What is a timed auction?
A timed auction is an online sale where each lot stays open for a fixed period and sells to the highest bidder the moment its countdown ends — no live auctioneer required.
A timed auction runs entirely on a clock. Each lot is published with a start and an end time, and bidders compete by placing bids any moment within that bidding window — usually spanning several days. When a lot's timer hits zero, the highest standing bid wins. There is no auctioneer calling the sale and no requirement to be present at a specific hour.
It is the opposite of a live or webcast auction, where lots are called in real time and bidders must show up to compete. Because a timed sale never demands attendance, it reaches a far wider audience: a consignor's buyers can be in different time zones and still bid on the same catalog. Most platforms add proxy bidding (the system bids up to a bidder's preset maximum) and a soft close that extends the timer when a late bid arrives, preserving the competitive tension of a live floor.
Example: an equipment dealer lists 300 lots that open Monday and close the following Sunday evening. Lots close in staggered groups, sixty seconds apart, so the activity does not pile up at one instant. A bidder sets a $42,000 max on a wheel loader; the platform bids on her behalf in increments until either she wins or someone outbids her ceiling — and any bid in the final two minutes pushes the close out, keeping it fair. On Unovance Global, timed auctions are one of 22 formats you run on a branded platform you own, so the bidder data and buyer relationship stay yours rather than a marketplace's.
What defines a timed auction.
Bidding window, not a live event
Lots open for a fixed period — often days — so bidders place bids on their own schedule instead of attending a real-time sale.
Highest bid at close wins
When the clock on a lot reaches zero, the leading bid takes it. There is no auctioneer calling and no live floor competition.
Staggered or soft-close endings
Lots can close in sequence to spread out activity, and a late bid extends the timer to prevent last-second sniping.
Proxy and absentee bidding
Bidders set a maximum and the platform bids on their behalf up to that ceiling, so they never have to watch the clock.
Frequently asked questions
What is a timed auction?+
A timed auction is an online sale where each lot is open for bidding for a set period and automatically sells to the highest bidder when its timer expires. There is no live auctioneer calling bids in real time — the clock decides when bidding ends.
How is a timed auction different from a live or webcast auction?+
In a live or webcast auction, an auctioneer calls lots one by one in real time and bidders must be present to compete. In a timed auction, lots run on a countdown over hours or days, and bidders place bids whenever they like until the timer closes.
What is a soft close in a timed auction?+
A soft close, sometimes called staggered or dynamic closing, extends a lot's timer by a short interval whenever a bid lands in the final moments. It mimics live-auction competition and stops bidders from winning by sniping in the last second.
When should I use a timed auction?+
Timed auctions suit large catalogs, geographically scattered bidders, and inventory that does not need the theater of a live sale — equipment, vehicles, real estate, collectibles, and liquidations. They maximize reach because anyone can bid across the whole window.
Run timed auctions on a platform you own.
Unovance Global gives auctioneers timed, live, webcast, sealed-bid, and Dutch formats on one branded platform — with the bidder data and buyer relationship kept in your hands.