Guides

Step-by-step help for getting the most out of Lot Lingo. More guides are added over time.

• Writing Lot Descriptions That SellThe formula for auction titles and descriptions that attract bidders: searchable titles, structured details, and honest condition notes.
• Auction Photography: Photos That Get BidsThe shot list, lighting, and room-by-room workflow for photographing lots efficiently — even on 500-lot catalogs.
• Estate Auction Setup ChecklistFrom first walkthrough to live sale: lotting strategy, photography, cataloging, platform export, and close-out.
• Importing into Auction FlexStep-by-step guide with screenshots for importing your exported lots (CSV) and photos into the Auction Flex desktop app.
• Uploading Your Lots to K-BIDHow to get your finished catalog onto K-BID: the export files, lot number rules, photo naming, and the upload into the K-BID admin.
• Auction Lot Lingo: A Glossary of Auction TermsHammer price, buyer’s premium, reserve, box lot, soft close — the auction terms every auctioneer, consignor, and bidder should know, in plain English.
• Auctioneer License Requirements, State by StateDo you need an auctioneer license? All 50 states — who licenses auctioneers, what it costs, and how online-only auctions are treated.
• How to Start an Online Auction BusinessThe practical path: licensing check, business setup, platform affiliation on K-BID or HiBid, sourcing consignments, and running the first sale.
• How Much Do Online Auctioneers Make?The real math: commission and buyer’s premium structures, a worked 300-lot example, and what actually limits how many sales you can run.
• Estate Sale vs. Online Auction: Which Nets More?Tag sale or online auction? Net proceeds, timelines, fees, and what sells better in each format — with the math that decides it.
• How to Catalog a HiBid Auction, Start to FinishThe complete HiBid workflow: photography, AI-drafted descriptions, review, export, and the Auction Flex import that puts the catalog live.
• How to Become a HiBid AuctioneerThe real path onto HiBid: Auction Flex software licensing, published costs and per-auction fees, and your first sale.
• HiBid Seller Fees: What HiBid Charges AuctioneersAuction Flex software tiers, the 2% auction fee, per-bid fees — and a worked example showing why cataloging labor costs more than the fees.
• How to Become a K-BID AffiliateThe application and vetting, published costs and buyer’s premium split, licensing paperwork, and how affiliates actually make money.