Sold!

SOLD! Your guide to buying and selling at auction.

Special Section December 6, 2015

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

OMAHA WORLD-HERALD

Owners have options when selling land

BY MIKE WHYE WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT

One way an owner of farmland can sell it is to put up a “For Sale” sign on a nearby road.

“If the landowner or the real estate agent puts up that sign and lists the property somewhere, it’s just a private listing,” said Ed Spencer, owner of Ed Spencer Real Estate & Auction Co. in Council Bluffs and Logan, Iowa.

Another way to sell land is through sealed bids submitted by interested buyers. The bids, due by a set date, usually go to the owner’s attorney.

When that day arrives, the bids are opened. Sometimes the highest bidder becomes the land’s new owner, but not always.

“Maybe the top five bidders are invited to the attorney’s office and given the opportunity to raise their bids,” Spencer said.

Spencer, who began his rapid-fire auction chants in the 1970s, said selling land through an auction is the most popular way to let go of one’s assets. He recently auctioned a tract of about 115 acres in western Iowa.

“It sold for more than $8,900 per acre to an out-of-state investor,” he said. “That’s a little over a million dollars.”

That price is around the top of the market in west-central Iowa, Spencer said.

In Sioux County north of Sioux City, the price per acre is in $12,000-to-$14,000 range, Spencer said.

“Not long ago it was bringing $15,000 to $18,000 an acre,” he said. “The prices are down a bit in the last two years.”

At land auctions, onlookers often outnumber bidders. That’s different from estate auctions, where many in the crowd are potential buyers.

“I think it’s safe to say 80 percent of the people who attend a land auction are probably spectators,” he said. “They come for the coffee and fodder so they have something for conversations in the coffee

R E B E C C A S . G R AT Z / T H E W O R L D - H E R A L D

Though sealed bids are sometimes used when selling land, auctions remain popular. Jack Nitz & Associates auctioned four tracts of farmland, 715 acres in all, during this 2013 sale at the Tekamah City Auditorium in Tekamah, Nebraska. shop the next week. As soon as I say ‘Sold’ at a land auction, the buzzing in the background starts.”

Selling land by auction establishes what auctioneers call its “true price discovery.”

“That means when the auctioneer says ‘Sold,’ the buyer has paid more than any other bidder did,” he said.

Just behind land auctions in popularity are auctions of acreages — homes with a

small tract of land.

“Sometimes that comes into play at a land auction,” Spencer said. “Sometimes as a farmer nears retirement, he sells the land but keeps the home and some land, maybe a 5-acre or 10-acre tract.” After acreages, homes are the most popular items to be auctioned, followed by personal property.

Spencer said fees charged by auction-

eers vary.

Household auctions may incur a fee of 15 to 25 percent. Big-ticket items at household auctions — such as cars — might be sold separately for a 5 percent commission. Though most land auctions have a 5 percent fee, some auctioneers, especially newer ones, may charge less to get started in the business.

Don’t forget to line up the money Buying land at auction?

Most bidders arrange financing in advance

BY MIKE WHYE WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT

In auctions of agricultural land, it’s understood that a lot of money is exchanged. Except on rare occasions when a buyer has enough cash to make an outright purchase, financial institutions are involved in some way.

A financial institution begins dealing with a land purchase when a potential buyer approaches it before an auction, said Ron Beach,

senior relationship manager at Rabo AgriFinance. The firm is the United States arm of the Netherlands-based RaboBank Group.

Beach said Rabo likes to have an existing relationship with someone who plans to participate in an auction.

“We want to be aligned with our clients, with their goals, their ambitions and their business plan,” he said.

If a potential land buyer does not have a relationship with a financial institution, the process to obtain a loan is more time-consuming. However, most land auctions are advertised 30 to 60 days ahead of time, Beach said.

“It’s important to get that (loan)

process started right away,” he said.

Analyzing the finances of a potential land buyer who does not have an existing relationship with a bank can take time. The bank will check the person’s repayment and credit history, and the individual’s background with using agricultural land.

The bank also will examine the farm, look at the income it can generate and calculate the repayment capacity of the landowner after the sale.

Some bidders don’t set up their finances before going to auctions.

“We still have people that call up and say, ‘Hey, I bought a farm this morning. Can I come in and meet

you?’ ” he said.

If the caller is someone who has had a long relationship with Rabo, things will be easier than for someone with no prior relationship with the bank.

