Five Tips for Selling at Live Auctions

Ah, the old-fashioned country auction! The idea of a country auction conjures up certain images for people. The image of a fast-talking auctioneer offering up an antique table or chair is a popular example.

People who are buying household goods or collectibles are looking to get their items at the lowest price possible. However, the people who are selling their items at auction are hoping for the highest price!

Unless a person is in the business of buying and selling antiques or other items, not a lot of thought goes into how goods are prepared for sale via the auction process. However, if you are one of the growing number of people using auction venues to sell your collectibles or other inventory, there are a few things to learn first about how to sell at auction before you bring a truckload of stuff over to the next event.

Tip 1: Make sure the things you want to sell are a good “fit” for the auction house you’ll be using.

Never bring a load to an auction house without actually having been to one of the previous auctions. It’s important to get a feel for the type of goods that the house sells. For example, at one very rural country auction it was common for the owners to sell live chickens, pots and pans, car parts, and farm equipment.

After close investigation, this would not be the right venue for selling your daughter’s “Hello Kitty” collection. On the other hand, the spare John Deere parts that you bought at last week’s yard sale might be just the right thing for the buying crowd at this auction.

Tip 2: Be sure you clearly understand the terms and policies of the auction house.

Visit with the auctioneer ahead of time. Call to find out what the best days and times are to visit. One of the worst possible times to drop in for an informational visit with an auctioneer is the day of the auction. Call ahead and ask. While you’re at it, find out what are the best days and times to drop your stuff off.

Once you have a little time with the auctioneer, you’ll be able to find out what type of commission he or she takes from consigners (which is you), and what type of paperwork might be needed. Some auction houses send out Form 1099 tax forms at the end of the year. An auctioneer may need to see your identification and have you fill out a W-9. Be prepared.

Find out what happens to your items if they don’t sell. For example, some auctioneers may have a minimum starting bid. If, for some reason, one of your items does not sell, it may be grouped with another one of your pieces. Know the auctioneer’s strategy beforehand so that you aren’t surprised on pay day.

Tip 3: Make sure the auctioneer knows what you’re selling.

It might be perfectly obvious to you that the signed print you are consigning is a rare and valuable piece of art. However, the auctioneer may not know this particular artist. Make a note of anything particularly special about your items, and leave the note with the piece. Be sure to tell the auctioneer about it as well. He or she might determine that this is something to highlight on the company website or in the newspaper listing.

Tip 4: Present your items neatly.

No one likes to have to dig through a box full of grimy and greasy car parts to see what treasures might be in there. Separate the parts and lay them out on a flat, or use more than one box to de-clutter the lot.

There is no need to buy fancy display boxes. It’s easy enough to go to the local convenience store or supermarket and ask if you can have the emptied boxes or flats that they are discarding.

While it’s good to present clean items, take care not to ruin the value of anything by over cleaning. For example, if you find some old cast iron cookware, clean the obvious dirt and grime, but don’t scrub it to its original finish. For many people, this ruins the value of the item. So, clean and tidy and organized is the key here.

Tip 5: Don’t complain to the auctioneer if your stuff doesn’t sell for as much as you’d like.

The phrase to remember here is, “You win some; you lose some.” That’s just the way it is. There are some days where an auction house is loaded with people who all seem to want what you’re selling. There will be other days where the crowd is sparse, and the bidding is simply not competitive.

Remember that it’s in the auctioneer’s best interest to sell your things for the highest possible hammer price. But sometimes, it’s just not going to be a stellar sale. The auctioneer is only human, and is also disappointed if a sale doesn’t go as well as planned.

If you notice that every time you bring a bunch of goods to sell that you’re not realizing as much as you think you honestly should, try another auction venue and compare apples to apples. That is, bring the same types of items to the new auctioneer and compare the results.

Unless the auctioneer is particularly disagreeable or inconsiderate to you or buyers, there is no reason to confront him or her about a sale. If you find you just don’t care for an auctioneer’s style or methods, find another one. Believe me, there are plenty of them out there!

The primary thing to remember as you learn how to sell at auction is that the business is unpredictable at best. You will have good days, some not-so-good days, some great days. The more you sell, the more experience you will gain, and the more enjoyable the business will be.

Why Radio Advertising Is One of the Most Cost-Effective Forms of Advertising Available

More individuals and businesses are using radio advertising to reach prospective customers and clients now more than ever before. By engaging a top-notch radio ads agency, individuals and businesses can reach millions of people locally and nationally who enjoy listening to the radio at all hours of the day and night.

What makes radio ads more popular than any other form of advertising is that radio advertisements can be played across a variety of radio networks, including traditional radio, national satellite radio and Internet radio. Millions of people listen to the radio each and every day. In recent years, Internet radio has become very popular and now reaches over 70 million people per month. By using a variety of cross-marketing channels and other innovative marketing techniques, a radio ads agency can help advertisers reach a countless number of prospective clients and customers locally and nationwide.

Radio advertising has also become one of the most popular forms of advertising because it offers advertisers the biggest return on their investment. Ads on the radio happens to be one of the most cost-effective ways to reach millions of prospective customers and clients locally and nationwide. Individuals and businesses with a wide-range of advertising budgets can advertise on the radio. The cost of having a radio commercial produced and aired is much less in comparison to other forms of advertising.

