PCjs Machines
Home of the original IBM PC emulator for browsers.
PC-SIG Diskette Library (Disk #1388)
[PCjs Machine "ibm5170"]
Waiting for machine "ibm5170" to load....
Information about “THE WINNING BID”
I have a dollar, do I have two dollars? Two dollars, two dollars...
sold!
THE WINNING BID is a bonanza for both professionals and amateurs turning
to auctions to raise big bucks. It lets you trace merchandise from
donors or the house on through to the purchaser, reporting who receives
what, and how much was the bid price. The 70-page manual tutors
hobbyists on how to set up and operate this profitable fundraiser.
THE WINNING BID records sellers or donors, and consigned merchandise,
providing pre-sale receipts. Post-sale statements double as receipts
for tax purposes and allow buyers to pick up merchandise. Merchandise
lots are tagged with lot numbers, a description, and minimum bid if
needed. Date, time and amount of sales are recorded along with the
buyers' identities.
The program prints paddle numbers in advance, and tracks buyers by
paddle number and the merchandise they bought, and even adds sales tax
where appropriate. It can combine lots, track bids made under the
minimum and record seller alterations to bid prices after the sale is
complete. Buyers can close and pay for their purchases at any time
during the auction or after its completion. Likewise, sellers can be
paid at any time or limited to payment when the purchasers of their
merchandise pay.
FILE1388.TXT
Disk No: 1388
Program Title: THE WINNING BID version 1.3
PC-SIG version 1
I have a dollar, do I have two dollars? Two dollars, two dollars..sold!
THE WINNING BID is a bonanza for both professionals and amateurs turning
to auctions to raise big bucks. It lets you trace merchandise from
donors or the house on through to the purchaser, reporting who receives
what, and how much was the bid price. The 70-page manual tutors
hobbyists on how to set up and operate this profitable fundraiser.
THE WINNING BID records sellers or donors, and consigned merchandise,
providing pre-sale receipts. Post-sale statements double as receipts
for tax purposes and allow buyers to pick up merchandise. Merchandise
lots are tagged with lot numbers, a description, and minimum bid if
needed. Date, time and amount of sales are recorded along with the
buyers' identities.
The program prints paddle numbers in advance, and tracks buyers by
paddle number and the merchandise they bought, and even adds sales tax
where appropriate. It can combine lots, track bids made under the
minimum and record seller alterations to bid prices after the sale is
complete. Buyers can close and pay for their purchases at any time
during the auction or after its completion. Likewise, sellers can be
paid at any time or limited to payment when the purchasers of their
merchandise pay.
Synopsis: Everything you need to run a successful auction but the
auctioneer!
Usage: Business/Specialized/Auctions
Special Requirements: A printer; hard disk recommended for very
large auctions.
How to Start: Type GO (press enter).
Suggested Registration: $25.00
File Description:
WB EXE Main program.
WBNOS FLE Overlay.
WBREAD ME Initial information.
WB DOC Program documentation.
PC-SIG
1030D E Duane Avenue
Sunnyvale CA 94086
(408) 730-9291
(c) Copyright 1989 PC-SIG, Inc.
GO.TXT
╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ <<<< Disk No 1388 The Winning Bid >>>> ║
╠═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ To start the program, type WB (press enter) ║
║ ║
║ To view info about the program, type VIEW (press enter) ║
║ ║
║ To copy the documentation to your printer, type MANUAL (press enter) ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
WB.DOC
User Manual
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
Copyright 1988 by Jan B. Young
Precision Systems
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
The User-Supported Version of the The Winning Bid (WB) is owned by Jan
B. Young, doing business as Precision Systems, 767 N. Holden St., Port
Washington, WI 53074. See section V of this manual for the complete
terms and conditions of sale.
The registration fee for the User-Supported version of The Winning Bid
is $25.00. For your fee, you will receive:
1) A free copy of The Auction Primer, a separate manual which
gives hints and tips for the operation of profitable auctions
using The Winning Bid.
2) Free telephone support (see section VI).
