Auction glossarySoft Close Meaning: Why Late Bids Extend the Clock
A soft close is an auction ending rule where a bid placed in a lot's final minutes resets or extends its clock, so the lot closes only once bidding stops. It gives every bidder time to respond, which takes the advantage away from last-second sniping. The opposite is a hard close.
How does a soft close work?
Each lot has a closing window set by the auction house. Any bid inside that window resets the lot's clock to the full window, again and again, until a whole window passes with no bids. On Auktia, a soft close is called extended bidding, and the window is 1, 2, 3 or 5 minutes; 2 is common.
What does a soft close look like in practice?
A lot is due to close at 7:00:00 pm with a 2-minute window. A bid at 6:59:40 resets the clock to 2:00, so the lot now closes at 7:01:40. Another bid at 7:01:30 pushes it to 7:03:30. When two minutes pass quietly, it closes.
Why do auctions use a soft close?
With a hard close, the winner is often whoever bids last with the fastest connection. A soft close works like an auctioneer's going once, going twice: nobody wins on network speed, and bid sniping stops paying off. See our soft close guide.
Questions people ask
Is soft close the same as extended bidding?
Yes. Extended bidding, auto-extend and popcorn bidding all describe the same idea: late bids add time.
Does a soft close extend every lot at once?
No. Each lot extends on its own, so one busy lot can run past others even when lots close one after another.