Proxibid has announced that beginning next week, bidders will be able to message auctioneers, asking “for more details about specific items, right from the auction catalog.” We encourage auctioneers to use this feature to quell complaints and encourage bidding.

Proxibid’s rival, iCollector, has had the function in place for awhile now, and we find it useful. (Click above picture to expand.)

Beginning Nov. 21, at the auction house’s discretion, Proxibidders will be able to click a link and interact via Internet. We applaud this new feature, knowing that some auctioneers will see this as an imposition on their time and patience, especially if bidders use the function for complaints.

The nature of the Web is interactive, and while time is money, interactivity is opportunity.

For instance, auctioneers can also use the function to tout the desirability of an item or to provide a pleasant response, such as “Thank You for considering our auction.”

You can also insert in your terms of service an encouragement to use the function to ask about a lot … before bidding.

Even in the wake of brash emails, the reply function can showcase your professionalism. As in any interactive function, if you receive an inappropriate message, you can report that to Proxibid or eliminate that bidder from your session.

One less problem, there.

However, on the whole, we see this enhancement as a plus for re-establishing the social network quality of the old Proxibid. We hope you do, too.

Proxiblog is an independent entity with no connection to the auction portal Proxibid. Our intent is to uphold basic numismatic standards as established by the American Numismatic Association and the National Auctioneer Association and to ensure a pleasurable bidding experience not only on Proxibid but also on similar portals such as iCollector and AuctionZip.