Yes, we must admit that a professional auctioneer’s chant is exciting to listen to and entertaining to watch. After all, that is why auctioneers use the chant. That and the fact that it helps them to sell more items in less time. It is definitely more captivating than no chant at all, which can be infinitely boring.
If you plan to take the family, which includes Grandpa, to a local auction we suggest you exercise a little caution. If Grandpa wears two hearing aids and upon your getting really close to his face to yell something directly at him, he replies, “What did you say?” he has flunked the bidder’s test and is not allowed to have a bid card. Hearing aids, a bid number and an auctioneer’s chant are a deadly combination – more dangerous than the three witches from Macbeth ever were.
A true auction chant is both rhythmic and as fast as a sub-machine gun. Unlike what some people think, a chant is pretty basic. It is just a serious of numbers with some verbal filler thrown in for effect. The filler can be words, expressions or cute little rhymes, such as “last chance to dance” or “you’ll grieve if you leave.” Filler is mainly designed to motivate bidders into bidding one more time…and then one more time…and then one more time.
The numbers involved in the auction chant are the current bid amount and the amount the auctioneer is looking to get next – the bid price and the ask price. These numbers are repeated over and over and are separated by filler. It is the rhythm and the speed that can make a chant seem difficult to do. New auctioneers have to spend a lot of time practicing and developing a chant that they are comfortable with; one that will become unique to them.
Speed is important and, although an auctioneer would love to show off how fast he or she can call a sale, people need to be able to understand the numbers being announced. If they can’t decipher them because an auctioneer’s chant is just too fast, the auctioneer suddenly becomes a liability. He or she will have to find a way to slow it down a little without ruining the cadence it took so long to develop.
Bidders need to really concentrate on the bid price and the ask price. It is not uncommon for an auctioneer to drop off part of the second number – the ask price. An example of this would be, “I have $40, looking for $45, who will be $45, $40 ware, give me $5, I have $45.” It is the use of $5 that can throw someone. The $5 is actually $45. No bidder wants to be caught bidding $5 because he or she was not paying attention. In this particular case, not focusing will cost the buyer an extra $40.
Historically, the most difficult chants to follow are those belonging to auto auctioneers and to cattle or livestock auctioneers. Most people find auctioneers in these particular fields to be very impressive but very difficult to understand. Every rose has its thorn. It is at these auctions that bidders really need to listen intently. Misunderstanding the bid amount at an auto auction could mean someone who came in driving a Ford could leave driving a Bentley.
Not all auctioneers use a chant. You will find that the majority of auctioneers who sell very high-end items, such as at Christie’s or Sotheby’s, have absolutely no chant to speak of. The atmosphere at these auctions is much more reticent. There is no air of real excitement generated by the auctioneer. These auction houses count on the value of the merchandise itself, much of it worth millions of dollars, to provide the needed excitement.
All in all, the majority of those that frequent auctions on a regular basis will admit that a good auction chant makes attending auction after auction a little less monotonous than it would be otherwise. After all, most auctioneers are not selling million dollar items. By the way, don’t forget to keep a close eye on Grandpa.
The NAA (National Auctioneers Association) holds annual bid calling competitions. There are many state auctioneer associations that do the same. The NAA grades contestants on many things to include the quality and speed of their chant, appearance, composure and eye contact with the audience. There are two divisions, one for men and one for women.