Buying China at Auction: Welcome to the 126th Tablescape Thursday!

Hi Everyone!
Thanks so much for all your help yesterday with attempting to identify the large bird who stopped by my backyard for a visit.



Most folks thought he might be a Red-tailed Hawk, others thought he could be a Red-shouldered Hawk and another reader suggested he might be an immature Bald Eagle. I was surprised to see some of the images online for the immature Bald Eagles do look a lot like my backyard bird. Next time I catch him back for a visit, I'll try to get some even better pics. Maybe I'll catch him flying which would help further with identification.


Tablescape Thursday:
I'm excited tonight to share a fabulous guest post from Susan over at My Place to Yours. Susan is a seasoned bidder/buyer at auctions and this evening she is going to share all the secrets that the experts know about buying at auction. Have you ever attended an auction or thought about going to one? After this evening, you'll have the inside scoop and will be able to hold your own with the seasoned experts.

So, Susan...take it away! Can't wait to hear your strategy for buying at auction!


Guest Post by Susan from My Place to Yours:

Between Naps on the Porch readers are some of the most gracious and friendly people I've ever "met," and it's a pleasure to spend this Tablescape Thursday on the porch with you. Susan, thanks so much for the invitation!

Last week, I hope you read Susan's excellent post about how to decide the number of place settings of dishes to buy. If you missed it, you'll want to read it HERE. In it, she mentioned several sources where she's purchased her own dishes. Some were retail stores like T J Maxx, HomeGoods, and Big Lots. She also mentioned antique shops (where she found an entire set!), and of course, we can never forget thrift stores, eBay, and Etsy.

I've shopped -- and bought! -- at all of those places, too, and they are fantastic. But today, I'm sharing with you my very favorite source for tablescapes: AUCTIONS. (I recently wrote a post HERE about my earliest auction memories.)

Buying and selling vintage linens and collectibles has been part of "me" for years. In fact, I sometimes feel like the American author, David Atwood Wasson (1823-1887) who said, "I am but a gatherer and disposer of other men's stuff." And it's the gathering, especially at auction, that I especially enjoy! The tingle up my spine begins when I see a sign like this ...




If we stopped by my favorite local auction house, we'd see boxes of dishes ...






... and trays of glassware ... just waiting to be sold.




There would be vintage linens -- in boxes ...






All those pretties ... See anything you like? I should warn you. Before you get too excited and run out to your nearest auction, there are things you should know ...

Auctions come in many forms (English, Dutch, sealed-bid, silent, etc.), but by far the most common is the English auction. You may be familiar with it. An item is put up for auction, and interested individuals raise their hands to place bids stating how much they are willing to pay for the item. They continue to bid, raising their price, until only one participant is left. That person has the "high bid" and is the winner of the item. While there are certainly online auctions that use this style, today let's focus on the live, on-site auction experience. (Perhaps another day I'll post stories of other kinds of auctions I love -- like farm auctions and storage auctions and no-place-to-sit-down-all-day auctions. But today, we'll stay a little more civilized and use the term "auction house" -- although, quite honestly, the ones I attend regularly are very casual ...)

Let's say you know of an auction you wish to attend. Perhaps you saw it in the newspaper or found it using an online source like AuctionZip.com. Most likely there will be times listed for a Preview. If you've never been to an auction before, you definitely want to preview the items for sale. There's one thing you must understand before bidding at an auction: Caveat Emptor It's a Latin phrase meaning "let the buyer beware." It's your responsibility to look closely at the item before you bid -- because if you buy it and it's broken -- or not what you thought it was -- that's "tough luck" and you still get to pay for it. We call that a learning experience (and I've had my share through the years)!

So when previewing items, be sure to examine them closely -- then write down the lot numbers of all items in which you are interested. During the actual auction, the auctioneer will call out the lot number of the item up for bid so you can cross reference your list and make sure it's the one you want. Believe me. From a distance, two lots can easily look alike!





