Do auctioneers talk fast in the UK?
It entirely depends on the kind of auction you are attending. In ordinary cattle auctions they are extremely fast, but if the auctioneers are selling a valuable race horse, they take a considerable time as vast sums of money are involved and nowadays there also are telephone bids which slow proceedings considerably. In second hand car sales the bidding is also very brisk. Likewise, if you go to an important auction where well known masters’ paintings like Van Gogh or Picasso are sold, the auctioneers go much more slowly because such immense amounts are involved and people do have to think about the sums offered before raising their bid and may hesitate. In ordinary furniture and household goods, it depends on the auctioneer, how much stuff they have to shift, and on the response of the buying public. If something does not attract any bids to start with the auctioneer has to slow down and find a lower starting price. In the UK we see a lot of programmes on television where amateurs are
