Frequently Asked Questions
What services do we provide? We are Your Auction Services Specialist. We service all Real Estate and Personal Property needs. We specialize in Estate Sales, Real Estate Sales, Business Liquidations, Individual Consignments, Equipment, Livestock Sales, and more. We also offer Personal Property & Equipment Appraisals!
How can you sell with our company?
The process is quite simple! Give us a call at 859-854-0307 to discuss your needs or email us some photos to Sold@BidBaker.com and we'll be glad to help!
What kinds of items do you sell? You name it, we can probably sell it! We specialize in Real Estate & Land Dispersal, Livestock, Commercial & Heavy Equipment, Farm Equipment, Business Liquidations, Firearms, Vehicles, Boats, Planes, Trailers, ATV's, Coins, Estates, Furniture, Taxidermy, Historic Artifacts & Objects, Rare & Unusual Items, and so much more!
How much is your commission? We have a sliding scale or flat-rate commission based on the volume, type, estimated value, location of the items, and your timeframe. Every situation is unique based on the scope of your project. Reach out to us today for an estimate and find out how we can help you!
What is an estate sale? Estate sales are for homeowners, estate managers, or anyone else who has a large volume of belongings to be sold where they are; on-site at their residence, place of business, dock, hangar, garage, storage facility, or other locale. Our team offers complimentary walk-throughs to see if your estate is a good fit for our specialized auction services and experienced professional team.
What is consignment? Consignment is the process of entrusting your items with a service provider (like us!) to sell on your behalf, using our brand, expertise, and database to get you a greater price than you would achieve on your own and save you time, stress, and energy!
What business liquidation services do you offer? We sell surplus inventory, restaurant equipment, commercial and heavy equipment, entire liquidations, commercial evictions, commercial real estate sales, and more.
How long does an auction take from start to finish?  It's typically 6 weeks from the time a contract is signed until you receive your Seller Settlement and check. This includes the time for us to assess your items and sort, group, catalog, photograph, write descriptions, edit the catalog, publish the auction online, run the auction for 8-14 days, collect payments, coordinate pick-ups, reconcile the auction, and mail payment checks.
Do I have to sign a contract? Yes. Selling your items at auction with us is a legally binding agreement. We'd be happy to explain our contract in full if you have items you'd like to sell. When will I receive my Seller Settlement and check? Usually between 7-14 business days after an auction closes, but no more than 30 business days. We pride ourselves on our quick turnaround!
Can you guarantee a sale price? No, sorry – But that's the beauty of the auction process! Everything is worth what its purchaser will pay on any given day. It only takes 2 people to create a bidding war and we have a database of thousands of registered bidders and email subscribers to better those odds. Do you set Reserves on items? We only set reserves by request on items with an estimated value exceeding $1,000. There are additional fees if an item with a Reserve fails to sell. We may suggest a Minimum Opening Bid instead, keep reading and learn more.
What's the difference between a Reserve and Minimum Opening Bid? A Reserve is a hidden dollar value; an item will not sell if it doesn't meet the reserve price.  A Minimum Opening Bid is the first bid required to get the auction started. 
What if an item didn't meet reserve? Items which fail to sell with reserve are subject to a $50 fee per item or 5% of the highest final bid achieved, whichever is greater. What do you do with No Sale items? These items can be returned to the seller at no cost, or disposed/donated for $5/lot.
Are my items covered by your insurance? It depends. Items in our warehouse are covered by our insurance policy. Off-site items located at an estate, a residence, business, etc. are covered by your homeowner's, business, or other insurance policy.
Do you do live/in-person auctions? Yes! We host in-person Real Estate Auctions, Equipment Auctions, and more! Subscribe to our email list to stay updated on future auctions
Are most of your auctions online? Yes! By offering an Online Bidding Platform, we are able to reach thousands of registered bidders across the globe. We reach a large worldwide audience by hosting and advertising our auctions online. Most of our auctions are timed online-only auctions, keep reading to learn more about timed auctions What is a Simulcast or Webcast Auction? A simulcast auction or sometimes referred to as a webcast auction is a blend between live in-person auctions and timed online auctions! The catalog is available online and open for bidding up until the scheduled close, at which time there will be a live broadcast feed available on our website of the auction. Willie Baker, Auctioneer/Broker/Founder, will be doing the live bid calling for any in-person bidders in addition to taking absentee bids from online users. Each lot will sell to the highest bidder, whether from the floor or online.
How does a timed online auction work? Timed auction catalogs are available online and open for bidding for an average of 8-14 days before the scheduled close. Our auctions offer a staggered close, with 1-minute auto-extend for any lots which receive a bid in the final minute. This means that beginning at 8:00pm, lot #1 will all begin closing, then lot #2 will begin shortly after lot #1 begins to close. If anyone bids in the final minute, that lot's closing is extended an additional minute to give other bidders an opportunity to respond. When in doubt, refer to each lot's individual countdown timer to know when it's scheduled to close. When the timer runs out, the lot will sell to the highest bidder!
