How does one become an auctioneer?

[Angelfa Watkins]

Hello everyone!

I am considering becoming an auctioneer eventually(not now because I just came back from a long break from SL so I don't really know much about new traits yet and I'm not even sure my microphone is still functional ) and I was wondering what is usually the process to become one. Do Kittycats markets usually look for new auctioneers or do potential auctioneers have to seek out a market to work at?

Thanks

[Tad Carlucci]

Both, either.

I'd suggest, since you say you know little, that you attend a lot of auctions; see what works, and what does not; learn all you can about breeding and traits; and try to learn what sells and what does not.

To my mind, the mistake most auctioneers make is forgetting their job. An auctioneer is a seller's agent! Their job is to SELL the cat, at the best price possible. The best ones WORK at it, from finding sellers, to advertising the cats, to closing the sale; and learning each individual seller and potential purchaser. There's far more to being successful than simply setting up some tables and repeating 'Future Sale' every few minutes.

[Angelfa Watkins]

My knowledge of how breeding works is already very good(and analyzing pedigrees to find out what traits cats hide is a big pleasure of mine), I just need to get up to date on the traits. I want to take the time to get to know the community as well before I try to contact the markets, which I did not do much in the past because I was too busy.

Thank you for the suggestions(if anyone else has more for me, please tell me)! I don't want to rush anything, I'm just curious

[Aubreygrace Starlight]

Definitly go to auctions andmaybe talk to auctioneers too. Its always fun going to auctions and good luck with you endeavor!

[Vamps Cheeky]

The best advice I can give you about being an auctioneer is to always pick a time slot for your auction that nobody else has. (A lot of the drama in the KittyCatS market occurs when people have competing auctions at the same time.)

As far as where to auctioneer, ask around at different sims to see who has openings, look at the sim websites if they have them and pick where you'd like to auctioneer. Normally the auctioneer picks the market not the other way around. You can also check where they'd be putting your stage and see if that's a place you like or if you'd rather check another sim for a more desirable location. You may even get a say in how your location is set up (the theme or look).

Know your traits, familiarize yourself with the Saga charts or at least have them linked and open throughout the auction in case you need to reference them. It's also a good idea to preview all of the cats you'll be selling, write out the hiddens and opening bids in a notecard or a spreadsheet so that when you get to that panel you aren't scrambling to try to find hiddens on the fly.

Try not to set the prices for your patrons, no matter if they ask you or not. If someone wants to sell their cat and it isn't a super rare trait or collector they should be able to get a feel for the price range from visiting other auctions. It's always hard if someone asks you to price a cat and the price you give them future sales when you thought it would have sold.

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head. Good luck wherever you go and whenever you start up! It's always nice to have a fresh voice in the market!

[Tad Carlucci]

My feeling is that auctioneers SHOULD have a good idea of what things are presently selling for. And, if someone asks, they should help with pricing. The main thing, though, should not be to suggest an opening (minimum) bid, but to suggest that it may be too high and likely to not get any bids unless lowered; or far too low given the rarity, etc. To me, that goes hand-in-hand with being a seller's agent, which is what an auctioneer should behave as. If you're suggesting prices and getting a lot of 'future sales' perhaps it's time to go to some more auctions and see where you're going wrong.

[Angelfa Watkins]

I saw that there is an opening for an auctioneer assistant at The ScratchN Post and I applied. We'll see what happens with that If they think I'm not ready I just won't get the job and that's all. If I am, then I'll have some fun

Thank you all for your answers, they are very appreciated!

[DejaVuRain Resident]

Good Luck Angelfa! Look forward to seeing more of you