If a fine nontextual matter vendue can be compared to a well - coordinated circus , then the auctioneer is its ringmaster . At any give auction — which may admit hundreds of people in the room and hundreds more watching online — the auctioneer is center stage , direct the interview ’s attention to lots big and small , beget inflammation , and score sure the bidding runs swimmingly . Auctioneers make out " all this while having charisma and a sense of engagement and great zip , ” allege Tash Perrin , an auctioneer who also hold a couple of aged management rubric at Christie ’s auction sale theatre . To come up out what it have to perform in such a fast - pace setting ( and whether they always talk the way of life you see in the movies ) , we spoke with three New York City - establish auctioneers who work for some of the human race ’s largest auction houses : Christie ’s , Phillips , and Bonhams .
1. Auctioneering is mostly a side gig.
At the big auction home , practically no one is hired to influence exclusively as an auctioneer . As Perrin explains , “ Nobody here at Christie ’s is an auctioneer full - time . All of us have full - time jobs and then we do the auctioneering as a side spear . ” Some auctioneer manage a particular department within an auction sale business firm , while others work in a variety of roles that may take reward of their speciality in a particular field , whether that ’s Chinese ceramics , Moslem artistic production , or jewelry .
As a medical specialist in postwar and contemporary artistry with Bonhams , for example , Jacqueline Towers - Perkins sources all of the nontextual matter for vendue , search their origin , and make certain they ’re authentic ( and not someknock - off ) . Finally , as an auctioneer , she gets to find a new home for them . “ When it comes to sell [ an artwork ] , that is sort of the icing on the patty , ” she tells Mental Floss .
2. Auctioneers need to be licensed in some states.
More than one-half of all U.S. statesstipulatethat single auctioneer must get a license before selling items at public auctions . New York state does not have such a law , but leave the decision up to individual municipality . New York City — the placement of many bragging - name auction houses — doesmandateit . Would - be auctioneer must go to the Department of Consumer Affairs—“the same stead that raging detent vendors get their licence , ” Perrin state .
3. Not all auctioneers speak quickly.
If you ’ve been picturing an auctioneer who talks amile a minute of arc , you ’re probably thinking ofcattle auctioneer , who rattle off increment in an almost meditative style called " tone . " A few other type of auctioneers talk this agency , but you wo n’t hear it at any of the major art and antiquities auction sale houses , which also sell across categories admit jewelry , handbags , watches , wine and booze , Christian Bible and manuscripts , and more .
That ’s because an auctioneer ’s meter for the most part bet on what they ’re sell . Speed is especially important for cattle auctioneer because they often have more lots ( a.k.a . individual cows ) to sell than the typical nontextual matter auctioneer . ( They also talk that way to " hypnotize " bidders , according toSlate . ) However , when it comes to prized art and uncommon artifact that wring up meg of dollars at auction , an auctioneer ’s goal is slightly different : to generate inflammation and establish suspense . Sometimes , they might even slow down and allow a moment of silence to fill the room before speed up again . “ A really important element to being a good auctioneer is your power to speak silence , ” Perrin says . That means allowing for break when necessary — such as when a possible emptor might be think about a tender . It ’s also about creating a welcoming atmosphere for bidders . “ We require this to be a really great surroundings … We do n’t desire to rush mass through it or make it intimidating , " Towers - Perkins adds .
4. Auctioneers sometimes stick out their tongues and reciteHumpty Dumptyas a vocal warm-up.
Because auctioneer are tattle non - kibosh for several hours at a time , the vocal warm - ups they do before an auction can get pretty … originative . “ RecitingHumpty Dumptywith your tongue out is definitely something we would encourage , ” says Perrin , who also coaches auctioneers - in - education . In the above video fromThe New York Times , Christie ’s former head of auctioneering , Hugh Edmeades , can be see recite this nursery rhyme to loosen up his facial brawniness and warm up his voice . Perrin says some auctioneers might also tell their increments ( we ’ll get to those subsequently ) in the cascade before coming to workplace , while others might use ventilation and outspoken techniques that are similar to the ones use by histrion and singers .
