How to Run Your Own Online Auction (Without Expensive Hosting)

If you buy and sell antiques, clear estates, or help clients downsize, you've probably thought about running your own auctions. Doing it yourself usually means building a website, taking payments, chasing non-paying bidders and answering endless messages. That overhead is why many sellers settle for consignment rates or fixed-price listings instead.

AuctionSupreme, 100% Canadian owned and operated, lets you run your own auction under your own business name, on a platform that already handles the hard parts.

What you do, and what we do

You:

• Catalogue and photograph your items
• Set reserve prices where you need them (fees may apply)
• Upload your catalogue
• Manage pickup of sold items after the auction

We:

• Host the auction and run the bidding engine, including proxy bidding and soft-close
• Verify bidders (email, plus a verified payment card) before they can bid
• Collect payment from winning bidders automatically
• Send your payout after the auction settles, by cheque or by wire transfer

And you keep 100% of the hammer price of the items you sell.

Getting set up

1. Create an account and verify your email address.
2. Request seller access from the Become a Seller page. You'll give us your company name, and optionally a tax code, company address, and wire transfer details if you'd rather be paid by wire than by cheque.
3. Add and verify a payment card. As soon as your email and card are both verified, seller access switches on automatically. There's no waiting for a manual approval.

Building a catalogue that sells

The platform gives every catalogue the same bidding tools. What makes one catalogue outperform another is the listing itself.

• Photograph everything. Include every side, maker's marks, signatures and any damage. Bidders can't pick the item up, so your photos are their inspection.
• Write specific titles. "Royal Doulton figurine, 'The Balloon Man', HN1954" gets found in search and bid on; "figurine" doesn't.
• Be honest about condition. Items sell as-is, and clear condition notes build trust with bidders, which brings them back to your next catalogue.
• Include dimensions. They answer the most common question before it's asked, and tell buyers whether they'll need a truck or a courier.
• Use reserves sparingly. A reserve protects a genuinely valuable piece, but low starting prices and fewer reserves attract more bidders. Note that fees may apply to reserves.

Before your catalogue goes live

Every seller catalogue is reviewed before it opens. Some items can't be listed at all, including alcohol, firearms, tobacco and vape products, drugs, chemicals, gas cylinders, fireworks and adult items. If a lot is flagged, you remove it and resubmit. Sellers are responsible for the accuracy and authenticity of everything they list. See the full rules in our Terms.

After the auction

After bidding closes, winning bidders are charged automatically, you'll receive an auction sales report so you'll know exactly what sold, and buyers collect their items from you during your pickup times. Once the auction settles, your payout is sent to you.

Is it right for you?

Running your own catalogue works best if you already have the items and the know-how, and want to keep the hammer price rather than pay consignment rates. If you'd rather hand the whole job over, we also offer full consignment.

Request seller access to get started, or contact us with questions.