# OR bid

> An absentee bid placed on several lots with the instruction that the client wants to buy only one of them. Once one lot has been won, the remaining bids in the group no longer apply.

- URL: https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/or-bid
- Language: English
- Also known as: Either/or bid, Alternative bid
- Last updated: 2026-10-07
- Français: https://www.selloff.auction/fr/glossaire/ordre-d-achat-alternatif.md

## Definition

An absentee bid placed on several lots with the instruction that the client wants to buy only one of them. Once one lot has been won, the remaining bids in the group no longer apply.

OR bids suit collectors who want one example of an object offered several times in the same sale, such as the same coin in different grades. They need careful handling by the clerk, because the outcome of one lot changes the bids on the next.

In Selloff, OR bids are recorded in a dedicated section of the bidder's record.

## Related features

- [Absentee & phone bids](https://www.selloff.auction/features/bid-recording.md): Record absentee, phone and OR bids in the book, check them against your bid increments, confirm them to clients by email and print the bid book for the room.

## Related terms

- [Absentee bid](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/absentee-bid.md): A written instruction left with the auction house before the sale, authorising it to bid on a lot on a client's behalf up to a stated maximum. The auctioneer executes it as cheaply as competing bids and the reserve allow.
- [Auctioneer's book](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/auctioneers-book.md): The printed or on-screen list the auctioneer uses on the rostrum, showing for each lot the absentee bids and telephone bookings. It lets the auctioneer execute written bids fairly and in the right order.