Many sellers set a time limit on bidding and, in some cases, a “reserve price” — the lowest price they will accept for an item. When the bidding closes at the scheduled time, the item is sold to the highest bidder. If no one bids at or above the reserve price, the auction closes without the item being sold.

Absolute Auctions typically get the most bidding. For the seller, the risk associated with an Absolute Auction is greater than the other types of auctions, but so is the potential reward.

An auction sale is a public sale. The goods are sold to all members of the public at large who are assembled in one place for the auction. Such interested buyers are the bidders. The price they are offering for the goods is the bid. And the goods will be sold to the bidder with the highest bid.

The auction process is controlled by the seller and typically involves: providing interested parties with an information memorandum relating to the target, compiling a shortlist of prospective buyers based on their indicative offers or expressions of interest, providing shortlisted bidders with access to due diligence ...