Two ways to bid
Every auction on the marketplace is one of three kinds. Timed auctions are online catalogs you bid through at your own pace, where each lot has its own closing time. Webcast auctions run at scheduled times, with a clerk calling the lots in real time. Listing-only catalogs are there to preview — they aren't open for bidding.
You bid with one marketplace account, but you register for each auction separately, and some auctions need the auction company to approve you first.
A bid is a commitment
When you place a bid, max bid, prebid, or webcast bid, you're making an offer to buy under the auction's terms. You owe the purchase price when the sale is completed with you as the winning bidder, subject to any disclosed reserve or seller confirmation. Contact the auction company immediately for a bid correction or any retraction allowed by applicable law or enforceable auction terms.
Knowing where you stand
- Leading, outbid, or won — every lot you bid on reports your standing in plain terms.
- On timed lots, a confidential max bid competes up to your chosen hammer-price limit; buyer's premium and tax are additional.
- On webcast lots, you bid at the current ask, or leave a prebid before the ring reaches your lot.
- The marketplace clock is the authority on when a timed lot closes — not the page on your screen.