Get great deals — auction tips for a move

Whenever we move, it’s inevitable for us to need more stuff to furnish our new home. It’s also quite probable that we’ll need to get rid of old unwanted items before we start moving. There are many possible solutions, some of which we’ve covered before in this blog. For example, you can dispose of your items by bringing your stuff to a landfill. And while that may be a fine option, the one downside is that you don’t get any cash out of it.  Auctioning furniture can be a great way to find some great stuff for your new home. It can also help you score a few — or a lot of — dollars along the way, if you’re selling something. So let’s get started.

First, auction tips for a move if you want to buy something

Now that you’ve moved into your new home, what are you looking for? Do you want antiques to add zest to the place? Maybe you can try an antique auction house like this. We’ve also touched on antiquing a little bit on this blog, and you might want to check it out. Maybe you’re looking for some weird equipment from the government? Well, there’s an auction house for that too. Police auctions have also been known to turn up some interesting finds as well.

One note though — please keep in mind these links are just examples of what you can find out there, not endorsements of companies.

Finally, before you set foot in an auction house, you would do well to have studied up a little first. There is an entire field of study called auction psychology. It’s way too complicated to cover in this blog post, but we suggest you start reading about it. There’s a good chance you may find some useful tips for besting fellow bidders.

Some handy auction tips for a move if you want to sell stuff

If you want to sell items to an auctioning business, we suggest doing research on which place best suits your needs. Many businesses focus on specific types of items, so it would be a good idea to identify which companies work with the product you want to sell before approaching dealers. For example if you want to sell old furniture, find an auction house with that speciality. However, since just about everything can be done online nowadays, we’d suggest you try the Internet if you can’t find a business that suits your needs. About.com has a handy list of auction sites that allow you to both buy and sell just about whatever you want.

Once you pick the site best for selling stuff you don’t want to take on your move, it would probably be wise to research the best practices for online auctioning. The Kellogg School of Management has two pretty simple, but practical insights that we’d like to quickly touch on.

1. Set the bar low — researchers in the above article found that stuff with lower starting prices ended up selling for a higher price than products with higher starting prices. Apparently, people tend to place more bids on an item with a lower price. This gets them committed to the item, so they will tend to keep bidding as the price escalates.

2. Spell correctly, right down to the letter — don’t rely on auction sites to correct your mistakes in the search bar. If it’s not spelled right, people often can’t find it, and if they can’t find it, no one will be buying. Even a minor mistake like a dropped letter or apostrophe can be costly. For example, spelling Tim Horton’s like Tim Hortons.

Make furniture moving arrangements

Remember to figure out your furniture moving arrangements for the auction if you plan on buying or selling anything big. As Vancouver’s longest running moving company, we’ve picked up a few helpful tips for new movers. And we have plenty of experience moving things bought at auctions in Metro Vancouver, so we’d be happy to help you out or at least give some advice.

Vancouver Movers Guide, by Ferguson Moving & Storage

 This blog is where we share our wisdom, tips, and other helpful bits for new movers in the greater Vancouver area.

Whether you’re moving within Vancouver or relocating from abroad, for all your moving and storage needs, contact Ferguson Moving and Storage at 604-922-2212 and find out more about us online!