Chandelier bid

What is a chandelier bid?

A chandelier bid is a bid the auctioneer “calls” by gesturing into thin air, figuratively towards the chandelier (hence the name). No actual bidder stands behind it; it is a notional offer the auctioneer throws out themselves. It may sound surprising, but at auction it is an established and legal practice.

How does a chandelier bid work?

With it the auctioneer lifts the price from the opening level towards the first real offer, usually until the hidden reserve — the lower limit at which the seller is willing to let the work go — is reached. As soon as a genuine bidder enters, the notional bids stop and only real bidders compete from then on. It is a tool for starting a sale, then, not a way of artificially drawing it out.

Why do auctioneers use chandelier bids?

So that a sale does not begin with an awkward silence far below the value of the work. By gesturing into thin air the auctioneer moves the price to a level that makes sense and keeps up the pace and atmosphere of the room. Without that start, many sales would open needlessly low and competition would struggle to get going.

What should you watch out for with a chandelier bid?

Although legal, it belongs to the greyer corners of the saleroom, because a bidder in the room cannot tell whether they are competing with a real person or with a notional bid from the rostrum. That is precisely why it pays to know your ceiling and stick to it. Anyone who sets a bidding limit in advance will not be drawn higher than they intended by notional bids.

— Anna Pulkertová, founder of Art Part Club