I’ve heard it for nearly 20 years … “You’re doing live auctions? You need to move to online-only — lots more bidders, higher prices, easier, and I watch it close in my pajamas” — right?
So let me see … as soon as many auctioneers are told they can’t have any more live auctions, for the time being, they don’t want to move to online-only? “You’re violating my rights!” What planet am I on?
Prior to any limitations on your right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, everyone was telling you to have online-only auctions, and you were essentially a fool for not listening. Many of you did hold some online-only auctions …
Now, auctioneers are all rallying to again have live auctions, while having been told for years — particularly by all the online-only folks — that live auctions don’t work. Maybe we should outlaw online-only auctions so more auctioneers will want to do those?
This was indeed your chance as a live-only auctioneer. You could have learned how to conduct an online-only auction and put that additional tool in your toolbox. Too, you might have saved your bidders from health risks and yourself and your seller from potential liability.
But no. “I don’t want to do an online-only auction,” and I want to conduct a live auction instead. It’s not about bidders nor buyers, nor my seller — it’s all about what I want to do. It’s all about the auctioneer?
Online auctions are not a panacea. They are different than live auctions, with their own costs and benefits. But, they largely don’t involve social distancing, crowd sizes, hand sanitizer … and all those other live auction potential issues.
As we asked the other day, “You’re not having an online-only auction because …?” https://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2020/06/02/and-youre-not-doing-it-online-for-what-reason/ and it appears you still have that option, and it might be the best choice for now.
Mike Brandly, Auctioneer, CAI, CAS, AARE has been an auctioneer and certified appraiser for over 30 years. His company’s auctions are located at: Mike Brandly, Auctioneer, RES Auction Services and Goodwill Columbus Car Auction. He serves as Distinguished Faculty at Hondros College, Executive Director of The Ohio Auction School, an Instructor at the National Auctioneers Association’s Designation Academy and America’s Auction Academy. He is faculty at the Certified Auctioneers Institute held at Indiana University and is approved by the The Supreme Court of Ohio for attorney education.
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