How Auctions Work: The Full Explainer

Typically we’ll start this process with a phone call, text or email to discuss what you are looking to sell. If it sounds like you have enough to do an estate auction (you are selling 50% or more of the estate’s contents) and those items would do well at auction, we’ll schedule a time to see what you need to sell in person. This is a fairly quick visit where we will tour your home – you can tell us what is staying and what is going – and we’ll answer any questions you have about the process. We’re also looking to see how many team members will be needed for the photo day, if we need supplemental lighting for darker rooms and ensuring that we can operate the pick up day smoothly (we’ll look at the available driveway space and review street parking options). We can also make recommendations on items to trash or donate.

There is a lot happening on the day we take photos – this is arguably the most important step in the process! Our team will spread out and go room by room photographing everything that needs to be sold. That means anything in the kitchen, living room, bedrooms, basement, garage, shed or wherever you have items that need to go. It sounds like a lot and it is! But we’re pros at keeping things organized and ensuring that your belongings look their best. Each team member often takes over 1,000 photos for a day of shooting. We work hard to ensure buyers have all the details they need to make informed purchasing decisions. It’s one of the reasons we have so many repeat buyers.

Each item we photograph will have an inventory sticker (this helps us with cataloging and finding items on the pick up day). We group items when it makes sense and can even do picker lots for those spots in the house with odds and ends – think junk drawers and all those screws and nails in the workshop. Our goal is to sell as much as we can for you. Every sale has a spectrum of values (high, mid-range and low). We have buyers for all price points.

Once we’ve completed the photos, the next step is putting together your auction catalog. This involves editing photos, researching items and writing titles and descriptions with key words that help potential buyers find your items. In most cases, we will send you a link to the auction catalog within one day of taking photos. For larger properties, it may take two days. We’ll always let you know when to expect the preview. The preview looks exactly like the live auction – countdown timer and all – but is not viewable to the public just yet. Once we’ve completed any needed edits, we’ll post it live so bidding can begin.

Most auctions run for 1-2 weeks, depending on when the pick up day is and what works with your scheduling needs. Much like a live auction, you’ll see the most activity as the auction is closing on the final day, especially in the final minutes. You’re welcome to watch the exciting conclusion live from home!

While the auction is running, we’re busy making sure it’s posted in as many places as possible. We market your sale on estatesales.org, estatesales.net and estatesale.com. These websites are used to tell interested buyers what events are happening where. Depending on where you live, the reach is typically around 15,000-20,000 registered users. We also post the auction as a Facebook event, and add individual items to Facebook Marketplace to increase views to the auction site. Auction Ninja itself is used nationwide, and attracts shoppers for a wide variety of collector categories. We offer shipping to increase that reach even more. You’ll also see social media posts and marketing emails throughout the sale duration.

Before buyers are able to bid, they agree to pick up their items on a set day and window of time. Our pick ups are typically on a Friday or Saturday, from 10-1 (though we arrive earlier to get set up). Only paid bidders receive the address to pick up their items. In most cases, a team member will bring the bidder their items while they wait outside. Bidders who purchased large furniture or multiple pieces that need to be wrapped will be shown inside by a team member. We do our best to minimize traffic inside the house. Most bidders are in and out quickly, avoiding any neighborhood traffic snarls. In cases where parking is tight, we will either require bidders to sign up for a pick up slot ahead of time, or we will have a dedicated staff member for parking duty.

At the end of the 3-4 hour pick up window, you have a much emptier house. It’s pretty amazing how quickly everything goes out!

Within 7-10 business days of the pick up, you will receive a check for the sale proceeds and itemized list of sold items. We really like the transparency we can offer our clients. There’s never any question about what sold and for how much.