3) A free copy of the professional version demo on diskette. This
demo diskette is worth $5 if you choose to upgrade to the Pro-
fessional Version.
Register today! Send your $25.00 to:
Precision Systems
767 N. Holden St.
Port Washington, WI 53074
Wisconsin residents must include 5% sales tax ($1.25 additional).
Page 2
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Table of Contents
Registration 2
I. Introduction
A. Purpose I- 2
B. Assumptions made I- 3
C. Hardware required I- 3
D. Physical auction room setup and procedures I- 4
E. How to read this manual I- 4
II. Installing The Winning Bid
A. Installation II- 2
B. Data base setup II- 3
C. Data base clearing II- 4
III. Tutorial
A. Starting The Winning Bid III- 2
B. Clear Data Base III- 3
C. System Set Up III- 3
D. Print Paddles III- 5
E. Preprint Lot Tags III- 6
F. Enter Sellers/Lots III- 6
G. Silent Auction III- 7
H. Live Auction III- 8
I. Close Buyers and Sellers III- 9
J. Print Reports III-10
IV. Reference section
A. Clear Data Base IV- 2
B. System Set Up IV- 3
C. Print Paddles & Tags IV- 9
D. Enter Sellers/Lots IV-12
E. Silent Auction IV-19
F. Live Auction IV-25
G. Reports IV-30
H. Stop IV-42
I. Data Backups and Archiving IV-43
V. Terms and conditions of sale V- 2
VI. Support VI- 2
VII. Index VII- 2
Page 3
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
I. Introduction
Page I-1
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
A. Purpose
The Winning Bid is a software product designed to support both amateur
fund-raising and professional for-profit auctions.
Many hobby and charitable organizations across the country raise funds
to support their activities through amateur auctions. Although some
of these auctions are conducted by professional auctioneers, the book-
keepers and the people who support the auctioneer by checking in mate-
rial lots, carrying them to and from the auction block, and collecting
from the buyers are generally amateur volunteers.
Merchandise lots are sometimes donated, giving the organization 100%
of the proceeds of the sale. Other merchandise may be sold on behalf
of the buyer, with the organization receiving a commission of 10% to
30% of the proceeds. Other auctions sell a mixture of donated and
commissioned merchandise.
Professional, for-profit auctions differ from amateur auctions pri-
marily in the pace and professionalism of the operation. Professional
auction houses don't receive merchandise donations, but do sell items
owned by the house. The logic for management of owned items is identi-
cal to that for donations since proceeds accrue fully to the auction
house. Volunteer labor is rare in the professional auction house and
is generally replaced with paid labor, increasing the need for effi-
ciency.
The Winning Bid contributes to the successful operation of an auction
by:
1. Recording sellers (or donors) and the merchandise they consign
(or donate). As lots are checked in, The Winning Bid produces a
pre-sale receipt. After the auction is over, it produces a
post-sale statement which can double as a receipt for tax pur-
poses, or can accompany the payment for goods sold on consign-
ment and can be used as an authorization document during the
post-sale pickup of unsold merchandise. Seller's names,
addresses, and phone numbers are recorded, simplifying the job
of mailing post-sale statements and checks.
2. Recording and tracking merchandise lots. Lot tags listing the
lot's number, a description, and (optionally) a minimum bid are
printed as lots are checked in. The system tracks separate min-
imum bids for the auction and for each lot; only the larger of
the two is printed on the lot tags. As the auction proceeds,
the date and time of sale is recorded along with the selling
price and the buyer's identity.
3. Buyers are identified (by a paddle number) and the merchandise
purchased by each buyer is identified with data entry occurring
in real time as the auction progresses. Paddles are printed in
advance (if desired). Post-sale statements are printed for
each buyer as a payment receipt and as pick-up authorization
for physical delivery of the merchandise purchased. If sales
tax is to be collected from buyers, The Winning Bid will
Page I-2
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
include the proper calculations on its statements.
4. Numerous special circumstances are handled and tracked by the
system including the combination of two or more lots into one
by the auctioneer, bids made under the minimum specified by the
organization and/or the seller, alterations to the bid price
after the sale is complete, correction for data entry errors,
etc.
