There are two types of auctions available for online bidding through Invaluable, Live and Timed. Each auction type has an icon associated with it. The Timed icon is a clock, and the Live icon looks like an internet signal strength icon.
Live auctions are real time sales that allow you watch the auction in progress and participate during the sale. The date and time you see listed for Live sales are the time the auction begins. You can place an absentee bid on a lot in a live sale, up until the time that lot is opened for live bidding. If you are the highest absentee bidder, our system will place your bids automatically, one increment higher than the last in-room bid, until we have reached your maximum bid.
You can also place live bids during the auction. If you have registered and been approved to bid by the auction house, please follow the steps below:
- Sign into your Invaluable account using your email address and password.
- Click Auctions > Upcoming Auctions
- Locate the auction you would like to bid in, and click the Happening Now button to open the bidder console.
- When the teal Bid Now button displays the price you would like to bid, just click the button to place your bid.
Timed auctions are internet-only auctions that are run for a set duration and available for absentee bidding only. These auctions allow you to place bids until the scheduled end time for a particular lot. Whoever has the highest bid when the time runs out wins the lot. The date and time you see listed for Timed auctions are the time that bidding on the first lot ends.
To participate in an Invaluable Live or Timed auction, you must first register to bid for the sale. Each auction house has different methods for approving bidders, so we encourage you to register for auctions ahead of time so that the house is able to review your registration. You’ll be notified by email when your request has been approved. You can also check your status anytime by hovering over the user icon in the upper right of the page, then clicking Auctions to view a list of auctions for which you’ve registered.
To register to bid for an upcoming auction, please follow the steps below:
- Go to the Upcoming Auctions page to see a list of all future sales.
- Click the Register to Bid link that is displayed beneath the Happening Now or View Items button for each sale.
- You are now on the Sign-In/Register page. If you already have an Invaluable account, enter your email address and password to continue to the registration page.
- Provide the information requested by the auction house and be sure to check off the confirmation box at the bottom of the registration page to agree to the house’s terms and conditions. Then click Register to Bid. The auction house will review your request to bid and notify you if you have been approved.
- If you do not yet have an Invaluable account, you’ll need to create one before you can participate in any auctions on Invaluable. To get started, click Sign Up and enter the requested information.
You may also save a step and register while placing an absentee bid. If you find a lot you like, simply enter your maximum bid. If you are not logged in, you will be taken to a page where you may either log in or create a new account. If you are already logged in, you will be taken directly to the next step, in which you are asked to enter registration info, agree to the terms and conditions, and review your bid. By submitting the bid you are also registering for the auction.
You’ll be notified by email when your request to bid has been approved. You can also check your status anytime by hovering over the user icon in the upper right, then clicking Auctions to view a list of auctions for which you’ve registered.
Approval to bid in any Invaluable sale is at the auction house’s discretion. We recommend that you contact the auction house directly if you have any questions about your request for approval to bid.
How to contact an auction house:
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- Log in using your email and password.
- Hover over the user icon in the upper right, then click Auctions from the dropdown menu.
- Click the white envelope icon next to the selected sale.
- In the new message window, select Bidding Approval from the drop-down menu, enter your message and click Send.
Please note that any bids placed while you are in Pending mode will not get presented to the auctioneer on sale day if you have not been approved by the time the lot comes up for auction.
To allow you to participate in auctions more easily, once you have registered and been approved to bid once with a particular auction house, we automatically submit a request on your behalf for all future auctions with that auction house. This means that you will no longer have to register for each and every auction, and will only need to submit a request for approval if you find a new auction house that you would like to participate with.
Each auction house has a particular set of terms in place for their auction. You must review and agree to the terms and conditions when registering or bidding in an upcoming auction. Should have any questions about an auction’s terms, please contact that auction house directly.