Cardinal Rule: if something catches your eye when it comes up for auction -- but you didn't look at it ahead of time -- don't bid! I've broken that rule more times than I care to admit, and invariably there's a chip, a crack ... something that renders it virtually worthless. So just keep your hand down and save yourself the disappointment.

VERY IMPORTANT: Besides asking questions about the items themselves, you need to read all posted signs -- or ask questions if you don't see any signs. Not all, but many auctions charge a buyer's premium, often 10%, which means that an additional percentage is added to your winning bid. For example, if you have the high bid on a large set of dishes, and you said you were willing to pay $100, an additional 10% ($10) is added to your bid. You now owe $110 plus any sales tax due. Also, not all auctions accept credit/debit cards so you'll want to be sure you know the accepted forms of payment. You should also know that some auctions that DO accept credit/debit cards also charge an additional percentage (3-5%) if you use a card. In that case, if you pay by cash or check, you're a lot better off.

So now you've previewed the items, asked the auction house owner all of your questions, and written down the lot numbers of everything in which you're interested. (Depending on the auction house, you may have received a glossy catalog with pictures -- think Sotheby's or Christie's -- or a printout of lot numbers with item descriptions -- or (very often) you may only receive something like this ...




On the day of the auction, I suggest going early so you'll have time to look around again. However, upon arriving, the first thing you need to do (if you didn't do it at the Preview) is register and get your bidder number. Without a bidder number, you can't purchase anything. If you've never registered at that auction house before, they'll ask for your name, address, phone number and perhaps drivers license number. If you're a business owner planning to resell whatever you purchase, you'll also want to provide them with your tax number so that your purchases will be tax-exempt.

One little word of advice: If you get a chance to speak with the auctioneer ahead of time, don't be shy about saying it's your first auction. If he sees you bidding on something, he's more likely to go a little slower -- or at least make sure you know what the bid amount is before finally saying, "Sold" -- in order to give you a chance to purchase it. After all, his goal is to get the highest bid possible.

Finally, it's almost time for the auction to begin. The auctioneer will explain the rules of bidding. For example, will some items have a reserve price? That means, if the seller can't get a particular amount for their item, they're not willing to sell. So even if you have the high bid, if it's not high enough to meet the reserve price, you won't win the item

Or, perhaps you're at an absolute auction where there are no reserve prices. In this style of auction, the auctioneer sets the opening bid and accepts whatever ending price he gets. (One hint: rarely ever does anyone bid the opening amount; let the auctioneer lower the amount before you jump in and start bidding!)

Before the sale begins, the auctioneer should also go over the accepted methods of payment and tell the crowd when their purchased items have to be picked up. (With the possible exception of large pieces of furniture or firearms, most items are expected to be removed from the premises at the end of the sale unless arrangements are made in advance.)




So settle into your seat. (It might be possible to reserve one ahead of time when you go to the Preview.) You may have a long day ahead of you, so you'd be wise to have a snack and something to drink with you (although sometimes concessions can be purchased onsite). Be sure your bidder number is handy, and have something to help you keep track of your purchases. I usually take a small notebook that ends up looking something like this ...




And just when you thought it never would, the auction begins! Things move fast, and it's a good idea -- if you've never been to an auction before -- to spend the first few minutes listening and observing. (Hopefully the item you want isn't the first one up for bids!) Watch how the lot numbers are called out just before the bidding begins. Let your ears get used to the fast-paced talk of the auctioneer. Feel your heart race and your palms sweat as "your item" gets closer to taking its turn in the spotlight

Now it's time ... your turn to bid. Everything is moving so quickly and you just want to shout, "Slow down!" Your heart is pounding in your ears so loudly that you can barely concentrate on what the auctioneer is saying ... and he's going so faaaasssst! But the bidding continues. (VERY IMPORTANT: If you are bidding, be absolutely certain that the auctioneer (or one of his staff) is making eye contact with you. It's very easy to think you're bidding when in reality they're taking the bid of the person right behind you -- or the person in front of you who's barely raising their hand. If you're uncertain, ask. Just say something like, "do you have me?") Eventually the auctioneer says, "SOLD for $__ to bidder number __." Is that you? Did you win? Sometimes you do ... sometimes you don't. Sometimes you pay more than you intended (best to know in advance what your top amount is and stick with it!) ... sometimes you wish you'd paid more ... sometimes you buy something and then wonder, "what was I thinking?" But sometimes ... oh, yeah, sometimes ... there's a big smile on your face and your insides are jumping with excitement (the nerves are now a thing of the past) and you realize YOU WON! That fantastic set of dishes, silver, antique desk -- whatever -- is going home with you!

