Options for Participating at Rock Island Auction Company

We provide four ways for you to bid at our auctions.

1.    Come to the auction in person.
Attending the auction is the best way to participate. Its fun, you get to see all the items, hold them in your hand and meet other collectors and talk guns! Once you arrive you can register and will receive a bidder card.

If you cannot attend the following options are available for you to bid. Generally over 60% of an auctions items sell using the following bidding options!

2.    Bidding Absentee (Sealed Bid).
Absentee bidding is extremely popular and it’s very simple to do. The best way to do this is to create a website account. Not only does this make it simple to bid, there are other benefits as well. With a website account you can view all your bids you placed, check the status of those bids, plus after each day of the auction check your results. Click here for more details on creating a website account. Once your account is created just search the online catalog. Once you find an item you want to place a bid on, click the bid button, and enter your maximum bid amount. As you place bids into your bid cart they are not submitted. You must finalize your bids by clicking the ‘Submit Bids Now’ button. Once you do that you will receive an auto generated email listing all items you bid on and the maximum bid amount you entered. We execute those bids for you by computer against the bidders who attend the auction, or other absentee bidders. We do our best to win the item for you at the lowest possible amount.

3.    Bidding by Telephone.
Telephone bids can be set up the same way you set up an absentee bid on our website. When you place a bid in our website, change the bid type option from ‘Sealed Bid’ to ‘Telephone Bid’. For a telephone bid you tell us which lots you would like to bid on. You will be called by a representative during the auction and bid live via phone. We do suggest leaving optional “Cover-Me Bids” in case you are not able to be reached by telephone. In order to bid on a lot over the telephone at or near the time it is being sold during the auction. You must contact us in advance to make arrangements. Generally if you contact us the day preceding the sale we will have time to process your information. Telephone bids received same day run the risk being not executed. Contact us to be sure.

4.    Bidding Live on the Internet.
LIVE bidding using the internet is also an option. RIAC uses the services of other companies that list our auction catalog on their websites. Currently we use the services of Proxibid, iCollector and Artfact/AuctionZip. There is an additional 3% charge added to the buyer’s premium for using the live services. This is the amount charged to RIAC for using their services. If you simply want to place absentee bids we recommend you place those bids using the RIAC website to avoid the additional 3% added charge. NOTE: If you experience any problems while using the Proxibid services please call 1-877-505-7770.  Non-urgent questions can be emailed to info@proxibid.com.  If you experience any problems while using the iCollector services please call 1-866-313-0123. Non-urgent questions can be emailed to support@icollector.com. This includes changes or cancellations to your bids. Rock Island Auction Company cannot fix web site problems with any of the live service companies. You must contact them directly.

If you would like to print out a bid form. Fill it out and fax it to us: Download the Absentee Bid Form

Fax #: 309-797-1655