The Auction Method:

Past, Present & Future

  Auctions are not a new marketing method. The first English reference is found in the 1595 Oxford English Dictionary. Evidence records auction activity as early as 500 B.C. and during the Roman Empire.  Although auctions are fun, the reason they have been successful for thousands of years is that they work.

  Auctions have long been associated with rural America, but today you're just as likely to find the excitement of an auction in a major metropolitan area, as selling livestock down on the farm.
  Converting property, possessions or inventory to cash quickly is a major benefit of the Auction Method of Marketing, but sellers also want to be assured they will get a fair market value. The Auction is the best tool to meet that goal. No less important is the flexibility of the auction method. The customer decides when and what to sell. Well trained auctioneers use established and successful procedures to ensure maximum benefits for the seller. It's hard to imagine anything today that cannot be sold at auction. The "traditional" auction merchandise that immediately comes to mind is expanding to include new types of commodities. Real estate, automobiles, repossessions and other merchandise previously overlooked as suitable auction merchandise are all part of today's auction industry.
  The reasons for the auction's rapid growth are simple. Companies like Ebay and Yahoo capitalize on the notion that when you sell at public auction, the spotlight of publicity is focused on your property - setting it apart from all others. This publicity brings together interested buyers who bid competitively for it, as no other marketing method can.
  In fact, consider this: Selling at auction is the only means by which it is possible for you to receive more than you expected for your property!