5. The Winning Bid allows buyers to close and pay for their pur-
chases at any time during the auction or after its completion.
Sellers may be allowed to close and receive payment any time
after auctioning of their merchandise is complete or can be
limited to closure only after the buyers of their merchandise
have paid, or when there is enough money in the till to pay
them (in cash), or both. Or sellers can be closed by the auc-
tion house after completion of the auction, with statements and
checks mailed out later.
6. After completion of the auction, a variety of reports are
available listing buyers and sellers, and a P&L statement for
the auction can be printed.
B. Assumptions made
The Winning Bid makes several assumptions about the physical organiza-
tion and operation of the auction. The most important of these
assumptions are:
1. That the auctioneer will work from an auction block, with mer-
chandise lots brought to the block for sale and then carried
away. Auctions in which the auctioneer moves around the auc-
tion hall (i.e. when machinery or other hard-to-move items are
being sold) can be supported by recording bids on paper and
using runners to carry them to the computer, but this is less
convenient. The Winning Bid assumes that the computer and its
operator will be physically located within ear-shot of the auc-
tioneer at all times.
2. That each auction is independent from all others. The Winning
Bid can support more than one auction at a time by maintaining
data bases on separate diskettes or disk directories, but the
software will operate on and report on only one at a time.
C. Hardware required
The minimum hardware required by The Winning Bid is an IBM-PC or close
compatible computer with at least 256K of memory and two diskette
drives.
Although The Winning Bid will operate on the minimum hardware set, it
will be difficult to effectively control an auction with it because
all reports will necessarily be directed to the screen. Not only will
Page I-3
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
this make it impossible for the operator to give receipts to buyers
and sellers, it will also interrupt the flow of bidding during the
auction itself. Therefore, the following additional equipment is
highly recommended:
1. A printer. Almost any printer will do so long as it can print
80 columns on an 8 1/2" by 11" page.
2. A second printer (and a second printer port). The second
printer will allow both paper (for reports) and tag stock (for
lot tags) to be printed without the need for constantly chang-
ing forms. Unless the advance-tag option is selected (see sec-
tion III-B and elsewhere in this manual), the second printer is
highly advised for efficiency and speed in the seller-and-lot
entry process.
3. A hard disk is not required (a 360K diskette has adequate
capacity to handle several hundred merchandise lots), but is
advised for speed.
D. Physical auction room setup and procedures
The Winning Bid is designed to be compatible with a variety of physi-
cal auction rooms and a flexible set of auction operating procedures.
As a general guide to procedures, however, you should read this manual
in detail and experiment with the software on your own before attemp-
ting to actually operate an auction with The Winning Bid.
E. How to read this manual
Construction of a user manual which will simultaneously fill user's
needs for tutorial instruction and also function as a reference docu-
ment is difficult. Further complicating this requirement is the need
to serve users at both a beginning and an expert level. These mul-
tiple (and conflicting) requirements are often the reason why users
are disappointed in the quality of the documentation they receive with
the software they purchase.
This user manual attempts to meet all of the above requirements with
the following strategy:
1. Tutorial and reference needs are met with two separate sections
in this manual and with a separate document (the "Primer")
These cover, respectively, auction operations in a tutorial
fashion, reference material, and hints and tips on the oper-
ation of a profitable auction.
2. Beginner/expert issues are addressed by writing for the middle
ground with additional comments as necessary enclosed in brack-
ets like this: { }. Start by ignoring the bracketed informa-
tion; read it when you need it.
Page I-4
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
II. Installing The Winning Bid
Page II-1
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Making The Winning Bid work on your computer involves three relatively
simple steps: transfer of the software to your hard disk or to a work-
ing diskette (called the "installation"), customization of it through
table entries ("setup"), and construction of an initial data base.
A. Installation
Installation of The Winning Bid on your computer system is simplicity
itself. Begin by producing a directory of the diskette on which you
received The Winning Bid. You should see the following files in the
directory:
WB.EXE The Winning Bid program
WBNOS.FLE Block letter data file
WBREAD.ME Version-specific, last-minute information about
your copy of The Winning Bid
{The demonstration version of The Winning Bid comes with a second dis-
kette containing documentation. On that diskette you will find a file
called "WB.DOC". The documentation is printed with the DOS command
"COPY A:WB.DOC LPT1:".}
Before installing The Winning Bid, "TYPE" the file WBREAD.ME and fol-
low any instructions contained in it. Some instructions could super-
sede those given below. (Use the DOS command TYPE A:WBREAD.ME.)
If you have a two-diskette computer, format two blank diskettes. Label
one "WB Software" and the other "WB Data". Then copy everything on
the delivery diskette to the Winning Bid software diskette. Option-
ally, you may wish to preformat the software diskette with DOS and a
copy of COMMAND.COM and then write a batch file to start The Winning
Bid. If you don't know how to do this offhand, refer to your DOS man-
ual.
If you have a hard-disk, create a new directory (possibly called "WB")
and copy everything on the delivery diskette to it.
In either case, the original delivery diskette should then be safely
stored away as a backup copy.
Regardless of whether you are running from diskette or a hard disk,
operation of The Winning Bid requires that the software be on the
default drive and in the current directory. Further, it is required
that the file WBNOS.FLE be present together with the software on the
default drive and in the current directory. WB.DOC (demo system only)
and WBREAD.ME may be placed elsewhere, or can be deleted at your dis-
cretion. (Delete these files from your working copy of the software -
not from the original disk.)
After you have run The Winning Bid for the first time, another file
called WB.CFG will be automatically created. This file must also
remain on the default drive and in the default directory whenever The
Winning Bid is run.
Page II-2
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Following completion of the installation process, The Winning Bid may
be started by typing "WB" followed by the enter key.
{The Winning Bid will run faster and will be more responsive if you
provide the statement "BUFFERS=20" in a CONFIG.SYS file on your root
directory.}
B. Data Base Setup
Before The Winning Bid can be used, the data base must be set up and
cleared. These two processes may be run in either sequence.
FAILURE TO RUN BOTH THE SET UP AND CLEARING PROCESSES BEFORE ENTERING
DATA WILL HAVE UNPREDICTABLE AND PROBABLY UNDESIRABLE RESULTS.
The set up process is one that you will use several times before each
auction as plans for the auction are firmed and as the situation
changes. Although the process asks for some information that you can
only guess at now, you must still go through the set up at least once
before you can run The Winning Bid. Remember, you can always change
it later.
Set up is done by running the system (type "WB" and press the enter
key). The Winning Bid presents its main menu and asks which disk
drive holds your data files. Respond with the appropriate drive let-
ter (A, B, C, etc.).
Now The Winning Bid displays its main menu. Select option 2 from the
menu to set up The Winning Bid for your use. During the set up process
you will be presented with up to four screens of options and variables
to be completed (the exact number of screens depends on the options
you select, as described below). For each of the screens displayed,
fill in the blanks as appropriate. When each screen is complete,
press Esc to proceed to the next screen. When the last screen has
been completed, The Winning Bid will return you to the main menu.
Following completion of each set up screen, The Winning Bid validates
your data and may present a screen of warnings. You may elect to
return to the prior screen and make any required corrections, or you
may elect to proceed without making corrections at this time. Only
one error (the selection of identical foreground and background col-
ors) is considered adequately important to force you to make the cor-
rection immediately.
In addition to the above, after completion of the third screen, The
Winning Bid tests your printer port assignments and determines whether
or not your printers are present and the communications parameters
correct. If the printers do not respond properly, an additional screen
reports the problem. Note that the problems shown on this screen can
result if the printer isn't currently connected to the computer, if it
isn't turned on, and/or if it isn't online. If an error occurs in
this test, The Winning Bid will record the fact that the printer is
not available and, subsequently, will not attempt to use it. If the
error is later corrected, The Winning Bid must be notified either by
Page II-3
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
passing through the setup process or by stopping and restarting the
system (the same test is conducted every time you start The Winning
Bid). To do this, press F10 from the main menu and then type WB to
restart the system.
A detailed description of the set up data entry screens and the fields
that appear on them can be found in section IV of this manual.
C. Clearing the Data Base
The data base clearing process erases an old data base (if one exists)
and creates a new one. It must be run during the initial installation
of The Winning Bid to create files for entry of your sellers, lots,
and buyers.
To run the data base clearing process, selection function 1 from the
main menu. You will be presented with a warning screen. Press "Esc"
if you do not want to run data base clearing at this time. Press the
enter key to continue with the process.
The data base clearing process is fully automatic. It takes a few
minutes to run. Please be patient.
For more information about data base clearing, see section IV.
Page II-4
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
III. Tutorial
Page III-1
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
One of the important differences between a good auctioneer and a
mediocre one is pacing. The good auctioneer knows how fast to go,
when to wait for a prospective bidder to make up his mind, when to
lighten the mood with a joke, and when to cut off bidding on an item.
In an auction operated with The Winning Bid, you, the computer opera-
tor, will be seated at your keyboard close to the auctioneer. It will
be your job to keep up with the auctioneer, recording bids as they are
accepted and thereby doing the bookkeeping. Because the pace of the
auction is controlled by the auctioneer and not by you, the job will,
at times, require significant concentration. If the auctioneer
accepts a bid and you fail to hear it, the auction will have to be
interrupted while things are straightened out. You will find it dif-
ficult to read this manual and pay attention to the bidding simulta-
neously. Therefore, it is essential that you have a solid understand-
ing of The Winning Bid before starting since you won't have time to
look things up during the auction itself.
You shouldn't be frightened by this warning. The Winning Bid has been
successfully used to run many auctions by many people. However, you
should spend the time required to go through this tutorial in step-by-
step detail. And then you should develop your own scenario which more
closely corresponds to the auction that you will be running and prac-
tice operating The Winning Bid under that scenario.
Also, if your typing skills are rusty, it may be worthwhile to brush
them up before the auction.
This tutorial presumes that you have successfully installed the soft-
ware (as described in section II of this manual). It proceeds from the
software installation through several steps as follows:
A. Start The Winning Bid
B. Clear Data Base
C. System Set Up
D. Print Paddles
E. Pre-print Lot Tags
F. Enter Sellers/Lots
G. Silent Auction
H. Live Auction
I. Close Buyers and Sellers
J. Print Reports
Reports are not documented in the tutorial. If you would like to look
at a sample report before actually printing it, refer to the appropri-
ate pages in section IV.
Tutorial Step A: Start The Winning Bid
1. It you have a two-diskette system, begin by placing your DOS dis-
kette in drive A. Turn the power on and wait for the A> prompt. At
the A> prompt, remove the DOS diskette, insert The Winning Bid's
program diskette in drive A (use a copy, not the original) and a
blank, formatted diskette in drive B.
Page III-2
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
2. Or, if you have a hard disk, turn the computer on and wait for the
C> prompt.
3. Type "WB" (without the quotation marks, and followed by a carriage
return). The Winning Bid will display its introductory screen.
4. Note: The Winning Bid reacts to single-character commands without
waiting for you to press the carriage return. When, however, you
enter multiple characters, you must signal the completion of your
entry by pressing the carriage return. Use of the carriage return
is assumed throughout the remainder of this tutorial and won't be
mentioned again.
5. From the introductory screen, press any key to continue.
6. The Winning Bid assumes, but does not require, that two printers be
connected to your computer. If you have previously told The Win-
ning Bid that one or both of the printers are not present, it will
give you a reminder on the introductory screen. Press any key to
progress past this warning.
7. The Winning Bid will display its main menu.
8. From the main menu you may select any of eight options. Selections
are made by pressing function keys. In the steps that follow, we
will guide you through each of the options.
Tutorial Step B: Clear The Data Base
1. The data base clearing process erases an old data base (if one
exists) and creates a new one. It must be run during the initial
installation of The Winning Bid to create files for entry of your
sellers, lots, and buyers. After the first use of the data base
clear, it should be run ONLY after completion of one auction as
preparation for the next one.
