Mound City Collectibles and Auctions LLC © Copyright 2007 - 2010
Picking an Auctioneer
Choosing an Auctioneer can be a difficult process. Here are a few questions to ask anyone you are considering hiring:
1. Do they hold a current Auctioneer's license? Some Auctioneers are not licensed.
2. Are they a full time Auctioneer or do they do other work besides auctioning? Many Auctioneers have a day job and can only do your auction in their spare time. You have to ask yourself, do you want a butcher, a baker or a candle stick maker handling your auction in their off time? Or would you rather have someone look after your auction needs whose livelihood depends solely on the auction and appraisal business? At Mound City Auctions, we are a full time auction and appraisal company. This is what we do.
3. Do they hold private or public auctions? Private auctions may invite bidder collusion by limiting the number of bidders to only a select few. This might provide a setting wherein bidders make deals not to bid against each other. We hold public auctions at Mound city Auctions. By inviting the public, we encourage competitive bidding at our auctions.
4. Are they members of the National Auctioneer's Association (NAA)? At Mound City Auctions, we are NAA members. We invite you to use this link and check. Some St. Louis auctioneers use the NAA logo but are not NAA members. This brings up a trust issue. If they will use the NAA logo when they are not an NAA member, you have to wonder if you can trust anything else they say. If you find yourself sitting across the table from an Auctioneer who is not a member of the NAA , you should ask, why they don't put their time and money into an organization which has a mission statement that is.:"To Promote the Professionalism of Auctioneers and Auctions through Education and Technology"?
5. If they are in fact NAA members you might ask them if they hold any current NAA certifications? Are they NAA Certified Estate Specialists? Four members of our staff are. Are they NAA Accredited Auctioneer's of Real Estate? Our Auctioneer is.
6. How are they with Technology? If you do a Google search, do they show up on the first page? Do they show up on the 2nd page, do they show up anywhere? If they do show up on the first page, how many times are they there? Remember, Google is where many of the people you want to buy your items go to find an auction, or an Auctioneer in their area. Our Auctioneer has a BS in Computer Science and has worked as a Software Engineer for Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Lockheed Martin, Paylinx and Cybersource. Members of our staff have presented classes on technology for Auctioneers at the NAA National Coference and show and taught fellow NAA members about the latest Internet marketing techniques via Internet seminars (webanars).
7. Do they have a web site? If they do not have a web site, you might want to look elsewhere. If they do have a web site, you should look at it. Can you find the information you are looking for on their web site? Can you locate their upcoming auctions on their web site? How easy is it to find your way around on their web site? Are there broken links or outdated information on their web site?
8. How well do they rank on auctionzip.com? Auctionzip is a site used by over 14,000 Auctioneers. The Auctioneer with the most page views for the week gets ranked number one in the state they list their auctions in. Ask your Auctioneer if they have ever been number one in the State? Have them show you proof of their claims. At Mound City Auctions, we have been number on in the state of Missouri. In fact, we have been number one in the state hundreds of times. Ask them if they have ever been number one in the country? We have been number one in the USA over 5 times. Auctionzip is how many people will find your auction. If your Auctioneer does not draw page views there, your items will not be seen. If they are not seen, how will people know that they are for sale? While you are looking at Auctionzip, take a look at how many pictures your Auctioneer takes of their items. Pictures help sell the items. Remember the old adage “A picture is worth a thousand words”.
9. Do they use proxibid, icollector, Auctionflex, Artfact, Auctionzip live, Bidspotter, or another on-line bidding site? If they do not use these services, you will be selling your items to a limited crowd. Some items warrant having this increased exposure. We offer on-line bidding to our clients using any of the previously mentioned platforms.
Please call us at 314-680-8599. We would love to answer these and any other questions you might have for us, and we can discuss your options and our auction calendar with you. We look forward to hearing from you! If you would rather use email, you can reach us at info@moundcityauctions.com
Licensed Auctioneer, Accredited Auctioneer of Real Estate, Certified Estate Specialist, Certified Appraiser Auctions, Estate Sales, Appraisals, Liquidations
What can Mound City Auctions do for you? 314-680-8599, 314-680-8598
