Traveling to St Lucia?: from a mattress manufacturer

Be the first to comment - What do you think? Posted by rab1501 - June 14, 2010 at 9:16 pm

Categories: Writing And Speaking Tags: Audience, Catchy Headline, Editors, Free Press Release Distribution, Free Websites, Marketing Plans, Marketing Tool, Newspapers, Online Marketing, Target Market

Can Auction House Owners and Auctioneers Buy and Sell at Their Own Auctions?

All auction houses are required to abide by the auction laws that are on the books in their particular state. There are no federal laws governing the auction business. Currently the NAA (the National Auctioneers Association) is working to develop a bill that will create uniformed auction regulations for all auctioneers and auction houses across the country.

Because there is a lack of federal involvement, it is difficult to answer specific questions about the auction industry because the answers to those questions are different depending on the location. An auction house in Ohio is subject to one set of laws while an auction house in Florida is subject to another set.

Surprisingly there are many states that do not have licensing requirements for auctioneers, twenty-one of them to be exact. Although auctioneers may not need a license, those states still have some sort of laws that oversee the auction companies that conduct business within their jurisdictions.

Most states recognize the need for auctioneers to sometimes bid for their consignors. Some consignors require a minimum bid, also called a reserve, before they will allow a particular item to be sold. Some auction houses do not accept reserves but many do. Although there are other ways for an auction house to handle reserve prices, having the auctioneer bid against the audience until the reserve price is met is the most common. Once the reserve price is met, the auctioneer must drop out of the bidding. At that point, only the audience can participate.

There are some auctions that announce reserve prices up front before they sell the items. No bidding by the auctioneer is required. This method is usually less effective. Expecting customers to bid the reserve amount right off the bat instead of starting out low and working their way up is rather naive. When reserve items are handled this way, more items pass than sell.

The downside to allowing auctioneers to bid for their consignors is that sometimes the less seasoned auction goers misconstrue the auctioneer’s intent. They end up thinking that an auctioneer is bidding against them because he wants the item for himself. What they don’t understand is that, in addition to bidding the reserves, an auctioneer is allowed to bid personally. He has a bidder number just like any other buyer. There is at least one exception to this and that is the state of Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, auction personnel are not allowed to bid. There may be one or two other states that are like this as well.

Although most states allow auctioneers to bid, they are not allowed to bid on their own items. Neither are auction house owners. The only reason either one would do this is because the merchandise is not bringing enough money. This is seriously frowned upon.

Auction owners and auctioneers are allowed to consign items to their own auctions. There are a number of auction houses in the country that do not take consignments at all. They own everything they sell. If a regulation to prohibit this were ever to be enacted it would put many auction houses out of business. Some houses could not afford to run strictly on commission.

These policies are expanded even further to encompass consignors. A large number of auctions do not permit consignors to bid on their own merchandise – same as with auctioneers and auction owners. If consignors are caught doing this in some auction houses, they are expelled from the premises.

Unfortunately, some auction customers will see something going on at an auction and inevitably jump to a wrong conclusion. They assume the auction house is doing something shady. It’s not that shady never happens, but the rule of thumb should be innocent until proven guilty. Sometimes it is members of the audience who are guilty – guilty of not understanding widely accepted operational procedures that are completely above board as well as legal.

Be the first to comment - What do you think? Posted by rab1501 - at 5:05 am

Categories: Shopping And Product Reviews Tags: Auction House, Auction Houses, Auction Industry, Auctioneer, Auctions, Audience, Bid, Books, Buy Sell, Federal Involvement

Mattress Advertising

Some mattress manufacturers advertise more heavily than others.

Most consumers are familiar with the Silentnight mattress and bed adverts – across all media – which use the animated Hippo and Duck characters to promote the support and comfort that their mattresses can give. How do you distinguish between what’s claimed in the adverts mattress manufacturers produce and what you actually get from the product?
Make up your own mind

All advertising is designed to encourage you to choose that particular brand or service when you come to buy. From washing up liquid to wireless technology, it’s all about what customers associate with the product and its name. If the associations are good and the name is memorable, consumers are more likely to look at that brand first and possibly to buy it without even trying any of the others. A good advertising campaign targets a particular audience, plays to their desires or fears and encourages them to buy.

As a mattress buyer, you need to have enough information to make up your own mind. Just because you’ve seen a particular brand advertised, it doesn’t necessarily follow that it’s the only brand, or the best brand. It may help you to learn a little more about mattresses and why they are important, but you still need to make up your own mind.
Do a little mattress research

If you see an advert from a mattress manufacturer, do a little research to see what else you can find. Visit the company’s website, find out which retailers stock their mattresses, learn more about construction methods and technologies and then look at other manufacturers as well. This allows you to compare materials, designs and prices so that you are fully informed before you go to a showroom or visit an online retailer.

Mattress advertising is useful because it lets manufacturers connect with their current and potential customers. It gives you the opportunity to see what’s available and it provides you with a starting point for your research so that when you need to buy a mattress, you have all the information you need.

Traveling to St Lucia?

Saturday, November 12, 2011

from a mattress manufacturer

Can Auction House Owners and Auctioneers Buy and Sell at Their Own Auctions?

Mattress Advertising

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