Copywriting formulas and emotional triggers that drive bidding wars Two identical Victorian chairs. Same auction house. Same estimate. Same photos. Chair #1 Description: “Victorian chair, mahogany, good condition, circa 1880.” Final Price: $340 Chair #2 Description: “Elegant Victorian parlor chair showcasing rich mahogany with original hand-carved rose motifs. This piece whispers stories of afternoon tea…
Data-driven insights on when to schedule auctions for peak participation A $2,000 antique desk sold for $847 on a Tuesday in January. The exact same desk model sold for $2,340 on a Saturday in October. Same item. Same condition. Same auction house. The only difference? Timing. After analyzing over 15,000 auction lots across 73 different…
Step-by-step launch timeline for new auction operators “I have my auction license and Selling Lane Auction Software. Now what?” That’s the question I get from new operators weekly. They’ve got the legal paperwork sorted, maybe even a website, but they’re staring at empty warehouses wondering how to fill their first sale. The gap between “licensed…
Email sequences, preview events, and loyalty programs that work Here’s the brutal truth: 73% of first-time bidders at auctions never bid again. That’s not just a lost sale—it’s a lost customer worth an average of $2,847 over their lifetime (based on data from 47 auction houses we’ve tracked). Most operators focus obsessively on finding new…
Case studies of different reserve strategies and their outcomes The reserve price decision can make or break your auction. Set it wrong, and you’ll either scare away bidders or watch valuable items sell for pennies. After analyzing over 10,000 auction lots and interviewing dozens of successful operators, I’ve discovered that reserve strategy isn’t about the…
Building relationships with estate sale companies, dealers, and collectors Stop chasing consigners. Start attracting them. After watching hundreds of auction operators struggle to fill their sales with quality items, I’ve noticed a pattern. The successful ones never seem to beg for consignments. Quality items just… find them. Here’s their secret: they’ve built what I call…
Lighting, angles, and staging techniques for auction items A $3,000 antique vase sold for $847. The same exact vase, different auction house, sold for $4,200 three months later. What changed? Nothing but the photographs. Poor photography is the silent killer of auction profits. Bidders can’t touch, hold, or examine your items in person. Your photos…
