What are NFT auctions?
How does an NFT auction work?
Not all NFT marketplaces run their NFT auctions in the same way. If you want to run an automated, timed NFT auction, you can set up a reserve auction or a scheduled auction.
In a reserve auction, a public reserve price is set. Once it is reached, it sets off a 24-hour countdown to the end of the auction, allowing other collectors to bid before the deadline. Reserve auctions work well when you are not in a hurry to sell an NFT art piece, but want to get at least some money for it. Once the reserve price is set, there is no specific time frame in which it must be reached – but when it is, the timer goes off.
In a scheduled auction, specific start and end times are chosen, along with an optional starting price. The auction will start and end at approximately the specified times, regardless of whether bids reach the starting price. Scheduled auctions are ideal when you know you want to sell an NFT during a specific time period, as part of an event, or to make the auction an event in its own right.
Why should you use NFT auctions?
If you’re getting ready to release your NFT, and you think you’re going to sell out, you should consider an auction.
- First, using an auction eliminates scalpers and short-term flippers. Because the auction price is set by the market, there is no short-term profit to be made. Fans and long-term investors will be able to earn their NFTs from the first sale.
- Users would submit their bids over a period of time, and the selling price would be the highest losing bid. This avoids users overpaying – bidders are paying exactly the amount they would have had to bid to win, and then allows people to bid their estimated value.
- At the close of the bidding, the sale price would be set. Winning bidders would be given their NFTs, and the bid amount in excess of the sale price would be refunded. Losing bidders would have their money refunded.