Interbid offers an up tempo online only auction system, that gives each lot the traditional full three calls, before selling each lot in turn.

Because they are based on the high speed Interbid Live platform, Interbid's timed auctions do not need to be slow. When a lot is offered the full three calls are made before there is either a bid or the lot is sold. There is in fact a countdown clock that can be set anywhere between ten and twenty seconds. Whenever there is a bid, the clock resets for a further ten to twenty seconds and the full three calls are made again. In this manner there is plenty of time to bid but not so much time that the auction losses momentum.

Each lot is offered in turn, so should someone miss out on an early lot they can still bid on a similar latter lot. Depending on how long you make the waiting time, these auctions can run between 50 and 140 lots per hour, the speed is in fact similar to traditional auctions.

Interbid timed auctions have the same bidder interface as the live webcast auctions. So, bidders have a consistent experience whether you choose a full webcast or the simpler automatic timed auction. The bidder interface shown below, shows a bidder who has placed a bid limit of $13,000. The system has just made the final call and if there are no further bids within the next few seconds, it will sell the car to bidder 1001 for $12,000.

Interbid timed auctions run over several days before the main event. In this time people can bid on all the lots, with bids replacing bids, as people get out bid. Then these bids are seamlessly incorporated into the main auction when each lot is offered in turn. Starting prices and reserve prices can be set for each lot, to ensure goods never sell for less than the desired price.

Interbid provides Photocat a program that make loading the photos for a large auction easy. Once everything is lotted and laid out for inspection, it is easy to run along and photograph it all. When the catalogue is ready, use PhotoCat to flick through the photos and match them to the lots. It uses your existing text catalogue and matches the photos with the text. Usually a single click is all that is needed to match a photo with its lot. Then watch as the program loads the pictures and descriptions to the Internet.

Timed online auctions have become very popular because of their wide coverage and simplicity to perform. Interbid's timed online auctions make it easy for people to bid from across Australia, so you get a very wide audience. However, you don't need a venue or an auctioneer or people to hand over goods or people to take sales on the day. You simply setup the auction, let it run over a week or so and then people turn up looking for the goods they have won.

If people want a more exciting auction the sound streamer is available so an auctioneer can give important information and even call the auction.

The latest feature from Interbid is a way to control a timed online auction as it is running. As well as calling the auction, the auction controller, can slow the auction for more valuable items. They can also control other aspects of the auction, like when a lot is passed in or sold.

Let the computer offer your goods to everyone in Australia over several days. Then finish with a familiar fast auctioning of all the goods in turn. With a wide reach and much less fuss, it's no wonder timed online auctions are rapidly becoming industry best practice for auctioning a wide variety of goods.