To bid at an auction... or not?

Auctioneering is not as hard as you may think; anyone can have a go, but if you want to give yourself a head start you should research what you're looking to buy. Have a hunt around antique shops so you can narrow down the price range. You'll feel more comfortable in a bidding battle if you've done the background work.

Try to get the best item within your budget, but remember you can always upgrade if you really think it's worth it.

Getting started

One of the first things you need to do at an auction room is to register for a bidding number, which you can get from the main office by giving them your contact details. You need this to let the auctioneer know you mean business.

Experts tend to advise beginners to stick to catalogued sales, here every single item tallies with a lot number and a description given by the auctioneer or cataloguer that you should read closely. These auction houses are more likely to be reputable as they give the buyer certain rights to reclaim their money. For instance, if the item is a fake or a forgery or not as it was described in the catalogue you should be able to claim your money back.

A wording warning

It's important to read the catalogue properly and look for disclaiming phrases such as

• "in the style of ",
• "in the school of",
• "similar to" It's also a good idea to keep an eye on the estimate as this is often a good indication of how much the item will go for.

Good to talk

When attending viewing days at the sale room don't be scared to talk to the porter or the auctioneer about any of the lots you're interested in. A polite request will get the porter opening doors and pulling out drawers, if it's a chair don't be shy give it a try.