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The chant - that rapid-fire,
quick-cadence combination of numbers, words and sounds that keeps an auction clipping
along - is one of the most identifiable features of auctions and auctioneers.
Fascinating, sure. Remarkable,
undoubtedly. Exciting, obviously. But what the chant is in its simplest form is
communication. It’s an auctioneer’s way of telling bidders what they need to
know regarding the  sale of a particular item at its time of sale. And, because an
auctioneer’s job is to sell the most amount of property quickly, the chant is
frequently fast.
Newcomers to auctions are sometimes confused by the auctioneer's rapid speech and
mistakenly feel the auctioneer is saying words and sounds that aren't meant to be
understood. Although the most widely recognized talent of the auctioneer is undoubtedly
his or her ability to talk fast - the first thing people should know about
auctioneers is that their main job is to communicate, and if the audience cannot
understand him or her, the auctioneer is not doing a good job.
This method of rapid talking is called the auctioneer's chant. No one seems to
know for certain when or where the rhythmic chant used by most North American auctioneers
originated. It just seems to have evolved of necessity as auctioneers saw the need to sell
items in a more rapid manner. The chant is a tool the auctioneer uses to hold the
audience's attention and to keep the auction moving at a steady pace.
Unlike other types
of sales, an auction is a one-time event where all the customers are present at the same
time. Thus, the auctioneer is responsible for selling all the items within a few hours,
and his or her use of the chant helps keep the items moving. In simplest terms, the chant
is merely a series of numbers connected by "filler" words to give the buyer time
to think between bids.
"The chant is part of what makes an
auction so unique," said John Roebuck, CAI, AARE, president of John Roebuck
and Associates, Memphis, TN. "And though professional auctioneers are
much, much more than just fast talkers, the chant is one of the most intriguing parts of
an auction to many people."
A basic auctioneer chant goes like this:
"l dollar bid, now 2,
now 2, will ya give me 2?
2 dollar bid, now 3,
now 3, will ya give me 3?
3 dollar bid, now 4,
now 4, will ya give me 4?"
The filler words are everything except the numbers. Filler words are used to
remind buyers of the last number bid and to give buyers time to consider - whether they
want to bid higher. Think of filler words as carriers -- the; filler words
"carry" the numbers, which are the most important part of the chant.
Using filler words that connect and roll, auctioneers create a steady rhythm in
their chants. The rhythm enables the crowd to listen longer and faster by keeping the bids
at regular intervals. This helps the bidders know what to expect next and to keep the bids
coming at a constant pace.
Many people think auctioneers sound like they're singing because the chant's
rhythm has a beat much like music does. The steady rhythm allows the auctioneer's chant to
move more rapidly than normal speech. Since auctioneers have a limited amount of time to
sell many items, they need to speak quickly. At an average household estate auction, the
auctioneer's chant helps him or her sell an average of 60 items per hour. Certain types of
auctions go even faster: wholesale automobile auctioneers frequently sell 125-175 cars per
hour and tobacco auctioneers may sell 500-600 lots per hour.
Besides keeping the auction moving, the fast-paced chant creates excitement and
makes the auction environment entertaining. Auctioneers will adjust their pace, depending
on the bidding experience of their crowd. After all, the auctioneer can only chant as fast
as the bidders will bid. Next time you attend an auction, concentrate on the numbers in
the auctioneer's chant. The numbers are the most important part of the chant, and are
pronounced the most clearly. The chant is only hard to understand if you are not
concentrating on bidding for an item you want to take home!
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