Auctioneering school: Day 2

Today I sold a lectern and a chalkboard. So did everyone else in the class. (No one got to take it home with them this time, either.) It’s definitely a lot different once you get up in front of people with a microphone. (But the instructors also said that if the butterflies in the stomach go away, you should probably quit, because at that point you probably don’t care anymore.)

This was a supportive crowd. We all had fun through our common nervousness. Most of us missed a bid, forgot where we were, flubbed up the numbers, or just about choked on stage. Also, there were only two “bidders” in the crowd — the instructor and one other student — so it wasn’t quite so hectic keeping up with the bids.

Now real bidders with real money on the line will tell you in a hurry if you screw up, but we still have a couple of days to work out the kinks before getting on the block in front of the public.