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auction

business
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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
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auction
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An auction of foreclosed houses, Palmdale, California, 2009.
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auction, the buying and selling of real and personal property through open public bidding. The traditional auction process involves a succession of increasing bids or offers by potential purchasers until the highest (and final) bid is accepted by the auctioneer (who is usually an agent of the seller). By contrast, in a so-called Dutch auction, the seller offers property at successively lower prices until one of his offers is accepted or until the price drops so low as to force the withdrawal of the offered property.

In any auction prospective buyers are usually permitted to examine the items for sale beforehand. The inspection period enables buyers to evaluate various lots, determine comparative grades or qualities, and arrive at a reasonable price to offer at auction time. Before the auction itself, the seller can set a “reserve”—i.e., a minimum price below which the property will not be sold. If bidding fails to meet the reserve, the auctioneer may withdraw the property without accepting the highest bid.

Auctions are an important part of selling operations in the agricultural markets of many countries, for they have traditionally provided a rapid and effective means of disposing of goods, especially perishable products. Aside from commodities and real estate, auctions historically served as a means for transferring ownership of slaves. There is evidence of slave auctions in the history of ancient Greece from as far back as the Homeric period. The practice persisted through the Roman Empire and into the early period of Christianity and was revived after the decline of serfdom in the late Middle Ages.

Internet auctions, first introduced in 1995, have transformed the way many goods are sold. On Web sites such as eBay, rare or obscure items, as well as ordinary or mundane ones, are auctioned to bidders who may be located anywhere in the world. The number of competing bids displayed on the site indicates the level of demand for an item. Bidding in most online auctions ends at a scheduled time, with the auction winner being the one whose bid is highest at that time. In many cases the winning bid is placed only seconds before the bidding is closed. At the end of a successful auction, the buyer and seller communicate—usually by e-mail—to arrange for payment and delivery of the goods.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.