On-line auctions on the Web, where bids can be made electronically, are not as common. Such sites are new and somewhat experimental, especially in the field of antiques, and most on-line auction sites that say they have antiques really have collectibles. An on-line auction is just an absentee auction with Internet communication augmenting or replacing mail and telephone communication, but the new medium introduces a number of difficulties. Before discussing the difficulties, let's look at a small sampling of on-line auction sites. The home page clearly identifies the firm and supplies a state auctioneer's license number.
Pictorial catalogs are available as separate Web pages.
Because of the graphics, these pages take a long time to download. Items are made available for several weeks. Bids are entered in a box next to the item in the on-line catalog and automatically sent via the Internet. Another box is available to view the bidding history of the item. On the posted closing date, the highest bid wins the item.