Auction glossary
Telephone bid
Also known as · Phone bid · Telephone line
- Definition
- A bid placed live during the sale by a client on the phone with a member of the auction house's staff, who relays the client's bids to the auctioneer in real time.
Telephone bidding is booked in advance for specific lots, and the house assigns staff to call clients shortly before those lots come up. Many houses set a minimum estimate for phone lines and ask phone bidders to leave a cover bid in case the call fails.
In Selloff, phone bids are recorded against the bidder by lot number and summarised by session so the phone team can plan; bookings can be reassigned between staff. See our guide to running hybrid auctions.
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