Digital Marketing. David Sowle

auction office and ask how you bid, what time the auction starts and how many lots they get through in an hour. You’ll probably be asked for your name and address and be given a card with a number on it: this is the number the auctioneer will write against any lots that you buy so he knows who’s bought what. On the day of the auction make sure you arrive in good time for the lot numbers on which you intend to bid. This way you can get a feel for how the auctioneer works. You will probably be asked to pay for and remove anything you buy on the day, so make sure you have an acceptable method of payment – usually cash – and adequate transport.

      Don’t be intimidated by bidding. When the auctioneer calls out the lot number, an assistant will indicate the piece it relates to and the auctioneer will confirm the piece’s description and put forward a starting price. If no one bids, the price will be lowered until someone does or until the auctioneer moves on to the next lot. Make sure you can be seen by the auctioneer and, when you want to bid, attract his or her attention by waving your bidding number. Once the auctioneer knows you are bidding he or she will check to see if you want to keep up with the sale. Simply indicate whether you wish to continue or not. If you are the last bidder when the auctioneer sells the lot, he or she will want to know your bidding number. It will take a little time for the office to know who has bought what, so wait a little before going to pay. Once you’ve paid, auction staff will help you remove your lots.

      AUCTION TIPS

       Use the viewing at an auction as an opportunity to have a thorough look at anything you find interesting, whether you intend to buy it or not: auctions are one of the few places where you can prod and poke old pieces of furniture with impunity. Here are some things to consider when viewing any sofa or chair that you think you might buy:

       1. Start with the wood. Pay attention to the legs first: unless you’re a carpenter you won’t be able to fix broken ones, and the same applies to any show wood. Also, legs and show wood can tell you whether something is genuinely old or just looks it.

       2. Look out for signs of woodworm. Often the beetles eat just the soft wood dowels that hold the frame together, or concentrate in one area of the frame, leaving the rest untouched. It can be treated with a woodworm killer.

       3. Look carefully at the piece from all angles and compare reference points on each side to see if it looks symmetrical. Weird and wonderful is fine, but don’t buy anything that strikes you as having an odd shape, or just not quite right. One missing castor is a warning sign: if the piece has been used in that condition, undue stress will have been put on the frame and as a result will probably need repairs.

       4. Don’t pre-judge a piece because it has a nasty flowery slip (loose) cover. From experience, wonderful old sofas and chairs are sometimes disguised under such covers in an effort to prolong the life of something that has gone out of fashion.

       5. Don’t worry about the upholstery. The condition of the upholstery is only relevant as far as it goes to confirm or dispel your opinions about the age of the piece. Feel underneath: if there is webbing and springs, the piece is probably pre-1950; if not it’s likely to be more modern.

       6. Target anything that cannot be used in its present condition. Dealers won’t buy pieces that they need to spend money on, and most people won’t buy things that have to be reupholstered before they can use them, leaving you to pick up a bargain.