Tips of the Trade
8 Reasons To Bid Your Way Through The Holidays

‘Tis the season to be jolly, even when you’re braving the Black Friday cashier line or stuck in stop-and-go traffic on the pilgrimage to many a-family gathering – gifts, kids, and casseroles in tow. For many, the holidays are not all carols, cards, and cookies. It can feel like a downright marathon (in a puffer jacket, no less)! That’s why we’ve compiled a list of reasons why you should keep bidding while you bid good tidings – be it alone in line for the bathroom at the office soirée, or with the whole family in footed pajamas under the tree.
1. You can ensure you get a present this year you actually want.
Maybe you didn’t make the Nice List. Or maybe you overslept and missed the appliance and power tool doorbuster deals, or you didn’t drop enough 24 karat/carat hints to your Secret Santa. Whatever the case, bidding on a handful of things you’d actually like, love or use is a great way to make sure your Christmas morning isn’t clouded with disappointment – or worse – a lumpy stocking full of coal.


EBTH Columbus - Hilliard
Contemporary Slipcovered Chair-and-a-Half with Throw Pillows

EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
14K Citrine, Topaz and Amethyst Ring

EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Oil Painting of Barn Scene With Two Dogs

EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Sterling Abalone, Amethyst, and Sapphire Jellyfish Earrings

2. Pine needles. They are sharp and they are everywhere.
And hey, you don’t look busy, so it might be a good idea to open your laptop elsewhere to avoid being tasked with gathering the billion scattered shards of the tree with little more than your bare hands and Grandma’s ancient cordless Dustbuster. You can say you’re waiting for the battery to charge. (But really you’re just bidding on some fancy, fine and needle-less faux firs.)

EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Leif Janek Abstract Acrylic Painting, 21st Century

EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Halftone of Women's CHS Champs Team

EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
William J. Greenwood Coastal Landscape Oil Painting, Late 20th Century

EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Jack Meanwell Expressionist Oil Pastel Drawing
3. Not everyone understands or loves football.
Don’t feel left out, get in the competitive spirit and start placing bids while the rest of the fam is placing bets on the game. And then just yell at the television or cheer when everyone else does.


EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Yamaha RX-V465 AV Receiver with Teac and Acoustic Audio Speakers

EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Mexican Sterling Necklace

EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
14K 0.50 CTW Diamond Crossover Ring with Fancy Color Stones

EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
José M. Lima Seascape Oil Painting, 2023

4. Bidding burns calories.
When it comes to fighting the post-holiday meal bulge, old-fashioned exercise is probably your best bet. However, if you aren’t arm’s reach from an elliptical machine, know that a mouse click burns approximately 1.42 calories. A finger tap on the smartphone is only slightly less. So, depending on how heated the auction gets for that hot little handbag, you could potentially fit in a workout from wherever you’re bidding.

EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Gorham "Rondo" Sterling Silver Flatware, Mid to Late 20th Century

EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
St. John Rhinestone Toad Brooch

EBTH Columbus - Hilliard
Alexander Calder Double-Page Color Lithograph for "Derrière le Miroir," 1975

EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Vintage Glass Necklace
5. The family that bids together…
Whether you’re bidding together or against each other, it will definitely be a fun alternative to the annual argument over whose turn it is to wash the post-turkey dishes, cutlery and serveware.


EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
14K Tiger's Eye Bead Necklace

EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
1920 Elgin Gold-Filled Pocket Watch Conversion Wristwatch

EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Lee Dunkel Oil Portrait "Bear Paw"

EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
1975 Battery Operated Toy Chevrolet and More

6. You forgot to get someone a gift.
Or your brother brought his on-again-off-again significant other to dinner and, hooray, she brought you a present. Say you need to get more wine from the kitchen, scrawl out a card explaining her gift is in the mail, and clandestinely bid on a trinket she’ll love. Awkward crisis averted.
7. There’s a lot of waiting around.
Tick tock. Watching the clock while the oven preheats, waiting in line at the store, or just waiting for Santa to come down the chimney – bidding is a good way to keep idle hands productive during the season.


8. Get a head start on next year’s gifting!
While you’re opening presents, take notes on what the hits and misses are and get your bids going for next year. Is Great Aunt Claire eyeing that crystal brooch you gave your mom? Would a vintage decanter look slick on Cousin Julie’s new bar cart? Could Dad use a new turntable to play the Beatles stereo vinyl box set you got him this year? One thing’s for sure, when the holidays roll back around next time, you’ll be glad you bid.