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Boxlot Post No. 1
So what exactly is a boxlot? Well, every estate has piles of tchotchkes that aren’t necessarily garbage, but that aren’t good enough to stand on their own. Individually, these bric-a-brac are worth $10 and less. Trying to sell each of these things individually during an auction is boring and inefficient. However, these items still have value, and as auctioneers, we are obligated to produce every dollar we can for our consignors. So we make boxlots: literally cardboard boxes loaded with miscellaneous items that are sold together for one price. Boxlots are a win-win situation. The consignors get the value out of usable items that may have been otherwise disregarded, and the bidders get the opportunity to buy those items in an efficient way.
Tremendous Squirrels
It was midsummer, 2001. I, my father, and my youngest brother Joseph (who was working with us at the time) embarked upon an estate pickup to West Side Scranton where we were greeted by three, better-than-middle-aged sisters. Though the youngest of these women is now a fuzzy memory, the middle and the eldest sisters stick out in my mind.
Overt Bidding Techniques
As discussed previously, certain auction goers feel the need to employ stealthy bidding techniques so as not to be shadowed by rookies or bid against out of spite. Conversely, there are certain auction goers that use overt bidding techniques that are designed to intimidate their competition. Since these aggressive bidders can’t actually claim the items that they desire by urinating on them, they bid in ways that are meant to tell others to back off.
Befuddled by a Dressing Table
I was alone in the gallery, setting up for an approaching auction, when two women (I’ll call them Dense and Denser) walked in to have a look. Dense and Denser perused the inventory, making squealing quips and clucks. I gave them a few minutes to walk around before greeting them and asking if I could be of any assistance.
Stealthy Bidding Techniques
First time auction attendees will often ask me how to bid. I tell them that when they wish to bid on an item that they should raise their bidding cards high into the air, and then when they wish to advance the bidding that they should continue to raise their cards or nod distinctly when the auctioneer looks to them. However, some veteran auction goers adopt bidding techniques that are designed for discretion. Dealers and collectors that regularly attend auctions sometimes feel that they have to mask the fact that they are bidding for two reasons: