The Auction
The central public auction is available through a data-link network available in most cities and towns on Calypso. Access to this network is controlled by the Auctioneer NPC; a humanoid whose sole purpose is to administer access to the public auction. These humanoids are easily recognized by their brown suits and yellow shirts, and are often located within the mobile service centers in cities and towns. Access the auction by operating the Auctioneer. This opens the Auction Panel.
Auction Panel
The auction panel has a lot of different settings, which can be confusing at first, but they are all in place to make it easier for you to navigate the huge amount of items that are sold and bought on the auction every day.
Item List
The main section displays all items for the display filters you have selected. It also includes an overview of important auction information like quantity available, TT value, markup, buyout price and the time remaining for each item.
By selecting an item in the auction list and clicking 'View' you can access an image and detailed information for that item. By right clicking the image you can open the Item Info.
Categories
On the left side of the panel are the category options. These allow you to choose what type of items you want to display. If have Offers toggled, you will display the items of that type that are currently for sale. If you have Orders toggled, you will display the items of that type that colonists are looking to buy.
Offers and Orders
It is of utmost importance to keep track of whether you have “Offers” or “Orders” toggled. The “Offers” and “Orders” buttons are found at the top of the Auction Panel. Toggling “Offers” makes it so the item list displays the items that are currently for sale on the auction. Toggling “Orders” makes it so you navigate the items that colonists want to buy on the auction, as well as items for which you can yourself place an order.
Buying
Placing a Bid
Once you've found an item you're interested in:
Highlight it in the main auction list and press 'View'.
Review detailed information about the item by right clicking on the image and viewing its Item Info. Review the auction offer details including its value, opening bid, buyout bid etc. If you are satisfied you can now proceed and place a bid.
Use the value spinners to enter how much you wish to bid for the item. Press 'Accept' and confirm that you wish to place the bid. The PED will be drawn from your PED Card and reserved by the Auction. The PED will of course be returned to you if you don’t win the bidding for the item.
By paying the Buyout Bid directly you will not have to wait for the auction to expire and the item will be won instantly.
Retrieving a Won Item
A won item is held by the auction until you retrieve it. This conveniently allows you to collect the item from any Auctioneer NPC on Calypso.
Your won items are displayed by toggling “Orders” and clicking “Won”. Then it’s just a matter of highlighting the item by clicking it, and then clicking “Retrieve” to have it moved to your inventory.
Placing an Order
By placing an order you can attempt to buy a bulk amount from several different sellers at a set price. An order is also a convenient way to buy a single item not currently available at the auction. To place an order:
Toggle Orders - Available, to produce a list of all the items you could possibly want to order.
Find the item you wish to place an order for. You can use the category panel to the left to find the item more easily.
Select the item you wish to order and click the 'Order' button at the bottom of the Panel.
Use the value spinners to decide 'Max Markup', 'Quantity' and number of 'Valid Days' for your order on this item. Please note that the Max Markup is per unit. A fee of 1 PED is charged for every day you wish your order to remain on the Auction. This fee is paid up-front when creating the order.
Press 'Accept' to confirm. The sum of auction fee and max price for the items will be drawn from your PED card and reserved by the auction to pay for your order.
Your current orders can be viewed by clicking “My orders”.
Auction Fees & Commissions
A Procurement Order Fee of 1 PED is charged for every day you wish your order to remain on the Auction. This fee is paid up-front when creating the order.
A Base Fee of 0.5 PED is charged when placing any item on the Auction. This is a one-time fee paid up-front when placing any item on the Auction.
A commission is paid on the difference between the Opening Bid and the item's TT value (the Markup). The commission begins at 5% but gradually decreases as the Markup value increases (a Regressive Commission). It ensures that items with large Markup values don't end up paying very high commissions. In fact, a maximum commission ceiling of 100 PED is in effect.
The Commission is paid up-front with the Base Fee when placing an item on the Auction. Remember, the commission is based on the difference between the Opening Bid and the Trade Terminal value. If you want to keep the initial commission low - keep the Opening Bid low.
When an item is finally sold at Auction, a commission is again calculated on the difference between the final Sale Price and the Trade Terminal value. The original commission you paid to place the item on the Auction is deducted and the remainder is charged against the final Sale Price.
