12 Tips to Buying at Auctions - How to Get the Best Deal

Auctions can be great fun to attend. You can get in on the bidding or just watch the action. But, before you start bidding, make sure you know how to get the best buy. Keep these tips in mind at your next auction.

1. Start By Observing

One of the best ways to learn is by observation. Attend a couple of auctions with the intention to simply watch and learn. You'll get the feel for how things work and be prepared to avoid costly mistakes.

2. Attend the Preview

The preview can be held a few days before the auction or just a few hours before the auction begins. It is open to the public and free of charge. This is your chance to look items over thoroughly and to get up close to see any damage or problems with an item.

3. Be Prepared

Know what you are looking at. Here's where reference books and price guides and the internet come in handy. Doing the legwork before hand, increases the likelihood that you will pay a fair price at auction. Not doing so, can lead to disaster.

4. Learn the Terminology

There are a few terms that you need to understand so that you get the best buy at an auction.

· Pre-sale estimate - The auction house bases this price on their past experience. It the price they expect the item to sell for.

· Provenance - It is the history of the piece detailing past owners. This information is not always available, but it can be a juicy tidbit depending on the owner.

· Start Price - This is the price at which the auction will begin.

· Reserve Price - This is a pre-set amount that the seller has agreed is the lowest amount he/she will accept. Not all items will have a reserve.
Keep in mind items with no reserve will sell even if there is only one bid at the start price. When bidding on items with no reserve, if you win, you pay.

On the other hand, items with a reserve will only sell if the reserve price has been met. You'll find out if the reserve has been met, after the bidding is completed. The reserve price is not disclosed at the close of bidding.

· As-Is - Just as it sounds, as-is means the items is selling in the condition that is currently in. It likely means that the item is a fixer-upper or needs work in some way.

· Hammer Price - This is the price that the item sells for when the gavel comes down.

· Conditions of Sale - This refers to the terms and conditions of the sale including any warranties, special instructions etc.

· Lots - There are two meanings for lot at an auction. First, all items up for auction are assigned a number. This is referred to in the catalogue and described by the auctioneer as a lot. Second, a number of small items such as a collection of costume jewelry can be grouped together and sold as a lump sum. This, too, is referred to as a lot.

· Absentee Bid - Bidders do not have to physically be in the auction house at the time of the auction to bid. Bids can be placed by phone, fax or online. Arrangements must be made before hand to place an absentee bid.

5. Read the Auction Catalogue

Get the auction catalogue and read it thoroughly. It will list the lots in selling order. The catalogue may be a hard copy or available online.

6. Register For Auction

To bid at an auction, you need to register before the auction begins. You give your name, address and phone number and may be required to make a deposit. In return, you receive a bidding number. This helps the auction house keep track of who won what item.

7. Stay Cool Once the Bidding Begins

Before the bidding begins, decide want to bid on and what you want to pay for it. Stick to your plan. I'll say it again - stick with your plan. Don't get into a bidding war. You may be sorry if buyer's remorse kicks in.

8. Know About Additional Costs

Often auction houses charge a buyer's premium. It is an additional surcharge that the auction house adds to the hammer price, taxes are calculated after these two are added.

9. After-Sale Bid

If a lot doesn't sell, ask if the auction accepts after-sale bids (a reasonable offer that a bidder makes after the auction closes for an item that did not sell). Some auction houses allow it.

10. Find Out About Payment And Shipping

Make sure you know before hand what forms of payment are accepted. If your purchase is big, have a plan for how you'll get it home. Auction houses will hold on to your item while you arrange for moving it. But storage fees may be charge.

11. Attend Midweek Sales

Midweek sales can be less crowded than weekend sales. Less competition may lead to better deals.

12. Attend A Variety of Auctions

Don't discount an auction that is not geared to your area of interest. An office furniture auction will likely have computers, filing cabinets and basic office furniture but there may be the odd piece of antique furniture. You'll find this out at the preview. At this office furniture auction, most attendees will be seeking the computers and filing cabinets. There may not be as many attendees interested in the antique furniture. So, you may come away with a great deal.

