The link to our online bidding site is at the bottom of this page for a reason:
IT IS VITAL THAT YOU READ THESE BEFORE YOU BID!
IF YOU HAVE BID WITH US BEFORE:
If you like to bid like you always have, you may continue to do so, just like you always have.
(More on that below)
Live online bidding is now available for our catalog auctions in addition to phone, mail, and email bidding.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT: Bid online, or call to bid. DO NOT DO BOTH—if you do you may be bidding against yourself.
There are two catalogs online. One is our standard old-style listing, with very large photos. You cannot bid from that catalog.
The other catalog, with smaller photos--is the online auction page--and you can bid from there. The Link is below.
Buyers premium is 13%. If you pay by check, cash, money order, or wire transfer, you get a reduced buyers premium—your buyers premium is 10% if you pay within 8 days of notification--otherwise you will be subject to the 13% buyers premium. If you are on record with us to charge to your charge card or you prefer to send a check, please let us know your preference.
Bidding increments have changed.
For Example: In the old style auctions if you bid $200 with an UP TO of $300, we put you on the bid at $200. When a bidder placed the next bid ($225) We would bid you back in at $250.00. If the bidder bid again, at $275.00, we bid you back in at $300.00.
Old style auction:
Lot zz - You bid $200 with a $300.00 up to.
Outside bidder bids $225.00 (the only legal next increment at the time)
We bid you back in at $250.00.
Outside bidder bids $275.00.
We bid you back in at $300.00--Outside bidder needs to go to $325.00 win--IMPORTANT: the old style increments are no longer in effect due to online bidding!
Here is how the increments work for THIS AUCTION:
If you bid $225 with a $300 up to, the $25.00 increment is still in effect.
The NEXT AVAILABLE BID WOULD BE $25.00 more. However, you can bid MORE than the minimum. In other words the software allows you to bid $29.00 as the next bid. ($25.00 plus $4.00 more). This means if you bid $225 with a $300.00 up to, and the outside bidder bids $29.00 more he is in the lead at $254.00.
Now here’s where it gets funky. Your up-to bid automatically bids you back in at $279.00. Your up to is $300, but that bid has not been executed because you have the lead at $279.00. If an outside bidder bids the next increment, $304.00, it is an active bid and he will get the bid at $304.00, despite your unexecuted up-to bid of $300.00.
MY PERSONAL OPINION: I don’t like the way this software works in this fashion—We will be exploring remedies for this situation for future auctions—but right now everyone has to bid the same way so you are on an equal playing field--but realize that it is NOT the old system--and we would recommended you add a few dollars more than the standard old bids just to be on the safe side. If you bid in even increments you will likely be at a disadvantage.
NEW CLOSING TIMES
Phone bids end at 10:00 p.m.
Eastern time.
Online bids end as follows:
Lots 1-50 End at 10:30 p.m.
Lots 51-100 End at 10:35 p.m.
Lots 101-150 End at 10:40 p.m.
Lots 151-200 End at 10:45 p.m.
Lots 201-250 End at 10:50
Lots 251-300 End at 10:55
Lots 300 and higher end at 11:00.
On active bidding items any bid extends the auction on that single lot only for 3 minutes. All others in that group will close unless there is bidding on that single lot.
IMPORTANT: When you open the bidding section, the page will show 25 lots. If you bid on ANY knife on that page, you must scroll back up to the top and click on “SUBMIT BID (S)” BEFORE you go on to view other lots on other pages. A page will come up listing your bids. If they are correct you click on CONFIRM and your bids will be placed for the knives on that page only. If you simply put numbers in the bid window and go to view other pages without clicking “SUBMIT BID(S)” –you will not have sent your bids into the system and they will not be registered.
TIP: Once you have placed your bids any bids will in which you are leading will be outlined in RED on the “MY BIDS” page. If they are not in red, you are not in the lead! Only the lots on which you are bidding will show when you click on the “MY BIDS” tab at the top of the page. RED--go ahead. BLACK--go back.
If you would like to place an “UP TO” bid, simply click on that box, and put that amount into the box. The computer will only place your bid at the bid above the present bid. When your “MY BIDS” page comes up it will show your “UP TO” amount for reference.