“I’m not going to tell someone new, ‘Don’t call me because you didn’t call me ahead of time.’ ” In such cases, he does want a call.

“Make sure it’s the first call as soon as you sign the documents, and let’s get started on them today,” Beach said.

Payments for land don’t occur immediately at the end of the auction. Typically, the successful bidder pays 10 percent of the bid, then has a month or two to pay the balance.

SOLD!

YOUR GUIDE TO BUYING AND SELLING AT AUCTION. A special section produced by the Omaha World-Herald.

Special sections editor Shelley Larsen Content editor Howard K. Marcus Designer Kiley Cruse Copy editor Melinda Keenan Contributing writer/ photographer Mike Whye Advertising coordinator Liz Breci

OMAHA WORLD-HERALD

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

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Land buyers need to know about property beforehand

BY MIKE WHYE WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT

Mark Beacom of Auction Solutions Inc. said knowing what you want and being patient can be helpful when looking for good deals at auctions.

Going once...

Sales at auctions are final, but bidders can find deals

BY MIKE WHYE WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT

A first visit to an auction can be intimidating.

Someone on a raised platform is speaking rapidly into a microphone.

People roam through the crowd, calling out “Yip!,” “Yep!” or “Yo!” Going to an auction differs from shopping in a retail store or online.

For example, those who want to bid must register with the auctioneer and obtain a numbered bidding card.

Bidders also must respond almost as quickly as the auctioneer speaks.

“We sell 80 to 90 lots an hour,” said Mark Beacom, an auctioneer since 2003. He works for Auction Solutions Inc., which was found-

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ed by Shayne Fili.

“At an auction, 99.99 percent of the time, whatever you’re buying is only represented by what you see there,” Beacom said.

“No one knows the history of it. You have to, as a buyer, make a judgment of if you want to take the risk to buy it. Because once the auctioneer says ‘Sold,’ it’s a binding verbal contract for you to purchase that thing, regardless of what condition it’s in,” he said.

At a store, if a buyer doesn’t like a purchase, it can be returned for a refund. At an auction, a buyer cannot return an item.

Another difference is that at a store, shoppers pay the price on the price tag. At an auction, bidders decide how much to pay.

“They don’t have to pay any more than what they want,” Beacom said.

“There are always deals at auctions. It might not be what you’re looking for that day, but somebody’s going to get a deal,” he said. “If you have patience and you know what you want and you can wait for it, you can get what you want for a good deal.”

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Randy Dickhut, vice president in charge of real estate at Farmers National Company in Omaha, said the process of selling land begins like any other auction, with a seller.

Sometimes the seller is one person.

At other times many people may be involved, such as beneficiaries who want to sell inherited land for cash instead of dividing the land among themselves.

In most states, land sellers must contact a real estate broker and have a private sale or a public auction to determine what the market — through competitive bidding — will pay.

A broker should be able to advise a land owner about several things.

“A broker looks at what the market is doing, the trends of the land prices, who are the potential buyers in the area and how competitive the market is,” Dickhut said. “Typically, in Nebraska and other areas of the Midwest, an auction is the best way to determine the highest price that land will bring.”

With an auction, sellers have more control over when the land will be sold, when it will close, terms of the sale and some other items, he said.

Once those items are decided, word is put out that the land will be up for auction.

Beyond a broker, an auctioneer also is involved in the process.

“They could be one and the same or they could be different,” Dickhut said.

Employee-owned Farmers National Company has brokers and auctioneers.

Once Farmers is contracted to handle an auction, its employees work as a team leading up to the auction.

The Farmers team produces fliers promoting the auction and posts information on its website.

“Ads are put in the newspapers,” Dickhut said.

Though machinery auctions typically are held outside, Dickhut said a growing number are moving online so bidders can watch from a comfortable place.

Buyers need to learn as much as possible about the land being auctioned, Dickhut said. Facts to know include the soil types, soil productivity, expected yields, expected rents, real estate taxes and expenses of ownership. Potential buyers also need to know what they’re willing to spend.

Buyers who are not planning to pay cash need to arrange financing beforehand.

“We have seen people get in trouble where they haven’t done that,“ Dickhut said. “One needs to go a lender to find out what type of financing one will need to have and learn what the spending limit is.”

Dickhut said land auctions last from 15 minutes to four hours, depending on the number of tracts for sale, how many acres are involved and how aggressive bidders are.

