When the bidding gets underway, you’ll find some strong auction stereotypes emerge. These are common at many auctions, and can be easily handled if you know what to expect – and you may even recognise yourself in some of these.
The high roller
These bidders tend to raise the bar early, as an intimidating factor. However, they can sell themselves short and end up paying more than they need to, or exhaust themselves early by flying too close to the sun and hitting the upper levels of their budget too soon.
The waiter
This is a ‘slow and steady’ bidder, who is unlikely to even be heard from until the closing stages. The drawback here is they enter the bidding when the level is already quite high, so may be stretching their budget with the first bid they make.
The newbie
These bidders are common, but frustrating. By laying random bids all through the auction, the newbie can be a confusing bidder that does not often succeed.
When at auction, you need to have a handle on your finances, keep a cool head and adopt traits of both the waiter and the high roller to have a good chance of victory. Luck needs to be on your side a little as well!