Once you have viewed the entire auction you can click on the tab at the top and it will bring up only the lots you are bidding on—and you can bid from that screen.
THE BIDS WILL NOT UPDATE AS YOU WATCH THEM. YOU MUST GO TO “refresh” ON YOUR COMPUTER TO UPDATE THE BIDS TO CURRENT STATUS.
Other stuff:
BACKING UP TO A PREVIOUS PAGE:
There is a back button ON THE AUCTION page--go back use it--do not use the back button on your BROWSER as it will put you back to the beginning.
Even though you have registered to bid with us previously, YOU STILL HAVE TO REGISTER TO BID ONLINE VIA THE WEBSITE. This is a one time registration that puts you into the computer system, and assigns you a name and allows you to pick a password. If you bid online in auction 40 you are already registered, just use the same log-in name and password. If you don't remember what it is we will be happy to help you by phone beginning October 20.
If you are on the internet it is to your advantage to bid online. If you are not online we will be happy to bid for you online. When you call to place your bids, we log into the computer system and register you (just as you could do yourself), and we place your bids via the internet just like you would do yourself. THERE IS NO ADVANTAGE IN CALLING US TO PLACE YOUR BIDS—in fact your bids will be posted a bit slower as we’re adding a middleman to the process. We accept bids for callers primarily as a convenience for our bidders who are not connected to the internet. Phone bidding ends at 10:00 pm. NOT MIDNIGHT.
IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER:
You must register via online if you want to bid online. This is a one time thing that you must do, even if you have bid with us for years.
You must sign in with your sign-in name and password before you can start bidding.
Do not navigate away from the page on which you have entered bids until you have scrolled back up to the top and clicked on the SUBMIT BIDS tab, and then clicked on the CONFIRM MY BIDS on the page that follows. Then look at page 2.
Red mean’s you are in the lead.
If you open your “MY BIDS” page, you must refresh to check on the progress of the bids. You can place bids from this page. (Remember to hit SUBMIT BID(S))
THIS IS NOT EGUYS. Every bid on that item will extend the auction another 3 minutes (ON THAT ITEM only). Time runs out when everyone quits bidding. Sniping will do you no good here.
HOW TO BID
Once your account is activated and you are logged in, you have three bidding options.
FIRST, you can bid the Minimum Bid Required, check the BID box next to it.
SECOND, to place a higher bid right now, enter the amount in place of the minimum shown and check the Bid Box. Your maximum bid will now be entered at the full amount. This is not recommended.
THIRD, enter your maximum bid amount in place of the minimum shown and check the Up To Box. Only the next bidding increment will be displayed to other viewers and bidders, not your maximum bid. The auction system will bid for you until you reach your limit. Your bid limit is secret. Be certain to select the Up To (limit) Box, or your bid will be entered immediately at your maximum amount. You can use this option at anytime before the auction closes. This will keep your bid active until you win or your bid is surpassed by another bid. THIS METHOD IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Bid on as many lots as you like on one page, then click the SUBMIT BIDS button (it is at the top of the listings page). Your bids are not fully submitted until you CONFIRM them on the next page. If you see the current high bid shown in Red, you are the high bidder right now.
MY BIDS will show you the status of just your bids.
Your limit is secret and serves the same purpose as a snipe bid. The bidder’s identity is never shown to other bidders.
This auction has soft closing times. If a bid is submitted and confirmed during the last minute before closing, the closing time will be extended on that lot by three minutes.
CANCELING BIDS.
You will not be able to cancel a bid once it has been submitted on the auction website. This is done because other bidders may have acted based on a bid you have submitted. You will need to contact us if it absolutely necessary to cancel a bid.
The act of bidding is your acceptance of all terms.
To see the photos with the listings just click the box in the upper left hand corner of the opening page. At times the server may be overloaded and the "show pictures" box will not be visible--this is to maintain speeds during the auction. You will still be able to see photos of the knives at our standard online catalog--but you will have go to back into the auction section to bid.
If your bid is red-go ahead.
If your bid is black-go back!