Something to keep in mind is that sellers may have an undisclosed reserve — a price unknown to bidders but that must be exceeded for the sale to happen.

If an undisclosed reserve results in a no-sale, Dickhut said the broker may negotiate with the owner and bidders who expressed interest to reach agreement on a price that works for the seller and a bidder.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

OMAHA WORLD-HERALD

Vehicle auctioneer keeps things rolling

BY MIKE WHYE WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT

In what used to be the service bay of an auto dealership near 85th Street and Military Avenue in Omaha, auctioneer John Maslonka watched one of his drivers ease a green 2004 Ford Escape to a stop in front of a raised platform where he sat at a desk.

Maslonka, who turned the buildings and grounds of the former dealership into his HammerDown Auctions a few years ago, saw about 100 people sitting on aluminum bleachers on the opposite side of the SUV. He started the bidding at $2,000, but got no takers.

The same for $1,500. Finally, his suggestion of $1,000 started some activity. One man nodded that he would John bid $1,000. Another held up Maslonka his numbered bidding card when Maslonka asked for $1,100. Then one of Maslonka’s helpers shouted when he saw a bidder that Maslonka hadn’t seen. The bid was now at $1,200, less than half a minute after Maslonka had begun his rapid-fire auctioneer chant. Someone held up a hand and wagged his index finger — $1,300.

“Fourteen?” said Maslonka, searching for anyone willing to bid $1,400. Nope. He glanced at a computer monitor to see if anyone was bidding online. No bids there, either.

“Fourteen? Fourteen?” he said into the microphone he held in his right hand while he pointed to the top bidder with his left.

“Thirteen it is,” said Maslonka, who asked to see the winner’s bidding card.

The driver of the Escape drove it out of the building into the sunlight as a 1999 Chevrolet Express replaced it in front of Maslonka’s perch.

Two aides flanked Maslonka, one to record who had bid how much for what vehicle, and the other to watch for online bidders on Proxibid, an Omaha firm that provides a way for those not at an auction to place bids. After describing the features of the Express, Maslonka started another round of bidding.

“We run between 60 to 125 cars through here every other Saturday,” Maslonka said before the auction began.

His staff puts the vehicles on the lot out-

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John Maslonka, owner of HammerDown Auctions, watches a car come to a stop so he can inform potential bidders about it. Maslonka, in the white T-shirt, stands between helpers writing down information about successful bidders and watching for bids that come through the Internet. Big TV screens show what online bidders are seeing and bidding. side the building, and the public is invited to inspect the vehicles between 5 and 7 p.m. the Friday before an auction.

Interested potential bidders can bring floor jacks so they can look under the vehicles. They also can bring mechanics to give opinions or plug in diagnostic scanners to examine a vehicle’s systems.

Potential bidders can test-start — but not drive — the vehicles on Saturday mornings until 30 minutes before the auction begins at 10 a.m.

Sellers are a mixed bag, Maslonka said.

They include individuals, wholesalers, dealerships, repossession firms, estates and law-enforcement agencies.

The vehicle mix is varied: semi-tractor trailer trucks, dump trucks, tractors, fourwheel drives, trailers, snowmobiles, boats, four-wheelers, campers and motorcycles.

Maslonka, who has been involved with auctions for 33 years, said cars make up most of the sales. He also handles classic cars and classic tractors in special auctions.

Instead of operating as many auctioneers do — earning a percentage of the winning bids — HammerDown has a fee that changes with the final sale price.

For example, if a car sells for $2,500, HammerDown earns $145. If the high bid is $11,000, HammerDown collects $230.

When a vehicle arrives for auction, HammerDown employees examine it to

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“We share everything we know about the cars,” said Maslonka, adding that most of the cars are sold as is. Some winning bidders buy a plan from Auto Service Company, which arranges for HammerDown to inspect a vehicle and issue a 3,000-mile/ three-month warranty on a vehicle’s major components.

Maslonka said parents of young drivers often come to his auctions for “back-toschool” cars.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Auctioneers often help charity events

BY MIKE WHYE WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT

Though auctioneers expect to earn money from commissions or fees when they sell things, sometimes they help others for little or no fee by raising money for charities.

When Bethlehem House — a South Omaha home for women who have nowhere else to go — held its first fundraising auction in 2012, it was a silent auction. Potential buyers wrote their bids on a piece of paper next to each item in the auction.