Martin Swinton does antique appraisals and estate sales in Toronto, Canada. He has worked at an auction house, furniture restoration company and for ten years owned an antique shop. He does caning, cording and rushing repairs, teaches courses on antiques and appears at community events. He can be reached by visiting http://www.takeaboo.wordpress.com

Choosing A Cot

Newborns spend most of their time sleeping, sometimes as long as twenty hours a day, so choosing the right cot is an extremely important decision. Cots are available in many styles and designs, making it easy to find just the right color to match your baby's nursery furniture. Most infant cots have sides that drop down to make it easier to pick up your baby and some models will grow with your child, transforming into a toddler bed when your child outgrows the cot.

Your baby's cot should meet the current infant bedding safety standards. Ensure that the cot is deep enough to hold your baby safely. The sides should be at least 500mm higher than the mattress when it is in its lowest position. The bars should be at least 45mm apart to prevent your baby's arms and legs from becoming trapped between them, but no more than 65mm apart so her head will not slip through.

Make sure every component of your cot is sturdy and firmly attached. Check the bars, the mattress base, and the drop sides, as well as any other panels or pieces for stability and for protruding knobs or hardware that may catch your infant's clothing. The mattress should fit snugly inside the cot, coming within at least 25mm of the sides of the cot. Any paint used on the cot should be lead-free to prevent future learning delays and neurological complications.

The placement of your baby's cot in the nursery is another important safety factor. Avoid placing the cot near windows, especially those with curtains or blinds. Cords on window coverings are a leading cause of strangulation in young children. You should also consider placing the cot away from other nursery furniture [http://www.monkeyshine.co.uk/index.asp?function=DISPLAYCAT&catid=64] that may help your little one climb out of her bed in the future. Lamps and heaters can also pose dangers if they are left to close to your baby's cot. Do not hang pictures, mirrors, or other objects that may fall on your infant directly above the cot.

When you put your baby down to sleep or nap in her cot, always lay her on her back to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Refrain from using a pillow with your child until at last two years of age and keep toys with small parts or elastic cords out of the cot. Always leave the drop sides locked in the up position and lock any rolling casters as well.

To prevent burn injuries, never use electric blankets, heating pads, or hot water bottles in your infant's cot. Once your infant can sit up on her own, you should move the mattress to the lowest position to keep her from falling over the edge when she begins to pull up. After she learns to lift herself to a crawling position, it is time to remove any hanging toys like mobiles that could strangle her. When she is pulling herself up to a standing position, remove any large toys or bumper accessories in the cot that may serve as climbing aids. Once your little one starts climbing, or when her chest is above the cot's top rail, it is time to move her to a toddler or standard sized bed.

Gary Clay is an expert on

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Water Injuries

While swimming is fun, it is also dangerous. However, there are many precautions that can be taken to make it safe.

The Center for Disease Control does research on the populations most at risk of injury. They found that younger adults have greater swimming ability. Additionally, swimming ability appears to correlate with level of education. African Americans report the lowest swimming ability among racial groups. Men across all demographics: age, race, and education, have greater swimming abilities than women.

There are many ways to prevent water injuries. The first line of defense is supervision. Always designate an adult to watch children while they are swimming or taking a bath. The supervisor should be free from distractions such as reading or talking on the phone allowing complete focus on the children. Children who can swim can still drown. Whether they hit their head on the diving board or swallow too much water, it is important to remember no one is completely safe in the water.

Because even the strongest swimmer is liable to injury, it is important to never swim alone. If there are lifeguards available, make sure to utilize those areas.

Do not drink alcohol when engaging in water activities. Alcohol impairs your physical abilities as well as your cognitive functioning. Many boating and water skiing accidents are caused every year because alcohol hindered people's abilities.

