Online Bidding Instructions


How Do I Place a Bid on an Online Auction Item?

  • Click the "Online Auction" category in the left menu bar
  • Click on the image or title of the item to view the details and bid box
  • Enter a value in the bid box which equals or exceeds the suggested next bid
  • Click "Submit Online Bid." If you have not already signed-in, you will be prompted for your last name and password.
You will then see your bid in the current bid box and a confirmation message that you are the top bidder. MaestroWeb will automatically update the current bid information and time remaining every minute.

How Can I Determine Whether I Still Have the Top Bid?


Please click the My Bids link near the top right of the screen to display all your bids. If any of your bids are still the highest, they will be highlighted in red. You can also see a summary of the highest bid for each online auction item by selecting the "Top_Bids" report. You'll also find a complete list of bids for a particular item by clicking the "Bid History" link adjacent to the "Number of Bids" heading on the corresponding Item Details page.

What is the "Buy Now" Link For?


Some of the online auction items may have a "Buy Now" link and corresponding premium purchase price in the bid box. If you click this "Buy Now" link, you'll immediately purchase the item at that price.

What is a Maximum or Auto Bid?


This MaestroWeb site is configured for Auto Bidding and will automatically store a maximum bid (which is at least two bid steps above the current bid) for you and only increase your actual bid as needed to win the item. For example, if you enter $150 for an item that is currently bidding at $100 and has a suggested "Next Bid" of $115 (bid steps of $15) then MaestroWeb will submit a bid on your behalf of $115 and store your maximum bid of $150. If a competing bidder enters the suggested next bid of $130, the MaestroWeb Auto Bid system will automatically increase your bid to $145 and the competing bidder will get an indication that they’ve already been outbid. If the competing bidder persists and enters the next bid of $160, then the MaestroWeb Auto Bid system will email you to indicate that you’ve been outbid for this item. This email will include a link to your "Auto Bid" page, which allows you to increase your existing auto bids at any time. You can also reach this page directly by clicking the "My Bids" link in the header of your MaestroWeb site and selecting "Auto Bids" from the drop down list.

Please note that MaestroWeb won't store Auto Bids for auction items which are only available for pre-bidding, but rather will immediately place the actual bid entered. For items which have a guaranteed bid, please also be aware that the "Buy Now" link will supersede an Auto Bid. If you want to purchase the item and are willing to pay the guaranteed price, we recommend that you click the "Buy Now" link or enter the corresponding guaranteed price as your bid.

When is the Auction Finished?


The time remaining for any item is always displayed in the top right-hand corner of the corresponding bid box.

What Happens When the Auction is Finished?


When the auction is finished, all purchased items will automatically indicate that they've been "SOLD". If you are the lucky top bidder for any item(s), you will receive an email confirmation with pick-up and payment instructions.