“For the last three years we held (the auction) within our annual fundraiser, which we call our Fall Ball,” said Mary Crosby, executive director of Bethlehem House.

She said the organization added a live auction to the Fall Ball in 2014 and had another one at this year’s event.

When dividing items between the silent and live auctions, which are held the same evening, Crosby relies on more than 50 volunteers to decide how items will be auctioned.

“When they’re looking at items for the live auctions, they’re looking at price points and organizing them in a thoughtful way so that when they’re presented over the course of the night, they keep people engaged and excited throughout the auction,” Crosby said. The silent auction runs first, with winners announced before the live auction begins.

“This might motivate more people to participate more in the live auction if they didn’t win in the silent auction,” she said.

At this year’s live auction, bidders competed for wine packages, a golf outing, a jewelry store gift certificate, five-day trips to Arizona and the California wine country, and tickets to Cornhusker football games, a Chicago Cubs baseball game and a game at the 2016 College World Series.

Crosby said that although other nonprof-

H O WA R D K . M A R C U S / T H E W O R L D - H E R A L D

Ed Spencer, left, and Luke Spencer of Ed Spencer Real Estate & Auction Co. conducted the live auction during the Bethlehem House Fall Ball fundraiser Oct. 3 at Hilton Omaha. its are going to online auctions, the Bethlehem House auctions aren’t large enough to do that. She said the fees incurred when using online auctions were also a deterrent.

This year’s live auction lasted about 20 minutes, during which the auctioneers sold 13 items.

“The auctioneers we had this year brought a certain sense of fun to the event,” Crosby said. “They had the cowboy niche, and even if you weren’t participating, they brought enthusiasm to the event.”

Luke Spencer of Ed Spencer Real Estate & Auction Co. of Council Bluffs and Logan, Iowa, was the lead auctioneer at the Bethlehem House auction. Handling the auc-

tion at Bethlehem House was a “high-class affair,” said Spencer, who was aided by his father, company founder Ed Spencer. Both men dressed in western-style clothing and hats.

“We probably do a dozen charity auctions a year,” Luke Spencer said.

“Some auctioneers charge a commission for charity auctions, but we haven’t done that.”

Spencer, who as a child followed his father to auctions, has been an auctioneer for 11 years.

“We’ve never turned down a charity auction. They’re pretty fun. You get people to bid, and no one’s in a hurry,” he said.

“Charity auctions are just part of our business, and we don’t consider them work.”

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Auction glossary Absolute auction — An auction where the property is sold to the highest qualified bidder with no limiting conditions or amount.

The seller may not bid personally or through an agent. Also known as an “auction without reserve.”

Auction With Reserve — An auction in which the seller or his agent reserves the right to accept or decline any and all bids. A minimum acceptable price may or may not be disclosed and the seller reserves the right to accept or decline any bid within a specified time.

Bidder’s Choice — A method of sale whereby the successful high bidder wins the right to choose an asset or assets from a grouping of similar or like-kind assets.

After the high bidder’s selection, the asset is deleted from the group, and the second round of bidding commences, with the high bidder in round two choosing an asset, which is then deleted from the group and so on, until all assets are sold. Also known as “Buyer’s Choice.”

Conditions of Sale — The legal terms that govern the conduct of an auction, including acceptable methods of payment, terms, buyer’s premiums, possession, reserves and any other limiting factors of an auction.

Usually included in published advertisements or announced by the auctioneer prior to the start of the auction. Also known as “Terms & Conditions.”

Hammer Price — Price established by the highest bidder and acknowledged by the auctioneer before dropping the hammer or gavel.

Minimum Bid Auction — An auction in which the auctioneer will accept bids at or above a disclosed price. The minimum price is always stated in the brochure and advertisements and is announced at the auctions.

No-Sale Fee — A charge paid by the owner of property offered at a reserve auction when the property does not sell.

Withdrawal — Failure to reach the reserve price or insufficient bidding.

— National Auctioneers Association

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

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Attracting crowd is essential to success Professional auctioneers concentrate on marketing and advertising to generate interest An auctioneer’s role goes beyond the entertaining chant.

Auctioneers excel in marketing and advertising, and the primary role of an auction professional is to develop a marketing campaign to promote the sale of clients’ assets and attract bidders to auctions.