An offensive approach is one of the best ways to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. This entails learning how to swim. This will allow you to enjoy the water and greatly reduce your risk of drowning. However, please note that for children under four, swimming lessons should not be the primary source of drowning prevention according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Even if your children have had swimming lessons, they still should be supervised , and home pools should be protected with fencing.

It is a good idea to become trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). If a person's heart stops beating, it is imperative someone perform CPR to help blood pump through the body while the paramedics are on their way. If blood is not circulated, resuscitation efforts will not be successful. Training classes only require several hours of your time and are not expensive.

If you or a loved one has suffered a water injury, you may be entitled to compensation for damages. Visit http://www.sheboyganpersonalinjurylawyer.com today to learn more.

Joseph Devine

How Miami Attorneys Help You Win Your Case

Anyone who is in trouble with the law in the Southeast could use the help of good Miami attorneys. There are many ways that Florida lawyers can assist you with your case and can help you get the lowest sentence or punishment possible. There are many parts to a criminal defense case but experienced attorneys can help you from the beginning to end.

Miami attorneys will be especially useful to you in the initial hearing where your charges are made and bond is set. Knowledgeable lawyers are familiar with the process and can often get you reduced charges or a lower bail. Attorneys will work with you to discuss all the information regarding the case. When necessary, they may even get the assistance of an investigative team to help with your defense. A good attorney will do whatever is needed to give you the best defense possible.

Good Miami attorneys will work with you on your specific case to determine the best course of action. While plea-bargaining is an important aspect of some cases, it is not necessarily the standard. Good lawyers will prepare your case for trial even if they anticipate a plea bargain. This helps to make sure that they are completely ready for a positive trial should the case come to that. Each case is different and your experienced lawyer will be able to advise you as to the best course of action in your particular situation.

If the case does need to go to trial, the Miami attorneys can advise you of what to expect and how long the case may take. The attorney will put together the best possible defense and will assist you throughout the entire situation. To learn more about how these regional attorneys can help your defense, visit JeffreyFeiler.com.

Get help from one of the most experienced Miami attorneys [http://www.jeffreyfeiler.com/miami_office.php]. For information about how he can assist you with your legal troubles, visit http://www.JeffreyFeiler.com.

Baby Birth Invitations and Baby Announcements

Celebrating the arrival of a child is a great event and one that should be shared by lots of happy people. To make that happen, you'll probably want to mail birth baby invitation as soon as possible. There are a few online shoppes that provide a large selection of Birth Baby Invitations and baby birth invitations that are sure to meet your needs. And if selections aren't enough to convince you where the best choice for baby-related stationery are, here are a few other great reasons to consider online services for this special event.

Personalization Options Galore

You may already have some great ideas in mind for what you want with your personalized baby invitations. If so, by all means incorporate those amazing ideas into the baby announcements invitations you select. That's why there is a wide array of customization and personalization options for visitors. For example, let's say you like one of the cards but want to change some of the colors. That can be done! Or maybe you want to add your own graphic or photo to one of the cards. That can also be done. All you have to do is to add your request in the appropriate place on the online form when you purchase the baby invitations. A proof will be sent with those adjustments, and if you like what you see, they'll start printing.

If you're not completely happy with the way it looks, let them know and they'll make changes until you are 100% satisfied. You don't want anything less when you're welcoming a new baby into the world and sharing the news with these birth cards.

Affordable Prices

Some people think you have to choose between high prices or high quality, but that is not the case. You can have both because that's what a few provide for their customers every day. The cards speak for themselves, but these shoppes always stand behind their prices and know that their prices are some of the lowest you'll find and are definitely less than what you'd pay at most stationery stores. But these sites don't just offer low prices. When you place your order, for example, you'll receive 10 FREE baby cards from a few.

Some also offer free shipping so that's one less expense you have to figure into your costs when determining your total expenses for the cards and baby invitations wordings.

