THRIFT YOUR WAY
Live auctions
An auctioneer sells lot by lot to a room of bidders, often with people bidding online too.
- Good for
- Antiques, art, furniture, collections
- When to go
- The preview the day before or that morning
- Paying
- Card or cash, with a buyer’s premium and tax
How it works
- There’s usually a preview before the sale to look things over.
- You register with ID and get a bidder number.
- The auctioneer sells each lot. A buyer’s premium and sales tax are added.
- You pay and take your things home the same day, as is.
How to do well
- Go to the preview and handle what you want: turn it over, open the drawers, look at the back.
- Write down your limit for each lot before bidding starts, with the premium included.
- Watch a few lots first to get a feel for how the room bids.
- Bad weather and holiday weekends mean fewer bidders, and often better prices.
- Sit where the auctioneer can see you, and bid clearly.
Bring
- ID and payment
- Help and a vehicle for big things
- Something to eat: sales run long
Where to find them
AuctionZip
A calendar of live and online auctions near you, from thousands of auctioneers.
Go to AuctionZip (opens in a new tab)LiveAuctioneers
Auction houses selling art, antiques and decor. Open “Auctions near me”.
Go to LiveAuctioneers (opens in a new tab)Auction houses near you
Your map app, on the auction houses around you. Small houses often list only on their own sites.
Open your map: auction houses near you (opens in a new tab)
How Thriftcraft helps
Research
Research pieces at the preview, while you can still pick them up.
On Scan, tap Research beside the shutter, then snap.
How Research worksScan
Snap the lots you like and put their numbers in the notes, so you know what to bid on.
How saving a find works
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