RECORDING THE LIVE AUCTION WINNERS

“Follow the Money”

It is always vital to accurately record the winning bidders in your live auction. If mistakes are made at this stage, they can cost you a lot of money. If an error is detected after the auction, it will be too late to reopen the bidding!

There are two popular methods to record your winners. One is simply to create a master list of winners, filled in by someone standing close to the auctioneer; the other involves using volunteers to personally interact with the successful bidders, or “bid run.”

The first method is simpler but more prone to errors. A bid recorder sits or stands close to the auctioneer and writes out a master list of the winning bidders’ numbers and their winning amounts for each item. However, the recorder often has a restricted view, and there is no opportunity during the auction for any check on accuracy. This method has the risks of winners later questioning the actual winning amount, or saying that it was someone else who made the last bid. Also, it is not unknown for people to accidentally pick up and use someone else’s bidding paddle!

The second method involves more work and more volunteers, but is much more reliable. It is also particularly effective when you have decided not to allocate bid numbers to your audience (see one of our other auction tips). You station a master recorder close to the auctioneer, with a prepared invoice for each item. The recorder sends out a “bid runner” volunteer to each winning bidder in the audience, whose identity is then confirmed and acknowledged by their signature on the invoice. This action immediately provides confirmation of the winner and their winning bid. You will usually need two or three volunteers to “bid run,” depending on the speed of the auctioneer. With this system, if there is any problem with identifying the winner or their winning bid, it can easily be sorted out while the audience is still in place – and you will still get your money.