By working with a top-notch radio ads agency, individuals and businesses can have advertising professionals put together a unique radio ads campaign that gets results. When choosing an agency, individuals and businesses should choose a radio ads agency with a proven track record. An agency with a proven track record will give advertisers a greater chance of success.

Selecting a good advertising agency is important and crucial in receiving positive results. You should note that a well-developed direct response radio campaign realizes conversion rates much higher than online media alone. The industry standard conversion rate for online media is typically 2%-5%, whereas a good direct response campaign starts at a 10% conversion rate.

In order to have a successful radio commercial created, businesses need to enlist a full-service advertising agency that can deliver results. By choosing a radio advertising agency that has copywriters and radio personalities on hand, individuals and businesses will see results. Advertisers that advertise their business or service on the radio know that the key to success with radio commercials is achieved by developing the perfect message and picking the best person to deliver that message. By choosing a radio advertising agency that has access to well-known radio personalities, advertisers yield better results.

When selecting an advertising agency, advertisers should consider everything the agency has to offer. By choosing a well-known full-service agency that knows everything there is to know about radio advertising, advertisers will have the added reassurance of knowing that they are working with an agency that can and will deliver results.

How To Build a Profitable Home Based Business!

It can be very rewarding starting a home Based business venture, yet it can also be very frustrating. The key to excellence can easily be the effort you put forth at the beginning. With time, the business will certainly come to be financially successful. Initially, you will need stay on top of every little thing to make it work and become profitable.. Similar to other businesses, the only way to see results is by working hard.

Keep in mind to stay on track when working from home by not getting caught up in non-work related activities during times when you must be functioning. Do not take long, personal telephone calls or begin difficult home improvement jobs. To be effective In your Home Based Business you MUST stay focused.

See if your family can get involved with your Home Based business as a means to create respect and investment. You can easily also get a family member to help design your business website. Stuffing envelopes or sorting papers can be a wonderful means for kids to help.

Keep your business phone line separate from your personal line. A business that has a separate phone line will certainly always appear even more of a professional, thus lowering the opportunities of the wrong person addressing the phone.

See to it that your home Based business enterprise has a different telephone line. It is likewise most likely to be tax write off. If you do not desire a new line, you’ll need to separate your individual calls from your business calls each month, deducting only business related calls.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT HOME BASED BUSINESS!

Choose a home based business that you are interested in and that you are capable of doing. Loving what you do will go a long way to making your business successful. Your enthusiasm will certainly likewise rub off on your clients. Excitement is something that people are attracted to in the long run.

If you are not a people-person, a home based business could be a good selection for you. Seriously! You more than likely won’t have to deal with individuals face-to-face when you run a home business enterprise.

If you’re needing to drive all over the place when you’re working from home, make certain you track the miles you travel and the retail price you spend for gasoline too. Even if you merely take a day trip, they are 100 percent deductible. You have to have proof that your driving was a necessary part of the business.

It is a good idea to communicate with various other home based businesses in your area. This will certainly help you do a number of things: leave the house to network, achieve publicity at local events, and support each other.

If your home based business is to be your main earnings, it is vital to have an alternating plan in place. You should have plans for every catastrophe which may happen, such as your website going down or shipment was not delivered on time. Preparing for setbacks will means you will be able to handle it smoothly when it happens.

You should supervise your results and stay up to date with the new trends make certain you are supplying the right products to the appropriate audience. See what’s popular for Christmas or Mother’s Day. Attend seminars to learn new skills or better the services you offer already.

Make your website name easy to remember. If you make the name complicated, people will have a hard time remembering it. Catchy and simple is best for a domain name.

Once you have some knowledge, you can easily promote a home based business. Setting up a professional looking internet site is a good first step, and doesn’t cost that much. Setting up an internet site will take no more than a day. Domain registration is occasionally free, but usually you’ll pay a small charge.

Connect with forums regarding work from home business-related topics. You can easily network and obtain valuable tips all in the one spot, while advertising your own home based business. You might also discover some potential partners or some leads.

Consumers ought to be given incentives when they refer others to do business with you. People spreading the word regarding your business is an efficient way to advertise your Home based business. Loyalty is developed through rewards.

Your family members should avoid disrupting you when you’re working at home. Because getting interrupted is something that can make performance decrease, make sure individuals understand when you’re working and when you are finished for the day. It is very important that they recognize that privacy is needed. Be sure that your kids have supervision and you’re able to be reached in case something goes wrong.

Do not miss opportunities to promote your home based business venture, it is like leaving money on the table. When you make small talk with individuals, you should discuss your business if the opportunity arise. Additionally, keep business cards with you

Home based businesses can be great for those that do not prefer constant human interaction. This is the facts. You more than likely will not need to have deal with people face-to-face when you run an home Based Business. With the information that you’ve just read, your business can only improve. Most people want to get as much profit as they can. Incorporate the knowledge you have gained through this article, and watch the success of your Home Based Business efforts grow..