Members of the Nebraska Auctioneers Association, or NeAA, are committed to a professional code of ethics. They have made a commitment to their clients, customers and the public that extends beyond laws and regulations.

NeAA members accept the obligation to conduct themselves and their businesses in a way that serves the public interest, protects the public trust and furthers the goals of their profession.

Through educational seminars and training, NeAA members keep current on effective marketing trends, technology and best practices.

Here are some tips on hiring an auctioneer. » Interview potential candidates to handle your sale. Ask questions about strategies that will be used to market your assets. Depending on the size and type of your sale, you will be working closely with the auctioneer and will want to have a good relationship. » If your property is unique, ask questions about other sales the auctioneer has conducted selling similar items and about the auctioneer’s ability to attract buyers. » You also may want to ask for referenc-

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An auctioneer’s job goes beyond selling antiques and collectibles to bidders such as these at the Omaha Auction Center. es and follow up to learn about the experiences of previous clients. » After identifying one or more auction professionals that might fit your needs, attend a few auctions. You will have an opportunity to see how the company operates.

» As with any business transaction, a contract is important for your protection.

The document will spell out what services the auction firm will provide and how it will be reimbursed. » Be sure you read and understand

the contract terms. Ask questions about anything that is unclear. You also may want to have a legal expert review the contract.

— Nebraska Auctioneers Association and National Auctioneers Association

Association names award winners Kyle Layman of North Platte was named champion during the Annual Auctioneer State Championship held in Grand Island in September.

Layman won a belt buckle and will represent Nebraska at the 2016 International Auctioneers Championships in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Nebraska Auctioneers Association conducted the competition — a live auction at the Nebraska State Fair.

Reserve Champion was Adam Marshall of Adam Marshall Auctioneers, Elm Creek.

Runner-up was Curtis Wetovick of CW Auction, Fullerton. Michaela Mapes of The Auction Mill won the Rookie Award.

Among criteria used to judge champion

award entrants were a personal interview, along with the competitors’ body language, chant, presentation and voice quality.

The other finalists were Si Harbottle of AmeriTex Auctions in Bryan, Texas; Ben Hoepker of Ericson & Spaulding Livestock Market in Ericson; Scott Jarman of The Auction Mill in Cedar Bluffs; Mark Kliewer of Kliewer Auction Service in Kearney; Josh Larson of JML Auction in Haxton, Colorado; and Courtney Mensik of Jack Nitz & Associates in Fremont, Nebraska.

Harbottle won the Jon Moravec Memorial Ringman Award. Competitors were judged on audience observation, communication with the auctioneer, enthusiasm and presentation.

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Nebraska Auctioneers Association award winners, from left: Kyle Layman, champion; Adam Marshall, reserve champion; Curtis Wetovick, runner-up; Michaela Mapes, rookie award; and Si Harbottle, Jon Moravec Memorial Ringman Award.

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Online bidding broadens reach

BY MIKE WHYE

WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT

Having spent 33 years as an auctioneer after learning the trade from his parents, Jay Nitz knows how to describe auctions.

“An auction is a form of doing business of selling people’s assets to others through a live bid chant in most cases,” he said.

“It’s a strict business transaction.”

For sellers, an auction is a quick, efficient way of selling assets that aren’t needed or wanted. For buyers, an auction is about purchasing the previously enjoyed items of others by bidding for what they want.

Though the public may think that all the action at an auction happens during the sale, 80 percent of the work happens ahead of the auction, Nitz said.

“We have to gather the information from the sellers on what they want to sell, then photograph the personal property or a home or land or whatever. We want as many photos of those assets as we can, especially in today’s market where we can utilize the Internet so efficiently and effectively,” he said.

“When we build a page on the website for someone who’s going to have an auction, we can put thousands upon thousands of photographs on that website so that people can really, genuinely see what they’re buying,” Nitz said.

Founded in 1962 in Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska, by Jack and Delores Nitz, Jack Nitz & Associates has kept up with the times. Now in Fremont, Nebraska, it partners with Proxibid, an Omaha company, to provide the online portion of its auctions.

“I’m an auction purist,” Nitz said. “Traditionally, there’s a bid-calling auctioneer in charge of the auction. In my experiences over the last 33 years, the best way to get the most money for any person’s assets is a marriage of a live auction in conjunction with the online capabilities where you have the live auction going at the same time people are bidding on the auction through the Internet through a platform like Proxibid.”

The Internet provides a broad means to reach potential buyers.

