How 51 Auction Works: A First-Time Bidder's Guide
An auction is just a store where the shoppers set the prices. Every week at 51 Auction, a fresh catalogue of items is posted here for preview, and on Saturday each lot is sold in person at our Scarborough sale room to the highest bidder. If you have never bid before, here is the whole thing, start to finish.
Step 1: Register free (required to bid)
Bidding happens in person at the sale room, and this site never takes online bids — but registration is required to bid. Create a free account here with your email, or sign in with Google, and your account gives you a bidder number. Show it at the door on Saturday to pick up your paddle. Your account also keeps your won lots and invoices in one place. No registration, no bidding — that one rule keeps the sale fair for everyone.
Step 2: Browse the catalogue
New lots are posted through the week — furniture, electronics, tools, kitchen gear, home goods and plenty you would not expect. Every lot here shows its opening bid; the catalogue on this site is a preview of what will be sold on-site on Saturday. Set a maximum in your head before Saturday; the best bidders decide their number early and stick to it.
Step 3: Bid in person on Saturday
Our sales run every Saturday at 115 Ironside in Scarborough. Bid in person on anything you're interested in, or follow along on the Live Auction page, where the sale is streamed live. When a lot closes, the highest bid wins it — simple as that.
Step 4: Pay — the math is easy
- Your winning bid (the hammer price)
- Plus a 5% buyer's premium — one of the lowest you'll find
- Plus HST on the total
- Pay at pickup, or pay online before you come — your choice
Win a lot at $100 and your math is $100 + $5 premium = $105, plus HST. No hidden fees, no surprises at the counter.
Step 5: Pick up or ship
Collect your wins at our Scarborough location — 115 Ironside Crescent Unit 11 — during the pickup window in your invoice. Can't make it in? We also offer shipping, so your Saturday win can come straight to your door.
That's it. Preview during the week, bid in person every Saturday, and let the deals find you.
Ready for this Saturday’s sale?
Registration is free, the buyer’s premium is just 5%, and the catalogue is already filling up.
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