Webcast Auctions
Webcast auctions are those with online bidders who bid against your in-house floor bidders during a live auction in real time.
Bidders attending your webcast auction have the option to click the Bid Live button that will be flashing on your catalog in order to bid on lots during the live sale.
Setup
Follow these steps to set up a webcast auction.
1. To set up multiple rings, click the Auction menu on the Auction Flex toolbar and select Auction Setup, click the Information button, and select the Ring Options tab. Here you can select how many rings will be in your sale and use the Add (green plus sign) button to add a range for each ring. You will then be able to enter the ring number for which you want to add a range, the number for the range to start with, and the number for the range to end with.
2. On the Auction Flex toolbar, click the Auction menu and select Upload Auction To HiBid. Click the Bidding button and select the Bid Increments tab. Use the Internet Bidding Type menu to set the auction as a webcast auction for upload.
Note that the Stagger and Soft Close buttons are disabled for webcast auctions.
By default, the bid cards that will be assigned to bidders will start at 7,000. You can change this number by clicking the Registration button, clicking the Settings tab, and adjusting the number.
3. After the auction is uploaded online, using your auctioneer login (for more information, view the Auctioneer Login help page) you can view and edit registrations, bid permissions, and bids; view lot stats and your catalog; or open the webcast.
4. On the auction page, click the Webcast button to open the webcast rings for bidders, set up audio/video, view webcast results, or view your auction’s pre-bids.
5. You will then have options to use for your webcast auction.
For more information about setting up audio and video, view the Webcast Auctions Audio & Video help page.
Ring Entry
Entering the ring will enable bidders to click the Bid Live button and allow you to start selling the items.
1. Click the Enter Ring button. You can press the Play button to resume your auction, and the next available lot will be displayed.
2. Enter the lot number you want to sell in the Lot # field and click the Open button. You can then view the item you are selling.
Sell A Webcast Item
This webcast screen will normally be run by someone other than the auctioneer relaying the floor bids online for the online bidders to see. Online bidders’ bid card numbers can be given to the clerk if an online bidder has won a lot so they can enter it into the program.
To set an asking amount for the online bidders to see, click any number in the New Asking area. Using the Move Up (plus sign) or Move Down (minus sign) buttons will move your increments upward or downward for more selections. Or, if needed, you can change the bid increments in the Bid Increments area.
To set a floor bid amount for online bidders to see, enter a number in the Asking area and click the Floor button, OR select a number from the New Floor Bid area. In this area, you will also find an option to make the floor bids less than the current bid if needed.
Using the Move Up (plus sign) or Move Down (minus sign) buttons will move your increments upward or downward for more selections, OR, if needed, you can change the bid increments in the Bid Increments area. The button can be used to jump a bid to a specific amount that you can enter; to allow the option to go to a lesser amount, check the Allow Floor Bid Less Than Current High Bid checkbox.
Once a number is clicked, it will display to online bidders that there is a new asking or new floor bid. If a floor bid outbids an online bidder, an on-screen notification will immediately be sent to the online bidder. If a new asking comes in after an online bidder has bid, the new amount will display on the bidder’s screen with an option to bid that amount or a higher amount.
The current bid will display at the top of the screen along with indication of whether there is any pre-bid or winning online buyer. If the floor is winning, it will read “Floor Winning” in the Winning area.
During the sale, you have the option of clicking the Pause button, which will pause the auction for the bidder as well as the person running the webcast auction.
Pausing will still allow you to chat with bidders if needed, and will continue whenever the person running the webcast screen presses the Play button.
Pressing the Reset Bidding button will cause all bids to reset on this lot.
Fair Warning
For lots that are being sold live in a webcast auction, there will be a Fair Warning button.
This button allows all online bidders to know that the lot is about to be sold or passed. When fair warning is in effect, any online bids that come in will be subject to the auctioneer’s decision (or that of the person handling the webcast screen) as to whether the online bid will be accepted. Options are Sold, Pass, or Accept Bid of a certain amount from an online bidder.
When a bidder places a bid online during fair warning, the bidder will receive the message indicating that the bid is currently pending and must be approved by the auctioneer.
For more information about messaging between webcast operators and online bidders, view the Webcast Auctions Messaging help page.