HOW TO BID
IMPORTANT NOTE: Below you will find the rules from our last (Spring 2024) auction. We will be updating these soon to reflect the Summer sale, but the basic format has remained the same since Spring 2020.
1. AUCTION FORMAT: This is a remote-only auction. (Previewing items at our gallery is available by appointment--see #9 below).
2. AUCTION DATE: Bidding opens March 27 at 10am ET and closes April 5 at 9pm. The Final Phone Bid Session for the top four bidders on each lot that reaches a $5000 bid level will take place on Saturday, April 6, beginning at 10am. (See #7 below for details on the final phone bid session.)
3. HOW TO BID: Bids are accepted through the following methods:
• Online Bidding Platform: This is the preferred method of bidding.
If you've ever bid via our website, www.crockerfarm.com, you already have an account and are ready to go! Simply visit our online catalog (usually posted a few days before the auction begins) and log in where prompted. (If you have trouble logging in, please email us for help.)
If you're new to bidding through our website, visit our Registration Page. Signing up only takes a minute or two, and you will pick a username and password. Keep note of these login details; registering will log you in and you'll be all set to bid, but if you ever need to log in again, you'll need these.
Bidding through the website has been designed to be extremely easy and informative. Bids are executed in real time, and every bid you place will give you immediate feedback on your current bid status. Are you the current high bidder? What is the current bid level? These questions are immediately answered on the page, and you can check the current bid of any given item at any time, whether you're bidding on that item or not.
Whenever you leave a bid through the website, you will choose a maximum bid to which you authorize the software to bid competitively on your behalf. This can be as low as the current acceptable minimum bid, or as high as you want it to be. You can bid on any lot as many times as you want. Only the current high bid on a lot is visible to users of the website. Your maximum bid and identity are always a secret and are not divulged under any circumstances.
Here are a couple of screenshots from our Spring 2021 auction as examples of how this works:
In this example, the bidder has placed a maximum bid of $5000 on Lot 80. The page tells him that he's the high bidder, that the current bid is $3250, and gives him the option to increase his maximum bid if he'd like.
In this second example, the bidder is notified that he has been outbid on Lot 80. Another bidder has exceeded his $5000 maximum bid, coming in with a bid at the next possible increment, $5500. The first outbid bidder can now counter with a bid chosen from a list of preset acceptable bids, or click a link to manually key in a bid.
• Phone: Call (410) 472-2016 to leave a bid with an auction house partner.
• E-mail: Send an e-mail to info@crockerfarm.com with your name and maximum bid amount. An e-mail response will be sent confirming your bid.
4. ADDITIONAL BIDDING INFO / CLOSING RULES: In the event of a tie bid with another bidder, the bid received first will be executed. Bids are constantly updated on our website's online bidding platform. Bidders may also call (410) 472-2016 to inquire about current high bids. Any lots receiving new high internet bids within ten minutes of the 9pm closing time will be extended an additional ten minutes until there is no more bid activity. These final closing bids after 9pm are only accepted as internet bids. (Additionally, bids submitted by phone or email can only be accepted until 8:30pm the night of the auction close in order to give us time to execute them prior to 9pm; internet bidding, the preferred method of bidding, of course allows you to bid up until 9pm--and beyond, where applicable.)
5. BID INCREMENTS:
Under $500: $25.
$500 - $1000: $50.
$1000 - $3000: $100.
$3000 - $5000: $250.
$5000 - $10,000: $500.
$10,000 - $30,000: $1000.
$30,000 - $50,000: $2500.
$50,000 - $100,000: $5000.
$100,000-$300,000: $10,000.
$300,000-$500,000: $25,000
$500,000-$1,000,000: $50,000
$1,000,000+: $100,000
(What is a bid increment? Bids must fall on certain round numbers. For example, under $500, the bid increment is $25; thus, bids must fall on a number divisible by 25. $200 is an acceptable bid, $225 is an acceptable bid, $210 is not. Between $1000 and $3000, the bid increment is $100, so bids must fall on a number divisible by 100. $1100 is an acceptable bid, $1700 is an acceptable bid, $1750 is not.)
6. EXECUTION OF BIDS:
Your bid(s) will be executed competitively to the amount that gives you the high bid. For example, if an item's current high bid is $1000 and you bid $1800, your bid would be executed one increment above the high bid to $1100. It is entirely possible for you to win an item for less than your maximum bid.
7. FINAL PHONE BIDDING SESSION: The top four bidders on items with a bid amount of $5000 or more will receive a call back after the online auction closes to continue bidding until a winning bidder is determined. This happens during a phone bidding session beginning at 10am eastern on Saturday, April 6, and will transpire the same way it did in each of our previous online auctions: By order of lot number, we will proceed through the catalog and call the top four bidders on any lot that has reached the aforementioned $5000 bid level and complete the bidding, selling the lot. (Lots that have not reached a bid of $5000 by the online auction close on the evening of Friday, April 5, sell at that time.) In order to be considered a top four bidder on a particular lot, your last bid must be within 50% of the current high bid. In other words, if a lot has reached $6000 by the April 5 auction close, if the highest amount you have bid on that item up until that time is $2000, you will not be called on Saturday, April 6. If you've bid $3000 or more, you will be called. If you have any questions about this, please give us a call at 410-472-2016. (One final note: If you aren't available for phone bidding, simply place your highest maximum bid via the website interface before the auction close on Friday evening. That maximum bid will continue to be bid competitively on your behalf throughout the duration of the auction, including during the final phone bidding session.)
8. BUYER'S PREMIUM / AUCTION TERMS: Our buyer's premium is 20%. Payments made by credit card or PayPal are subject to a 3.5% surcharge on your total invoice (selling price plus buyer's premium). For all of our auction terms, please click here.
9. AUCTION PREVIEW: You can preview items at our gallery by appointment, beginning on Wednesday, March 27. Appointments are generally available 9am - 4pm, weekdays. Give us a call at (410) 472-2016 or shoot us an email.