New to this whole auction thing? First of all, allow me to welcome you to the fun and excitement that is online auctions. You can score awesome deals on furniture and decorative items, not to mention discovering some very unique, one-of-a-kind items. And you don’t have to get up at 6 a.m. or even get out of your PJs if you don’t want to. There’s nothing to be sad about here.
The first thing I want to mention is that Auction Ninja has a “Max Bid” feature that I recommend using if you see something you really like. It allows the site to bid on your behalf up to a certain amount. Say you really want that cordless vacuum. You feel like that vacuum is worth $40 to you. If you put $40 as the bid amount, now Auction Ninja is going to bid for you as others try to get the vacuum. While somewhat frustrating for the other bidders, it makes it so you don’t have to watch the item like a hawk. If the bidding only goes to $30, that’s what you pay.
That said, it helps to keep something of a close eye on items you really want the night the auction closes. You’ll note that most of the bidding activity takes place on the last day, particularly the last few hours. If someone bids $41 on the aforementioned vacuum, you may lose out if you aren’t watching for the outbid notifications. You can choose to have those notifications sent via text or email.
Some people like to participate in the auction live the night it closes. This is fun, too, but not so convenient for families with kids as most auctions are ending right at bedtime (I know, I’m sorry!). You might want to follow the items you are interested in, and then watch them from your Auction Ninja dashboard. This way you’re keeping an eye on a few things, not 200 things. Or have your significant other put the kids to bed and go bananas. Your choice.
My last piece of advice is to ask questions if you ever aren’t sure about something, or if you see something in the photos and want clarification. I can’t promise to have all of the answers, but I may be able to share some insight to help you in your purchase decision.
Ready to get bidding? Check out the latest auctions (or make note of upcoming ones) below.