Fast Delivery

You definitely don't want to sit on this good news for long! That's why when you order your Birth Baby Invitations you need to ensure you get them in the mail as quickly as possible. But don't rush and sacrifice customer satisfaction. Instead, just expedite each step of the process. For example, some shoppes send the proof within one hour of receiving your order. If everything is accepted, then your order will be printed and shipped the same business days. That means you won't have to wait long to see them in person. Plus, if you've had them personalized with your own message, all you have to do is address the envelopes and drop them in the mail.

About the Author: Sarah Porter have written several articles about Printed Baby Invitations and more for CardsShoppe, Express-Invitations, Cards-411 and Birth-Cards

Inside Advice on Getting the Lowest Rate

There is a myth which suggests that going on to the internet is likely to give you the lowest price for booking a hotel. This is to some extent perpetuated by comparison sites which allow you to sort and filter hotels based purely on price. However, nothing could be further from the truth. After all, these comparison sites are merely third party agents and therefore have already added a commission rate on top of the price being charged by the hotel.

Certainly using these comparison sites can be useful in getting a rough idea of the prices and facilities of certain hotels, but the next stage should be to visit the websites of these hotels themselves. This will in many cases give you prices below those found on the comparison sites, and again it is easy for people to assume that the prices displayed are immoveable. In reality what hotels do not tell you is that within their calculations they have between a 20% and 40% margin through which they can reduce the listed price.

Paying the listed price simply gives the hotel up to a 40% bonus on top of the price they actually need to charge. So, how do you go about bartering on the price?

There are a few tricks of the trade, and there are one or two things to avoid. The first thing to avoid is calling the toll free number on the hotel's website, especially if this is a chain of hotels, because all that will happen is you will be transferred to a central booking office, and they will not have the degree of flexibility or individuality that you need. Instead, where possible, make sure you are speaking to the actual hotel itself.

Once you are through to the hotel, avoid small talk. This is a big mistake made by many people who feel that by building in a rapport they can help get the price down. In actual fact there is a greater chance of either giving something away, saying something which doesn't quite work with the other person, and can set up a barrier. Instead, keep it short, keep it simple and make sure you do not budge on your intention of getting a much lower price than the listed one.

It is not advisable to then go ahead and book straight away, unless you are given a remarkable reduction and you are happy with that. Instead, telephone about eight hours later, when the person you have spoken to has left their shift and you are speaking to somebody else in their position. Do the same thing again; try to get the lowest price, and then make a note of the name and price they were able to get down to. Eight hours later, do the same thing again. This way, you will have spoken to three people and hopefully got three prices, at least one of which will be much lower.

Another trick is to look at those three prices and, say for example, one of the prices quoted was $89, then call back, making sure you are speaking to someone different from the one who quoted you that price, and claim all innocence that they quoted you $79. In many cases, this works, and you have managed to knock a further $10 off the price.

These are all simple bits of advice, and although many people shy away from bartering, the cost saving that you can get is remarkable, and you will certainly get a real sense of achievement if you do manage to get the price down. Once you have done it once successfully, you will start kicking yourself when you think about all the money you have spent in the past unnecessarily.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about luggage, cruises, hotels, and shopping. You will find the best marketplace for luggage, cruises, hotels, and shopping at these sites for bags, luggage, hotels, cruises.

Home Insurance For Lottery Winners

Picture this - You just won millions of dollars in the lottery and go on a shopping spree. You buy so much awesome stuff for your home like electronics, furniture, toys, and exercise equipment. You buy everything top-of-the-line because, let's face it, you're a millionaire and you could. But you never thought of getting insurance to protect your property. Big mistake. When you win the lottery, your name gets publicized. That's perfect for burglars. They know you're rich and they know that you probably just bought a lot of new stuff. You need home insurance to protect your property.

New lottery winners might become careless because of the new-found wealth they've just received. They may figure that since they could buy a house for cash, with no mortgage, that insurance isn't necessary. But just think of the damage a burglar can do. Aside from stealing your personal property and valuables, they can ransack your house and cause damage. So, don't be stupid and get home insurance coverage.

