After my “oops!” at the auction a couple of weeks ago, like any good masochist, I thanked them and asked for another.
Though I spent most of the evening getting outbid on coins, there was some silk-screening equipment up for auction. My wife and I are working to get a small business in (mostly) baby clothing off the ground and this auction was a possible place to get some supplies for cheap.
The equipment being offered was huge. The frames were big enough for posters. This was serious silkscreen equipment. The bidding started at $500, and went all the way down to $20, with no takers. I thought about it — that price was really twisting my arm. I told the auctioneer during the bidding, “The squeegees are a deal at $20!” and he agreed with me.
I didn't bid on the whole shebang, and the equipment didn't sell. I probably could have put the equipment up on eBay and gotten at least a few hundred dollars out of it, but we just didn't have the room to store it until it did, and my marriage was more important than this deal, anyway. 😉
Afterwards, I asked the person who owned the equipment if he would sell me just the squeegees. He offered them all for $20, and I paid it. This set of squeegees would have easily costed $100 or more, and the ones that had brittle squeegee parts had good handles, so there are lots of replacement parts in there. Also, he gave me his card and told me that he had some T-shirt-sized aluminum screens he could sell me.
The main point: There are opportunities for buying and selling even after the auctioneer yells “Sold!”
Other opportunities exist if someone bids on, and wins, a box lot that you were also bidding on. Usually there's only one or two things in that box lot that are of interest — the rest is gravy. If you're interested in another part of the box lot, you can ask afterwards if they'd sell you part of the lot. Sometimes they've just given me what I asked for! That's even better!
Or, as the winner of a box lot, you can entertain the offers of others. You may end up with the box lot for free!
How about you? Has anyone done any good side deals at auctions? What did you score?
For many years I went to a twice a month auction about 5 min from home. I made lots of post auction deals – the best was on two nautical type signs First Mate and Captain's Quarters. I paid $10 for both and sold the one I didn't want for $15. to the guy I was bidding against. The next best was a box of Avon gifts from a dealer going out of business, mainly jewelry – almost all were used for gifts. For $12. I had over 25 items, the least expensive was being sold for $9.00.
Bellen, I love getting deals like that! Good job!
Don’t you mean like any good masochist, I thanked them and asked for another.
Hah, you’re right.