About a third of auctions make the standard "children's" mistakes. And by the way, newcomers do not always

bidding works of art at the Russian sites is becoming more and more - and this process is welcome: the more public transactions more transparent and cleaner than the art market. Meanwhile, often at the first auction to the organizers of the first naparyvayutsya pitfalls, followed by stepping on a rake and then, having collected all the buds, get a dessert practice makes perfect. Serious preparatory work is often destroy the seemingly little things. According to the observations ARTinvestment.RU, about a third of auctions make the standard "children's" mistakes. And by the way, is not always newcomers. Perhaps they also did not hurt a view from outside. So we had the courage to give their recommendation for a comfortable trading based on the many hours spent in the auction hall as the attentive audience.

Let's start with the math, what is, perhaps, Readers accustomed to our review of auctions Russian. Hours of observation from the audience turned in our belief that a good auction platform consists of three basic elements - a collection of the auction (and everything connected with it), the organization of trades and the identity of the auctioneer - and a spark ...

first element: collection and everything connected with it

1. In compiling the collection, avoid imbalance. It so happens that interesting things are lost in the large "deserts" of illiquid stuff. When a row is not sold lots 10-15, the present in the room begin to think that something is wrong. Doubts arise even for experienced people. What can we say about the young collectors, and without that confidence deficit.

2. Do not give up on print catalog. Yes, some regular auctions in Russia ("Gelos", etc.) prefer not to publish a directory, and are limited to lots of online publication and concise printouts lots of rooms for participants. This allows them to not only save on orgraskhodah, but also to make changes to the directory at least in the last minute. However, this option is not suitable for everyone. In most cases the printed catalog is highly desirable. Especially for beginners auctions. Buyers so convenient.

3. The composition of the collection, and a printed catalog - this is odezhka , which met the organizers of the auction. Avoid errors of fact (and spelling). They come at all, but a high amount - a sure sign of sloppy preparatory work, which reduces the level of the auction. In the confusion of names, amounts, dates, competitions and then have to apologize for the lead. Not bad to have to remember that the most important thing in the catalog - functionality ; explain why the designer, the pictures and text in the catalog - this is not the material at hand to express the flight of his creative thought (when, for example, after clipping a reproduction of the top Auction bidding is deprived of a byline), but just the opposite; note on terminology: for example, monotype in the catalog should not be called a "fingerprint oils on paper", but it may think that the organizers onaya machinery is not known ... In short, make a catalog of audible, literate and easy to work - and the participants will write you a big plus.

4. Do not try to surprise the public with high starting prices. Bust may play a cruel joke - and starts like a Sotheby's (even if they comply with international fair price level), the audience will not go. On the contrary, a modest starting prices are able to arouse the appetite of potential buyers.

5. Before you can assign a date auction, ask not declared whether it is a different auction. If so, choose for themselves the other day. One of the easiest ways to take care of it - check with a special auction calendar ARTinvestment.RU . Otherwise, there is a risk of losing potential customers.

6. In advance take care of advertising the upcoming auction at specialized sites. Auctions held today, many, competition is high. The sooner the public learns about the contents of the directory, the higher the chance of making the correspondence rate. On top of advertising contributes to the attention of the press.

second element: the organization of trading

7. Do not skimp on venue. Location, comfortable chairs, air conditioning, lots of opportunity to display on your screen - all this is of paramount importance. If your room is not good, it's better to rent in a hotel, a good place with tea, coffee, juices and pastries is in the range of 100 thousand rubles.

8. Provide a well-coordinated work of managers in the room during the auction. In addition to leading the work, employees need clear of the auction, which show lots, sitting on the phone in time to serve numbered membership card to those who have forgotten their issue. Any organizational hitches provide the public a sense of "Sharashkina office».

third element: the auctioneer

9. Invite a professional auctioneer with a gleam in his eyes. Experimenting with the lead is not necessary, services of a professional auctioneer is quite accessible. Look at the man in action, check their qualifications, and then give him the authority - and it will squeeze out of the situation, all you can.

10. Your auctioneer should not:

- be boring. Boring a leading kill the mood in the hall - and then you can close the sale.

- read the title, author, year, and almost all of provenance - with quotations from letters and references to literature rather than In order to simply declare the lot number and the starting price. For business it is useless to others - painfully. You can emphasize the strengths of the lot, but very briefly.

- to persuade the audience to make a purchase. In that calculation? That someone has come up for auction by chance that sell - is not and he needs to think about? Repeatedly verified that if the public shows no interest in the lot, it is useless to take a theatrical pause and try to persuade people. Collectors and dealers are not susceptible to persuasion, they came for specific things;

- to be a clown. Keep in mind that most universal of the genre - a strict format, with a rare sense of humor. It is important to feel bound: you have to tactfully prevent extraneous conversations in the hall, to respond to the jokes, but not to get off the rhythm of the auction.

- to delay the auction time. It is noticed that the audience is most comfortable transfers only the first half hour of trading. Already a couple of hours people are noticeably tired. And if they Pomorie longer apply and the method of "boring lead," even the most loyal audience starts to boil.

11. Your auctioneer should be:

- radiate confidence and professionalism.

- have a pleasant tone of voice and good diction;

- create and maintain a steady rhythm of the auction.

- feel the room. This is a subtle point: take short breaks if someone needs to think whether to do the next bet, or need time to party for clarification on the phone, but it does not hinder the overall course of the auction. Keep in mind that the average size of a comfortable auction of art works (paintings, drawings, DPI) - is declared 150-200 lots. If the organizers have collected more, it's good to take a break (for some reason no one does). Afraid that the people run away from a break, do not. Random people, and so will leave, and motivated buyers will wait for what, for what came.

12. Provide sufficient authority and leading more independent. So he will, if necessary to resort to measures to increase the activity in the hall. For example, begins with the incredibly low start to listen to or accept the price offered by the buyer. Remember how great this technique uses Shishkin! It is clear that he is the owner and can not afford to tease the prices on their stuff. But the auctioneer hired should be given room to maneuver. You do not need a robot that can only pronounce doom and starts to fix the result?

13. Do not hold it to the auction itself, whatever the temptation. Yes, in the Russian practice has two owners of auction houses that can cool the nerve to conduct trades. That is, can give something to the gym for a knockdown price, or start with the ruble, to make public. But Shishkin and Tyukhtin - owners, capable of leading to compete with a professional - this is an exception.

... and a spark

When the stars come together and all components are connected correctly - there is a small spark from which a good auctioneer is able to inflate a huge flame: the hall begins to wind up! There is the same drive, which adds the members of adrenaline, makes them nervous, bargain, raise rates, they even interrupt themselves (as was recently in Moscow), to raise license card after the fall of the hammer, and finally, to require re-set for auction just unsold items - as it was six months ago in London for the sale of a collection of graphics by Alexander Benois, ending 100%the result of auctioneer and the award of Lord Poltimore honorary white gloves.

In conclusion it should be mentioned that even strict adherence to guidelines does not guarantee success. In practice, the first auctions (even the correct way) is often a failure to obtain financial standards. Sometimes that's all right: the catalog of good and prices are tempting, but the result is not very much. The explanation there is to it. For example, it would be a mistake to assume that the only motivation for visitors to auction - the hunt for profit. In addition to the result of many years work habits of buyers, home comfort of the walls, the luxury of communicating in a familiar circle. All this new auctions without a name, unfortunately, can not offer outright. But it can be acquired. You just need to adjust to a long and difficult job of building a range of customers. After the auction market is becoming tighter.

Babulin Constantine, Vladimir Bogdanov, AI