5. The auctioneer’s book is their bible.
Auctioneers can glean everything they involve to know about a sale from something called the “ auctioneer ’s book”—although at some auction houses , it ’s a digital file on a laptop rather than a physical script . The Quran hold in the lot number ( the key number of the particular or radical of items up for sale ) , the item ’s description , and the amount of money it ’s look to go for . It also has one all important patch of information that neither the bidder nor the general public get to see : The taciturnity price . This is the amount of money the owner of the lot will — or will not — sell it for .
6. An auctioneer’s ability to multitask is crucial.
Juggling multiple tasks at once is a acquirement auctioneers must get wind to master . In addition to remaining mindful of the reserve price , auctioneers must also check their book for any absentee bids that have been placed prior to the sale . Bids are also issue forth in over the earphone and online , and those bidder must be hold the same attending and opportunity that bidders in the room are afforded . Throughout all this , auctioneers have to be occupy and charismatic . “ If it looks like you ’re very methodical and have a sense of just trying to get the job done , you ’re not engaging the audience , ” Perrin enunciate .
While auctioneer are on the hook for most of the sales legal proceeding , they do get some help from a bid shop assistant . This person digest next to the auctioneer and surveys the way — including the phone bank , where faculty talk to potential buyers over the phone and hold up a paddle whenever a play comes through — to capture bids the auctioneer might not have see . This extra aid is especially helpful when there are 700 or so bidders in one outer space . “ They play an incredibly of import role , and I often refer to them as my best human being up there , ” Perrin says .
7. There’s a lot of math involved in auctioneering.
Auctioneers can only use certain increment , which means they ’re restrain in the accurate damage they can offer to bidders . “ It ’s very set , ” Towers - Perkins says . “ The numbers go up in tens at the beginning , then in twenties , then in 50 , then in 100 . ” ( The precise numbers can vary by house . ) This get all the more perplexing when absentee tender are factor in into the equality . Auctioneers must ensure they ’re referring to the exact amount declared in an absentee bid , which means they must opine ahead and do a bit of spry math to figure out which act they should call out . Perrin calls this skill “ numerical dexterity , ” but there ’s another condition for it too . When everything goes well and auctioneers offer the right increments , it ’s called “ landing on the right foot . ” ( And when things go wrong , it ’s called , naturally , landing on the wrong invertebrate foot . )
8. Auctioneers can tell the difference between an involuntary nod and a bid.
Sometimes , a nod is just a nod . Other times , it ’s a bid . Auctioneers are trained to abide by bidder ’ soundbox behavior and know the departure . Customers unremarkably elicit their paddle to place a bid , but some might prefer to stay discreet . Sarah Krueger , an auctioneer and head of the pic department at the New York City branch of Phillips , said auctioneer get to know the bidding styles of frequent clients : “ A nod or a fragile move might indicate a bid from one person , but for another they might just be waving at a booster across the way . ” Perrin tell one node in England bids by raising his brow , while other bidder wink to raise the stakes . normally , an auctioneer can judge whether or not a bid is intentional by paying attention to the bidder ’s level of appointment — for instance , if they ’re looking at the auctioneer or still have a paddle in their hand , they ’re probably interested .
9. They take their gavels seriously.
Krueger has her own personal assemblage of six gavel : Three of them she uses in auction bridge , while the other three are more like accumulator ’s item . Each auctioneer has their own preferences in terms of the style of gavel they use . “ For my purpose , what I ’m looking for in a gavel is something that fit comfortably in my hand and is n’t too heavy , ” she suppose . “ You also want to essay it out against your sounding block and make indisputable that it ’s giving you the right speech sound . ” After all , auctioneer say that the minute the pound fall , signify the end of a sale , is one of the most enjoyable parts of the job . “ The speech sound the gavel makes on the ambo is incredibly solid — particularly on the very first lot you ever take and the most expensive circumstances you ’ve ever sold , ” Perrin says . “ That ’s passing gratifying . ”
