What happens at an auction?

If you have never raised your hand to bid at an auction before, it may appear quite daunting but we’re a friendly bunch at Durrants Auctions so here’s why we think you will enjoy a day out at our Auction Rooms.

Come and see us!

Firstly, don’t think you have to bid if you’re coming to one of our sales.  If you’ve never been before, it’s probably a good idea to just drop in and have a look.  You can take a tour around the rooms to see the wide selection of items for auction and generally get a feel for what happens on a sale day.

Our catalogues feature every item available along with an estimated sale price.  This is only an indication and much will depend on the amount of interest on the day, either in the saleroom, from commission bids placed before the sale, or online.

Upstairs is our main saleroom where the action takes place.  Just next to it is our café where you can relax with a tea or coffee and maybe a light snack.

Once you’ve settled in, you’ll quickly get into the quite fast-paced rhythm of the sale itself.  The auctioneer sets an opening bid and also makes clear if they have commission bids that will be placed during the sale of the lot.  Bids in the room are taken against not only those commission bids but also bids coming in live from those viewing online.  The process continues until a winning bidder is established.  Once there are no more bids, the hammer falls and the highest bidder wins the item.

Tips on bidding

To place a bid in any of our auctions, you need to register your details first.  We will take your name, address, telephone number, email address and you will be required to provide us with a proof of identity and address – these are all shredded after the sale. We then give you a temporary Buyers Number, which you can use for bidding on that day.

It’s also worth expelling one of the oldest myths of sitting in an auction room.  If you have a tickly cough, it’s very unlikely you will end up owning a valuable oil painting by accident.  The auctioneer will only take a first bid from you if you raise your hand and they then acknowledge the bid.  They are then looking for you to see if you want to raise your bid further.

If the room is busy and the auctioneer doesn’t see your bid, don’t be afraid to wave a little more vigorously or even give a quick shout – we won’t mind!

We would love to see you at one of our future sales where we would be happy to welcome you to the wonderful world of auctions.