Why should I hire you instead of using Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist? We offer our sellers peace of mind while selling their items. Our team is here to help you sell your items in a quick, efficient, and comfortable manner. We take care of sorting, photography, description, posting online, payment collection, and delivering items to buyers. Sit back and relax, let us do the work, and you'll receive a Seller Settlement statement with your check at the end of the process, hassle free! Our Goal is to help you through the process from start to finish!
Should I sell my house by auction? The auction method of marketing and sales is the truest form of price discovery and ultimately the best way to have people bid competitively to win your property in an accelerated timeframe. Skip the traditional back-and-forth negotiations and sell quickly with a real estate auction!  I have Real Estate to Sell at Auction.... What is the process?
FIRST... We need to need to schedule a meeting to view the property and determine if the property is a good fit for an Auction or Traditional Listing. We'll have you sign our Auction or Real Estate Contract and then get started cleaning up your property to market it online. Auction properties will be open for bidding online on our website for 2-3 weeks prior to the Simulcast Auction; traditional listings will be hosted on our website and through LBAR (Lexington-Bluegrass Association of Realtors) MLS for regular showings until a Buyer is found. We'd love to help you sell your property; reach out today to see how we can help you.
How much does it cost to sell my real estate with you? We have a Base Auction Fee for conduction of the auction plus an advertising and marketing budget. One benefit of our auctions is that the Seller pays no commission! Commission is paid by way of a 10% Buyer's Premium. There are additional closing costs which will be discussed on a case-by-case basis and specific to you and your situation. Reach out today to see how we can help you.
What is the Buyer's Premium? Our Buyer's Premium follows auction industry standards. In order to lessen the commission we charge our sellers, we defer some of the cost to the buyer. Most of our auctions have a 150% Buyer's Premium, some single-lot auctions may have a 15% Buyer's Premium. Why is there a 4% credit card convenience fee? The credit card processing merchant charges 4% on each transaction, we do not retain these fees, they are passed on to the merchant. Why is there a $15 credit card declined fee? We batch process payments after the conclusion of the auction using your credit card saved on file with our company. If your payment is not approved, we assess a $15 credit card declined fee to cover the fees charged by the merchant for declined cards, in addition to our time involved in collecting your payment. How much do you charge for your auction services? Every situation is unique based on the scope of your project. Reach out to us today for an estimate and find out how we can help you!
How much are your marketing fees? We typically charge 5% of the gross sale or estimated sale value which covers our paid advertisements on Google, Facebook, and other advertising platforms. How much are cleaning, junk removal, and dumpster fees? Cleaning fees start at $12 per man hour with additional fees based on the scope of your project. Dumpster fees are paid by the consignor out of the Auction proceeds.  Reach out to us today for an estimate and find out how we can help you! What are the fees associated with selling real estate? We have a Base Auction Fee for conduction of the auction plus a marketing budget. One benefit of our auctions is that the Seller pays no commission! Commission is paid by way of a 10% Buyer's Premium. There are additional closing costs which will be discussed on a case-by-case basis and specific to you and your situation. Reach out today to see how we can help you. What is an Appraisal? Do I need one? An appraisal is a professional estimate of value, to be determined by a number of factors depending on the reason you need the appraisal.  What is a valuation? A valuation is an estimate of value using our years of experience in the buying/selling, resale, and trade industries.
What's the difference between an appraisal and a valuation? An appraisal is a professional estimate of value used for insurance or tax purposes, approved by the IRS. A valuation is an estimate of value using our years of experience in the buying/selling, resale, and trade industries.
Do you offer valuations? Yes, we'll tell you what we estimate your possessions to be worth when we meet for a complimentary consultation for our services.
How much is a valuation? Valuations are complimentary when you have an item you're looking to sell with us.
How much is an Appraisal? Our appraisal services start at $150/hour with a 2 hour minimum, other types of appraisals may be longer or shorter to fit your needs. What kinds of items do you appraise? We offer appraisals for Farm Equipment, Heavy Equipment, Insurance purposes, Business Assets, personal interest in value of an antique or other collectibles, and more.
Do you make any guarantees? No! Everything is sold "as is-where is" to the highest bidder regardless of price, such is the exciting nature of the auction industry! We do our best to describe everything with a high level of detail so our customers can make informed decisions prior to bidding!
What areas do we cover?
We are licensed in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida! However, our main areas of focus is central Kentucky and specifically Danville Kentucky and Perryville Kentucky. We are the fastest growing Auction Firm in Central Kentucky conducting dozens of auctions annually. Give us a call to set up an Interview and NO COST Estimate of value for your property.