# Starting price

> The amount at which the auctioneer opens the bidding on a lot, or the minimum first bid accepted online. It is often set below the low estimate to encourage bidding.

- URL: https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/starting-price
- Language: English
- Also known as: Opening bid, Starting bid
- Last updated: 2026-10-07
- Français: https://www.selloff.auction/fr/glossaire/mise-a-prix.md

## Definition

The amount at which the auctioneer opens the bidding on a lot, or the minimum first bid accepted online. It is often set below the low estimate to encourage bidding.

Some houses print the starting price in the catalogue; others publish only the estimate. In fixed-price sales, the starting price is the selling price.

In Selloff, each lot has a starting price, and a sale-specific starting price can replace it when a lot is re-offered. Sales can be set to accept or refuse bids below the starting price when they arrive from online platforms.

## Related features

- [Estimates & reserves](https://www.selloff.auction/features/estimates-reserves.md): Record starting price, low and high estimates, reserve and printed estimate for every lot, adjust them in bulk, and keep the values used in each sale.

## Related terms

- [Reserve price](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/reserve-price.md): The confidential minimum price agreed between the consignor and the auction house, below which a lot will not be sold. If bidding does not reach the reserve, the lot is unsold (bought in).
- [Estimate (low and high)](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/estimate.md): The auction house's opinion of the likely hammer price of a lot, usually published as a range from a low to a high estimate. It is a guide for bidders, not a guaranteed price.
- [Bid increment](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/bid-increment.md): The minimum amount by which each new bid must exceed the previous one. Increments rise with the price and are defined in a table published in the conditions of sale.