As a lottery winner, you'll want to deal with an insurance company that specializes in high-value homes. Talk to your insurance broker to find out which companies do this. From there, they'll tell you what you need to do to make sure that everything is covered by the policy. This could include saving receipts for big-ticket items like jewelry or televisions, or taking photos of every room in the house.

When you get a home insurance policy, you also get liability coverage. This is important because, as a rich person, you will be an easy target for liability claims, even frivolous claims. Lawyers fees can add up and home insurance policies cover this.

So, even though you are a new lottery winner, you should still get home insurance to protect your new-found wealth. It doesn't take long to set up a new policy, but could save you from future headaches.

Tino writes about lottery winners on his blog, including people like Jack Whittaker, who won $315 million in Powerball.

Dust Mite Allergies - Easy Solutions For Relief

Allergies - Dust Mite Sensitivity

Dust isn't generally an allergen, even for sensitive persons. But dust mites have that name because they live on the small particles that are in everyone's home. They are a common cause of allergic reactions.

As they produce feces and their bodies decay, they introduce proteins into the environment that the immune system may judge to be foreign invaders. That triggers a release of antibodies called IgE (immunoglobulin E). Those stimulate the release of histamine, which creates the common allergy symptoms such as watery, itchy eyes (conjunctivitis), runny nose (allergic rhinitis or hay fever) and others.

When pollen levels are lowest in winter, dust mite populations can be at a peak. This is the period in many climates when humidity is high, owing to frequent rain or melting snow. Dust mites thrive when the air is humid and tend to die off when it falls below 50%.

As with most environmental factors, prevention is the best medicine.

Keep the quantity of dust mites and their products as low as possible by thorough cleaning. Wash bedspreads and sheets weekly in hot water (130-140F/54-60C). If possible, freeze dry bedding overnight in a large freezer. Using hypo-allergenic sheets and bedspreads can help, too. Wool or down make for very comfortable bedding, but they encourage dust mites more than synthetic blends.

Children are the most susceptible, especially those from families with a history of allergies. When selecting stuffed toys, look for those that are washable in hot water. Wash pillowcases frequently in hot water and add a mild bleach.

Special dust rags and mops that actually hold dust rather than fling it into the air are helpful. Vacuum frequently with a vacuum cleaner that sports a good HEPA filter. For the truly sensitive, wear a surgical mask during dusting and vacuuming. Leave the room for half an hour afterward to let the dust settle. Dust mites are heavy and don't remain airborne for long.

Some may want to consider replacing carpeted areas with wood or synthetic flooring. These materials retain much less dust and are easily mopped. The bedroom is a good place to concentrate on. Fabric curtains can be replaced with wood or plastic shutters. Louvers can be more easily wiped down.

Even the most diligent can still suffer from allergy symptoms. Medication is one good option. Over-the-counter antihistamines such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine) or Claritin (loratadine) do offer symptom relief. Prescription strength nasal sprays, such as Nasonex, are a godsend to others. Follow the directions, though, and don't overdose.

For those that suffer asthma symptoms, such as wheezing or chronic coughing, bronchodilators can be beneficial. These help open up the bronchial tubes. Corticosteroids may be taken alone or in conjunction with them. As with any prescription medicine, a professional diagnosis is a must before starting any such treatment. All drugs have side effects.

In more extreme cases, immunotherapy may be appropriate. These are allergy shots containing extracts from dust mites that attempt to desensitize patients. This is a long-term course of treatment and you should consult your physician.

James Conrad loves writing articles about his interests, and runs websites about various topics such as artisan stand mixers, cake recipes, and kitchen appliances. His stand mixer website also has information on cuisinart stand mixers [http://www.artisanstandmixers.net/Cuisinart-Stand-Mixer.html/], among the other kinds.