The National Auctioneers Association (NAA) published a June 2009 issue of the magazine AUCTIONEER. In this issue of AUCTIONEER, I read an article entitled, " A Rare Occupation." It discusses how rare it is to find an auctioneer. Author and fellow auctioneer Robert Doyle conducted some research on the InfoUSA Website to compare the numbers of full-time auctioneers in the United States to other professions. The statistics mentioned are interesting: Auctioneers: 10,034 (Incidentally, the NAA estimates that 7% of all auctioneers are female.) Funeral Directors: 23,648 Painters: 43,178 Plumbers: 60,767 Real Estate Agents: 212,110 Attorneys: 302,603 Why so few auctioneers? Rob had his thoughts as to why auctioneers are few and far between, but I have a few of my own ideas. 1. Some people decide not to become an auctioneer, because of how expensive it is to get started. Often people don't realize the expense of launching the business until they speak with an auctioneer. Only then do they learn that the auctioneer attended auction school (usually out-of-state), passed state exams, and secured bonds before securing an auction license. Some feel the total cost and time away from work and home is prohibitive. 2. There is a high failure rate. It's generally accepted that the failure rate for auctioneers is 95%; only 5% of auction school graduates are still working in the profession five years later. No doubt most people look at the bid calling portion of the work and find it exciting. What they don't realize is the amount of work required to get established, book jobs, and work consistently. Once they do, they reconsider the career. 3. The auctioneer is constantly being judged by personal conduct and auction results. If an accountant prepares a bad tax return, the only people who know are the accountant, the client, and a representative from the IRS. But if an auctioneer fails to maintain his or her professionalism on the stage, a crowd of 200, 500, or 1000+ have just witnessed the bad behavior. Like an actor, an auctioneer is only as good as his or her last performance. 4. New auctioneers have a difficult time getting established because few people want to entrust the sale of their personal property to someone who has little experience. Regardless of the merchandise up for bid, most clients are faced with anxiety before an auction. They are not sure how the event will turn out, and they want it to go well. One auctioneer might regularly work in front of crowds of 200 people. If a prospective client expects to have 1000 people at their event, the group has a legitimate concern as to whether the auctioneer can adapt to the larger audience. Some auctioneers will find the larger crowd nerve-wracking. They might not be able to adjust easily, and it could affect revenues. Organizations might not book an auctioneer simply because the auctioneer lacks experience working with a specific crowd size, specific types of items, or perceived regional differences. 5. The erratic pay structure leaves some people uneasy. Many auctioneers are paid on commission. If a sale goes badly, the auctioneer will not make as much money. On a similar vein, some types of auctions, such as many benefit auctions or even purebred cattle sales, are seasonal. An auctioneer might be busy one season, but have no auctions (and no income!) the next. The irregularity of the job proves difficult for some people. Regardless of the personal or industry reasons, full-time auctioneers aren't as plentiful as many other professions. Copyright (c) 2009 Red Apple Auctions LLC
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