Posted By:
barrysloateI have attended quite a few live auctions too, and as a general rule if the auctioneer cries "Sold" (it is called crying, as in "The Crying of Lot 49"), he generally says it boldly; but if he cries "Pass" it is generally done quietly and is sometimes difficult to hear.
On more than one occasion I've turned to the person next to me and asked "did he just say 'sold' or 'passed'?"