What we are building, and what we are learning

Questions to ask before bidding on coins or notes

Which issue, has it been cleaned, and can you tilt it. In that order.

Questions to ask before bidding on trading cards

Back, tilt, corners. Three requests that turn a photograph into a card you have actually seen.

Questions to ask before bidding on jewellery or a watch

Weigh it, show the mark, show it running. Three requests that cover most of the risk.

Questions to ask before bidding on sneakers

Four questions, and the one where a vague answer should cost the seller your bid.

Describing food and drink honestly

Sealed, dated, weighed, and every allergen written down.

Buying food and drink in a live auction

Ask for the date and the allergen list on camera, and ask how it is being sent.

Describing the condition of beauty products

Sealed or opened, how much is left, and every date on the box.

Buying beauty products in a live auction

Ask for the seal, the batch code and the dates — shown, not described.

Describing the condition of baby and child items

Age, completeness, cleanliness, and the dates stamped on anything safety-critical.

Buying baby and child items in a live auction

Ask for the model number, the date stamp and the full parts list. Then look up the recall yourself.

Describing an estate lot honestly

Say what you checked, what you did not, and what you are not guaranteeing. Then nothing can go wrong.

Buying estate and storage lots in a live auction

Ask how much the seller has actually looked at, and bid on what you can see.

Describing the condition of furniture and homeware

Measurements, material, the surfaces that get used, and every repair named.

Buying furniture and homeware in a live auction

Get the measurements and the delivery answer before you bid, not after.

Describing the condition of collectibles

Grade the object and its packaging separately, and say what you are not sure about.

Buying collectibles in a live auction

Ask what makes this one different from the common one. The answer tells you what you are paying for.

Describing the condition of artwork

Say what is on the surface, what is on the back, and what has been done to it since it was made.

Buying art in a live auction

Ask whether it is an original or a print, and ask to see the back. Both answers change the price.

Describing the condition of minerals and crystals

Natural, treated, repaired — and every chip located rather than angled away from.

Buying rocks, crystals and minerals in a live auction

Ask for the species, the locality and the treatment. Then ask for it on a scale.

Describing the condition of outdoor gear

Working, complete and how it was stored. The third one is the fact nobody thinks to give.

Buying outdoor gear in a live auction

Ask for it pitched, ask how it was stored, and count the pieces before you bid.

Describing the condition of sports memorabilia

Condition and provenance are two statements. Mixing them is where this goes wrong.

Describing the condition of anime and manga

Sealed, complete, reading condition — then the spines, the edges and the volume numbers.