Soapweed's Ranch
Ramblings |
Some of the "best" auctioneers are sometimes a little too
good for their own good. They "take" bids that aren't even there. I like a
good entertaining auctioneer as good as the next person, but it always kinda
gripes me when I have to bid against a rafter to get what I'm trying to buy.
To me, honesty and integrity from the auctioneer's block is just as important
in that line of work as it is in any other.
From a buyer's point of view, the only bid that matters is the last bid. I usually
wait until most of the dust has settled before entering the fray. If at the last
qualified bid, I am still interested, that is where I throw my hand into the
air. Sometimes that is the only bid required.
Participating in an auction, or just watching one, is an educational experience.
It is like a good game of poker, and the players that don't display emotion are
more likely to come out the winner. Many times the auctioneer can sense the lust
and desperation of a prospective buyer. Those buyers are much more apt to pay "too
much" to get what they want. The ringmen are often as conniving and unscrupulous
as the auctioneer, and they can make a lot of racket and hoopla to cover their
tracks. There is a mob frenzy that can develop.
A bidder is smart to bid a few times on stuff they don't want, so the auctioneer
and ringmen can see that they know how to say "NO". Then when a bull or horse
comes into the ring that the bidder really wants, the powers that be are less
apt to take that person for a ride.
Bidding at an auction can be somewhat of an adrenalin rush. Like any other fun
activity, remorse can be a secondary affect. It's pretty easy to buy a "number
ten" and wake up the next morning owning a number three or four. This is the
voice of experience talking.
Copyright © 2005 Steve
Moreland
All Rights Reserved