Uncategorized 30 Jun 2009 04:18 pm
Why Auctions and Holidays ARE a Good Mix!
I do hope you all are doing well, and that this coming weekend you have a great time enjoying the festivities. I always enjoy the holidays and the fun time we can have with family and friends.
Being in the Auction business now for 15 years personally, and around it since I was 5, I have often heard the question, and sometimes concern, about having an auction on or around a holiday. And this same question/concern came up this past week.
To be honest, I cannot remember a time when we as a family of auctioneers really gave much thought to holidays when booking auctions. Of course Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day were never considered (although I believe my grandfather would have had them on these days if asked to!), other holidays never really came into consideration (Memorial, Labor, Independence, etc….) We just worked on through, and with great success. For many years, the Fourth of July was a staple for our annual Firearms and Ammunition auction, and the crowds were unbelievable! Just this past Memorial Day Weekend (2009), we had a auction on a farm, antiques, and farm equipment, and the crowd was between 500-600. Last July 5th, we had an auction in Gallatin, house and lot and antiques, and again, a very large crowd.
So what are the ingredients that make holidays and Auctions a good mix? Here is what I have noticed:
1. No competition! The same concern you may have had about people coming, or traveling, is the same thing that kept anyone else from booking that date. When you have multiple auctions on any given Saturday, you are bound to cause a potential buyer to have to choose between you and someone else who may be offering similar items or land. The more competition you have, the smaller the crowd, the less return. With a holiday, you are sure to have very little, if any, competition, thus enhancing your auctions overall potential.
2. “I need a distraction/break.” People are driven in life. They all have schedules. Believe it or not, a long weekend sometimes can cause people to go stare crazy, and they just need somewhere to go. An Auction is a perfect environment for them to come and enjoy a show and maybe find that “deal” they just have to have. With family and friends in town, an auction also provides a great escape or diversion from the long weekend.
but most importantly,
3. If you sell IT, they will come! Auctions are often a once in a lifetime OPPORTUNITY to buy that piece of land or that rare antique, furniture, jewelry, or glassware piece. And if they know that this is their ONE chance, they will make any and ALL efforts to make that dream come true. When a farm is being sold, or firearms, or unique items, people will let nothing stand in their way of getting that deal. My dad told me for years, “Opportunity only knocks once, you better open the door!” And that is how people view auctions. So, like I told the person asking me about holidays and auctions, I said, “If you have what they want, they will show up on Christmas morning at 7 am to take a hold of the OPPORTUNITY!”
With these ingredients, 1.No Competition 2. Diversion/Break 3. OPPORTUNITY, mixed together, a holiday weekend makes for a perfect recipe for a Successful Auction!
Let us know if we can put these ingredients to work for you. RayCarman@gmail.com