How to Find Auctions

Classified Ads.

At one time the local newspaper was the only place to find information on certain auctions.  The auction company or auctioneer would place an ad in the newspaper.  Usually this would be in the Sunday Classifieds.  (Wednesday might be another day for listings.)

The Internet has made newspaper advertising less common.  Web sites can be very inexpensive to run or even free in the case of blog sites.

Paying for advertising may be an unnecessary expense for may auction companies or auctioneers and you'll miss these auctions if you only pay attention to the local classifieds.

Auctions are still listed in the classifieds section making so it's still worth checking that section of the local newspaper.  Your local library should have a copy of the Sunday edition available for free. 

The newspaper may also have an online edition that includes ads for local auctions.


Legal Notices

Certain legal proceedings require giving interested parties legal notice before the proceedings can take place.  Usually this is done with a notice posted in the local newspaper.  The legal notices are usually in a different section than the classifieds. 

Legal notices may include bankruptcy proceedings, estate where there are no known heirs, property foreclosures and items sold to satisfy liens.  (The latter includes storage unit liens.)

The auctioneer or company handling the auction may also advertise the auction, but this is not required under law.


Auctioneers/Auction Houses

Auctioneers and Auction Houses have a vested interest in ensuring as many people as possible show up for an auction.  More people tending usually results in higher prices.  The auctioneer or auction house gets a percentage of each sale and higher prices means they earn more money.

Many auctioneers and auction houses have there own web site.  It can be an inexpensive business investment.  (I used to have a web site.  Shared hosting can be under $5 month.)  Upcoming auctions are listed on the site, often with photographs of items for sale. 

They may also have an email newsletter you can sign up for.  You just need to check your email for updates.

This does raise the question of how to find web sites for local auctioneers or auction houses.

Start with the yellow pages.  The yellow page ad may include a web address.  If it doesn't, perform an Internet Search for the auctioneer of auction house.  Limit it by location.


Online Auction Listings

I don't mean ebay.  I mean lists of auctions being held by an auctioneer or auction house.

There are web sites that list these auctions.  Some are limited to certain geographic locations.  Others cover the entire U.S. or even multiple countries.

Try an Internet Search combing a specific city with the term "auctions" or "action lists" or "auction listings".  (You don't need to include the quotes.)  For example: New Orleans auction listings should bring up web sites that list auctions in New Orleans.

Include the State if the city name is too common.

One of my favorite sites for listings is AuctionZip.  The site allows you to search for auctions within a certain distance of a specific zip code.  It also lists online auctions.  (Many of the online auctions include live streams of the auction for those that can't attend.)