How can I bid if I can't attend the auction in person?

How can I bid if I can't attend the auction in person?

If you are unable to attend the auction in person, there's three main ways of bidding. Firstly, you could do it by proxy. Here, you give the auctioneer written instructions to what your maximum bid is, and to deposit a check for ten percent of that amount and he will bid on your behalf as if you were in the room. Secondly, you can bid over the internet. Many of the auctions held are now viewable over the internet and you can interact with the room by placing bids by ticking a box. In this method you'll need to register with the auction house and furnish them with a ten percent deposit check as well. The best way of bidding though, I believe, if you're unable to attend the room is simply over the telephone. One of the auction staff will call you on the phone just before the lot comes up for sale and invite you to bid. He'll be your mouthpiece in the room. The benefit, of course, is that you'll be able to listen to the auction happening, decide on whether there's other people bidding against you, and hopefully reduce the increments that the lot goes up in to skewer the property at the best possible price for you. I believe it is the best way to bid if you are not able to attend in person though nothing beats being in the room itself.