“We have sold equipment to people in Saudi Arabia, all over Europe, Australia, South America, Central America and Mexico, Canada and all over the United States,” Nitz said.

Data supplied to Nitz & Associates by Proxibid after an auction shows the participation of online bidders and the “price drive” — how much the online participation drove up the value of the auction.

“At the bare minimum, it’s an additional 5 percent,” Nitz said. “I’ve seen it up to 25 percent.”

That increase in sales means a lot to sellers, who want as much money as they can get for what they’re selling.

In many cases, that additional money can cover the auctioneer’s commission and the advertising expenses, and it can put more net dollars in a seller’s pocket than he or she might have expected. “This is a fascinating business, because you get to meet so many people,” Nitz said. “Every day is a new adventure. You get to sell so many neat things.”

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Internet adds to activity

BY MIKE WHYE WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT

For centuries, auctions have been pretty much the same — people bidding competitively for some item, with one person calling out the action.

That began changing in the 1980s, when operators of some computer bulletin boards began holding rudimentary auctions.

The trend continued with the advent of the World Wide Web, with websites offerallows live auctions on eBay. Nichols ing auctions where bidders have until a said eBay will carry Proxibid listings, certain date and time to submit bids. exposing them to eBay’s 165 million Online bidding also can run simultaglobal buyers. neously with live auctions. In 2001, Joe Proxibid can attach up to 100 images Petsick, Ken Maxwell and Andy Liakos of an item and list a seller’s documents were among those who started Proxibid to prove an item’s history, such as a $4.8 Inc. in Omaha to bring potential buyers million car that has papers showing it was into live auctions via the Web. in the 24-hour race in Le Mans, France.

“The founders felt like there was For sellers, using the Internet allows opportunity with the Internet to change digital marketing and awareness to atthe lives of the auctioneering community, tract buyers. which was highly localized,” said Greg Proxibid allows people to go to proxiNichols, senior vice president and chief bid.com to see items that will be up for technology officer of Proxibid. “The auction and to view live auctions. To bid, premise was that to get the best price for though, one must register online with everything, you need more buyers.”

Proxibid.

The challenge for Proxibid was that The current price of an item is shown, the auction community wasn’t eager for as is the price of the next bid. change.

To bid online during a live auction, the “But we worked through those issues,” bidder clicks a bid button. The auctionhe said. eer sees the bid immediately and tells Many of the early auctions that used everyone at the auction what the new Proxibid were of heavy construction high bid is. equipment.

“A lot of used equipment goes through auctions,” Nichols said. “A construction company will tend to buy for a project and then sell it when done.”

Proxibid, which now has 150 emRyan & Mary Welton ployees, works with auctioneers to Appraisals, Farm & Estate, Business Liquidation, sell everything imaginable — fine art, Antiques/Collectibles, Real Estate, Guns, Coins rare coins, gold bars, silver bars, stage 2154 County Road 22 Phone 402-663-5270 lights, collector cars, $2.5 million facto- Malmo, NE 68040-4011 Cell 402-443-8933 ries and even military artifacts such as E-mail: welton@nntc.net www.weltonauction.com an 1883 Gatling gun.

“We run about 1,200 auctions a month,” Nichols said. “Saturday is typically our largest day.”

Dedicated to providing the highest Besides working with live and timed quality service to our clients since auctions, Proxibid offers individual-item listings that are more buy-now 1947! or make-an-offer style.

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Warren Buffett donated this 2006 Cadillac DTS to Girls Inc., which auctioned it through Proxibid in March. The $122,500 raised went to the charity. Proxibid works with auctioneers to increase the number of bidders who participate in auctions.

Proxibid can have an employee help an auctioneer at an auction site, or the auction company can have someone watch the online bids.

One advantage of an online-only auction is that sellers can have anonymity if they wish, said Shayne Fili, owner of Auction Solutions Inc. “They may not want people driving by, making the neighbors nervous,” she said. Only at the end are winning bidders told where the items are and when to pick them up.

“Online bidding really opens your auction to not just your community but to the world,” said Fili, who was president of the Nebraska Auctioneers Association last year.

When a faraway person wins the bidding for an item, Fili said her firm can refer the bidder to shippers to transport the item where the bidder wants.

“The buyer’s responsible for shipping.

If you buy it online, it’s yours, you paid for it,” she said. “We don’t want it here.”

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