So how will YOUR auction excursion play out? Will you return home empty-handed -- and consider it a day of cheap entertainment? Or will you load up your car -- and wash dishes 'til well after midnight? I've done both ... many times! Why don't I show you some real-life examples of things I've picked up at auction?

If you've visited my blog or have looked at My Place to Yours at Etsy, you may have seen some of these beauties before. Others are making their first appearance today. Most of them either have been, are, or will be listed in my shop, so if something catches your eye, just ask me!

Now ... Let's play in the dishes!

Everything in this photo came from an auction. Crystal, china, flatware, linens ... This was my debut tablescape -- celebrating the 100th week of tablescaping at Between Naps on the Porch. The china is Royal Sealy Garland.




Click to see entire tablescape

Jeannette Glass Thumbprint goblets ... Capodimonte-style footed shell centerpiece ...

One-of-a-kind pieces are especially nice for tablescapes!

Click to see entire tablescape

Cobalt salad plates and bowls ... always a collectible favorite!
Did you notice them earlier when we "stopped by" my local auction house?



Click to see entire tablescape


Versatile set of "every tablescaper needs one" white dishes ...




Cick to see entire tablescape

Haviland Limoges pink rose plates, pink Noritake Novus goblets (with original tags), Fostoria American sherbets, 19th century pearl handle knives. These and more on this table ... from auction.




Click to see entire tablescape

Clear glass chargers, Noritake Bluedawn china, crystal napkin rings, vintage salt cellars, linens ...




Click to see entire tablescape

Large set of Lenox Stanford - unused.




Click to see entire tablescape

Silver overlay plates ... 50+ pieces of Franciscan Platina china -- unused ...




Click to see entire tablescape

Noritake Toki Kaisha (unidentified pattern) -- twelve 7-pc. place settings plus serving pieces (90 pcs. total) -- unused ...




Haviland & Co ... 5 matching demitasse cup and saucer sets ...




Silver and silverplate ladles ...




1973 Holly Hobbie coffee set with 9 mugs ...




So what do you think? Are you ready to try your luck at an auction? If you have a little extra time, storage space, and stamina -- and some pocket change, of course -- you just might want to give it a try! Sure wish I could go with you ... but since I can't, I hope you'll stop by My Place to Yours and tell me how it goes!


Susan, thanks so much for all this fabulous info for bidding at auction. I definitely learned some great tips!

Looking forward to viewing your beautiful tablescapes for this Tablescape Thursday!



Please Read:
If you are participating in Tablescape Thursday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name. Then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top, into the "url" box for the picture linky. You'll also need to put your e-mail address in, but don't worry, it will not be visible to anyone.

You may see a red X once you enter your link. No one else can see the red X, it's just there in case you make a little mistake and need to delete your link and re-enter it.

If you'd like to use the Tablescape Thursday logo button in your post, just copy and paste it to your computer and upload it to your post as you would any photo. Or, just grab the html code you'll find under the "Join a Party" heading at the top of this blog.

Please, link back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch. This is important because it helps those who are visiting your blog, find the other wonderful tablescapes posted for this Tablescape Thursday, thus increasing visits for all participants.

Please, don't add your post name/blog name in ALL CAPS...it tends to create big spaces between the rows of links. Thanks!

Let's try something fun today! Please visit the person who linked before you and after you...that way everyone will get some visits. Hope you'll visit more, of course. :-)


Little Reminder: Thank-you for linking back to this post so the regular visitors to your blog will find all your fellow Blogger's posts linked here for this Tablescape Thursday. Don't forget to use your permalink. : )