis and buy a lot of merchandise. The bidder numbers for these customers never change.

Same type of bid card as the previous one. Just a different format.

This bid card does list some of the rules of the auction house but you don't have to fill out anything. This card provides a place on the back for you to keep track of what you buy. These are pre-printed with consecutive bid numbers. Houses that use this version usually don't permit permanent numbers. An auction house might get 3 to 4 auctions out of a pre-printed series of cards numbered 0-999. It would therefore not be possible to come up with the same bidder number for someone 3 or 4 times in a row within a pre-printed series. 

This is referred to as a bid paddle. These cost an auction house a lot more money than the standard bid cards we just discussed. Bid cards are much more practical than the paddles because women can fit them in their purses and men can put them in their shirt pockets. Because of the cost, an auction house will most likely want the paddles back at the end of a sale so they can reuse them. This just creates added work for the staff. Standard bid cards are much easier because they are disposable.

A warning sign reminding you that you need to preview carefully before you bid. You buy it, you own it.

This is a sample consignment contract that is used by an auction house when someone consigns merchandise to it. As a consignor, you would have to sign one of these stating that you have the legal right to dispose of the personal property at hand. A copy would be given to you for your records.

A sign warning against bid rigging which is a felony and covered by the Sherman Act. Bidders cannot conspire to keep prices down. In other words, "You bid on that one and I'll bid on this one."

Many auction houses allow children but you must keep them with you and they need to be as quiet as possible.

A reminder not to speak to the auctioneer's clerk during the sale. If you have an issue, you need to speak to another staff member. No one should speak to the auctioneer during the sale either. If it is his auction house and you really need to speak with him directly, you will have to wait until the sale is over or call him the next day. If he is just working for the auction house then you need to speak to the actual owner.

A sample sticker used on auction lots. We don't imagine this one is used too often since it does not provide a space for the buyer number.

Common sticker that is used by many different auction houses.

Again, not a common sticker but it does have room for an item number and a buyer number separated by a slash (/).

Common sticker that is used by a number of auction houses.

This is a common string tag used on items with handles, knobs, etc. We always tried to use this type of tag at our auction house. We only used stickers on items that could not accommodate anything else. Be careful when buying items at auction that have stickers on them. Some stickers peel off easily and some do not. Those that don't can cause damage to some pieces when you try to remove them.

Another common string tag used by many auction houses.

Reminder sign that all items must be paid for the day of the auction. The only exceptions to this would be absentee/left bids and telephone bids. Check with the auction house for those deadlines.

Items must be paid for before you remove them from the building. Most houses will allow you to pay multiple times if necessary.

Pay attention to this sign. As soon as you buy an item you are responsible for it. If something happens to it after you buy it, you still own it. Should you buy an expensive item you might want to consider paying for it right away and taking it to your car.

Register for a bid card when you get to the auction. You will need a valid driver's license at any auction. Some of them might make an exception and accept either a military ID or a state issued ID.

If you are a dealer, you probably already have a tax resale number. You may not use it if you are buying an item for your own personal use or for a gift. You are only exempt from having to pay tax on those items that you have targeted for resale. If you do not have a tax resale number but are buying items to resell them, the state where you live will issue you one. In a number of states, you only have to verbally give an auction house your resale number to get tax-exempt status. In some other states, to include Florida, you must supply the auction house with an actual copy of your tax resale number. By law, they must physically have it on file. Most states will honor out of sate resale tax numbers but additional paperwork may have to be filled out to satisfy local law.

Almost every auction house has a buyer's premium in effect. The percentage can vary. It usually falls somewhere between 10%-20%. Consider this additional charge when you are bidding. Remember you may also be subject to sales tax.

Watch for any posted signs that list the terms of sale. You need to abide by these terms.

There are a few auctions that may require you to leave a deposit upon registering. This deposit can vary in amount. If you buy items, the deposit will be deducted from your bill. If you do not buy anything, it will be refunded. If you spend money but spend less that the amount of the deposit, the difference will be refunded. This is not a common practice. We have never been to an auction that does this.

There are a number of auction houses that are not fully computerized. Therefore, when you checkout, you will be given a hand written ticket for each item you purchased. The house will usually give you the total including buyer's premium and any applicable tax on an adding machine tape.

This is an example of a computerized bill. Any corrections or changes that need to be made can be done very quickly and a new bill can be issued in just a few seconds.

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