Dummy? Moi?

How do you spot the dummy bidders?

You start by not going along with what the auctioneer wants you to go along with. Then treat this as a game. Enjoy yourself:

• Arrive 20 minutes before the auction and see whether any last minute instructions are being given by the auctioneer or agent.
• Ask the auctioneer (loudly) whether there are dummy bidders. If the answer is no, ask the vendor.
• Before the auction starts, just go ahead and ask people why they are here and whether they're dummy bidders. Watch for red faces.
• Most real bidders have someone along for moral support. Suspect the lonely; especially if they seem blase.
• Family photos on the mantelpiece? Are any of those faces among the bidders?
• Suspect close scrutinisers of contracts of sale. Genuine bidders usually do that well beforehand.
• Unfamiliar faces. You may have been looking at similar houses for months. In that time you learn to recognise most genuine bidders.
• Stand next to the auctioneer and face the crowd. Can you see the bids the auctioneer says are there? If not, ask the auctioneer to identify the bidder.
• Raise bids by unusual increments. If bidding is moving up in steps of $5,000, try raising by $2,800. See if they can do the math.
• Watch the auctioneer. Are bids coming after a collar is adjusted or a nose scratched? See if you can find a pattern.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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