A candle auction, or auction by the candle, is a variation on the typical
English auction
An English auction is an open-outcry ascending dynamic auction. It proceeds as follows.
* The auctioneer opens the auction by announcing a suggested opening bid, a starting price or reserve for the item on sale.
* Then the auctioneer accepts incre ...
that became popular in the 17th and 18th centuries.
[R.W. Patten. "Tatworth Candle Auction." ''Folklore'' 81, No. 2 (Summer 1970), 132-135] In a candle auction, the end of the auction is signaled by the expiration of a
candle
A candle is an ignitable wick embedded in wax, or another flammable solid substance such as tallow, that provides light, and in some cases, a fragrance. A candle can also provide heat or a method of keeping time.
A person who makes candle ...
flame, which was intended to ensure that no one could know exactly when the auction would end and make a last-second bid. Sometimes, other unpredictable processes, such as a
footrace
Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...
, were used in place of the expiration of a candle.
Auction by the candle was known in England by 1641, when it is mentioned in the records of the House of Lords.
[William S. Walsh ''A Handy Book Of Curious Information Comprising Strange Happenings in the Life of Men and Animals, Odd Statistics, Extraordinary Phenomena and Out of the Way Facts Concerning the Wonderlands of the Earth.'' Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Co., 1913. 63-64.] The practice rapidly became popular, and in 1652,
John Milton wrote, "The Council thinks it meet to propose the way of selling by inch of candle, as being the most probable means to procure the true value of the goods."
Samuel Pepys's diary of his London life records two occasions when the Admiralty (his employer) sold surplus ships "by an inch of candle" (November 1660 and September 1662). Pepys also relates a hint from a highly successful bidder, who had observed that, just before expiring, a candle-wick always flares up slightly: on seeing this, he would shout his final – and winning – bid.
Although the candle auction went out of favour in the 17th century,
it was still not uncommon in the sale of ships at
Lloyd's Coffee House
A 19th-century drawing of Lloyd's Coffee House
Lloyd's Coffee House was a significant meeting place in London in the 17th and 18th centuries.
It was opened by Edward Lloyd (c. 1648 – 15 February 1713) on Tower Street in 1686. The establis ...
in London in the early 19th century. For instance, , among other ships, was offered for sale in a candle auction in 1828.
[''London Public Ledger And Daily Advertiser'', 15 February 1828, p.4.]
/ref>
A few candle auctions are still held today as a form of tradition
A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...
. In Chedzoy, Somerset, a plot of church land is sold by candle auction once every 21 years.Leigh, Dorset
Leigh () is a village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in southern England, situated approximately south-southwest of Sherborne. It is known as the site of a former Miz Maze. In the 2011 census the parish had a population of 480.
His ...
, two pieces of land, Alton Mead and Bere (or Beer) Mead, are auctioned annually. And in Bourne, Lincolnshire
Bourne is a market town and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies on the eastern slopes of the limestone Kesteven Uplands and the western edge of the Fens, 11 miles (18 km) north-east of Stamford, 12 mil ...
, the White Bread Meadow is auctioned by means of a race between two boys from the town.[Jeremy Hobson. ''Curious County Customs''. Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 2007. 76-77.]
A modern variant of the candle auction is used in some online auction
An online auction (also electronic auction, e-auction, virtual auction, or eAuction) is an auction held over the internet and accessed by internet connected devices. Similar to in-person auctions, online auctions come in a variety of types, with ...
systems to prevent auction sniping
Auction sniping (also called bid sniping) is the practice, in a timed online auction, of placing a bid likely to exceed the current highest bid (which may be hidden) as late as possible—usually seconds before the end of the auction—giving o ...
. In these auctions, a computer randomly selects the time when the auction will end to discourage snipers from attempting to enter bids at the last second. Indeed, Füllbrunn and Sadrieh show theoretically and experimentally that bidders submit serious bids from the start in candle auctions.
References
{{reflist
Types of auction