1824.} 
apparently indifferent manner of the 
old attendants and good judges ;~the 
precipitation of the young and inexpe- 
rienced ;—the plots, counterplots, and 
manceuvres of various parties in the 
room to outwit each other in bidding 
for and procuring what they are in 
want of;—the remarks and opinions, 
right or wrong, of the talkative portion 
of the company ;—the absolute sway of 
the auctioneer during the period of his 
éwaltation,—are all fraught with much 
that is interesting and entertaining. 
I have often smiled to see the pretty 
little tricks of some of the thorough- 
paced and well-known attendants at 
sales, to prevent dealers in the same 
commodity from knowmg when they 
make a bid. These people seldom bid 
vivd voce; for they will contrive to get 
between their opponent and the auc- 
tioneer, keeping an eye upon each, 
taking eare that the oné towards the 
auctioneet is not out of sight of the 
other bidder ; with this eye they wink 
their bids most dextercusly, while the 
opposing party will be looking about, 
and wondering who is bidding against 
him ;—others do the thing with a silent 
nod;—another sort get quite out of 
sight, behind the pulpit, and tug at the 
auctioneer’s coat-tail at every bid, to 
the great danger of his skirts, each pull 
going for sixpence, a shilling, or half-a- 
crown, as the case may be ;—and others 
again will get on one side of the ham- 
mer-armed gentleman, and poke some 
part of his body with the end of a pen- 
cil, for the same purpose. With these, 
and with sundry other sorts of *‘ inex- 
plicable dumb show,” which is expli- 
cable enough to the auctioneer, I have 
seen great quantities of goods bought 
and sold: but there is still another sort, 
who go even nearer the wind than all 
these, and who, after looking at the 
goods, will leave a list of prices with 
the salesman or his clerk, who will buy 
for them, and then declare the name, 
when the party is not even in the 
room; but, in this case, they must be 
well able to trust the auctioneer, who 
would otherwise run them up to the 
extent of their price. 
My last remark reminds me of a sad 
trick of very many auctioneers—that of 
running, as it is called. If they see a 
person eager and apparently determined 
to possess any article, they will run 
upon them; that is, declare higher bid- 
dings, without, in fact, having any— 
thus urging them on; and they will do 
the same, if any thing is likely to go at 
Remarks on Metropolitan Auctions. 
397 
what they think too low a price. This, 
they would say, was fair to their em- 
ployers; but it is hardly fair to the 
public. Ihave many times seen an atie- 
tioneer caught in his own trap, in this 
running system, being obliged to knock 
it down to his own surreptitious bid at 
last: he then either declares some fic« 
titious name, or, pretending the buyer 
will not declare himself, puts up the lot 
again. 
This, and the system of rigging, are 
the bane of sales, and are known to be 
detested by the honourable members of 
the trade. To many this rigging wilk 
want. a little explanation :—It is when 
one man, or a set of men, make up an 
entire sale, or part of one; for all sales 
nearly are, more or less, mixed in this 
way: but’ in some it is carried to a 
shameful length. The goods, where 
there is a rig, whether furniture or 
otherwise, are generally either damages, 
or got up on purpose, in a shabby but 
showy way; and the owners of them, 
or their puffers (persons sent to keep 
up the price), are mingled with the 
company, watching and seeking whom 
they may devour; and, unfortunately, 
they are often respectable-looking per- 
sons, and have even females amongst 
them; for, alas! females are their prin- 
cipal prey on these occasions. If a 
lady seems desirous of any lot, she is 
marked down as a sportsman marks his 
game; and one will insinuate that the 
article is cheap at such or such a price, 
while another will keeping bidding upon 
the lady. They will sometimes even 
affect to be generous, and tell the dupe, 
after having got a good price, that if she 
wants the lot, they will give it up to 
her, and so forth. It is inealeulable 
how much is done in this way, espe- 
cially at the west end of the town, and 
principally in furniture, as could be 
avowed by numberless sufferers. One 
caution I can give persons against these’ 
sham sales, if they happen to read the 
advertisements in the papers; which is, 
that such advertisements are generally 
more flowery than others, though most 
of them are flowery enough; and you 
are invariably told, that you may have 
catalogues at the place of sale, and at 
the auctioneers ; but where these auc-~ 
tioueers reside is never stated. When- 
ever this is the case, that sale is. a rig, 
depend on it. 
When there is a genuine sale, whether 
of furniture or other goods, the dealers 
in the article, whatever it ‘may be, ge- 
nerally join together to purchase, mak-. 
Ing, 