2. Press F1. You will be presented with a warning screen. Press the
enter key to continue. After a brief pause, you will be returned
to the main menu.
Tutorial Step C: System Set Up
1. Next, if this is the first time you are running The Winning Bid,
you must run the system set up function. From the main menu, press
F2.
System set up allows the user to enter and modify a range of con-
trol variables which affect the operation of The Winning Bid and
the presentation of screens and reports to both the WB operator and
the auction's buyers and sellers. Switches are provided to turn on
and off major features; other controls direct output to different
printers, control screen colors, and provide information needed by
Page III-3
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
The Winning Bid (such as tag sizes).
2. System set up begins with a screen of control variables. Options
are selected by filling in these blanks presented. For a detailed
description of the options and what they do, refer to section IV of
this manual. For the purposes of this tutorial, we suggest you use
the following:
Auction Name. Use any convenient name, i.e. "Smith & Co.".
Cash Tracking. "Y".
Starting Cash Amount. $100. (Don't type the dollar sign.)
Seller Close Control. "Y".
Commission Rate. "20".
Tax Rate. "5".
Auction-wide Minimum Bid. "2".
Color. If your CRT is capable of supporting color, enter "Y". If
not, enter "N".
Use the up and down arrows or the carriage return key on your key-
board to move from field to field. When the screen is complete and
you are satisfied with it, use the Esc key to progress to the next
screen.
3. Having completed the first screen, The Winning Bid validates your
input and, if necessary, presents a screen of warnings. You may
elect to return to the prior screen and make any required correc-
tions, or you may elect to proceed without making corrections at
this time.
4. Another screen of control variables appears. Like the first
screen, complete this screen and press Esc when you are done. We
suggest the following values for this tutorial:
Name and Address on Paddles. "Y".
Rules on Paddles. "N".
Rules File Name. Leave blank.
Tags In-line or Batch. "B".
Minimum Bid on Tags. "B".
Tag Printer Port. Enter "1", "2", or "3", to tell The Winning Bid
which port (LPT1, LPT2, or LPT3) is connected to the printer you
will use for printing lot tags. An entry of "0" indicates that
there is no tag printer.
Tag Eject. "0"
Report Printer Port. Enter "1", "2", or "3", to tell The Winning
Bid which port (LPT1, LPT2, or LPT3) is connected to the printer
you will use for printing reports. An entry of "0" indicates
that there is no report printer.
Report Eject. "0".
5. If you specified that you have a color CRT, a screen is now dis-
played to allow color selection. A grid of sample foreground and
background colors is displayed. A box which serves as a cursor is
drawn around the color combination now in use. Use the cursor con-
trol keys (the arrows on the numeric keypad) to move the box to the
color combination you want. When you have made your selection,
Page III-4
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
press Esc to progress to the next screen.
6. The final screen allows you to specify the size and shape of the
lot tags you will be using. For the purposes of this tutorial, you
may wish to print lot tags on plain paper. If so, the following
values are appropriate:
Number of Tags Across. "1".
Tag Height. "10".
Tag Width. "48".
Tag Separation. "2".
First Tag Starting Column. "1".
Second Tag Starting Column. Leave blank.
7. When you complete this screen and press Esc, you will be returned
to the main menu. The system set up process is now complete.
Tutorial Step D: Print Paddles
Next, let's try printing some buyer's paddles and some lot tags.
Press F3 from the main menu and respond "Y" when you are asked if you
want to print paddles. Specify a starting paddle number (i.e. 100)
and an ending paddle number (i.e. 103) and the paddles will be
printed.
Advance printing of paddles is recommended because print time is sig-
nificant and buyers will not want to stand in line to wait for the
printing
The software that prints buyer paddles includes the ability to insert
into them a set of auction rules which you can write. If you would
like to try including auction rules, take the following steps:
1. Exit The Winning Bid (respond "N" when asked if you want to print
lot tags and press F10 when you reach the main menu).
2. Using any word processor or text editor, write your rules. You may
use up to 70 characters per line, and up to 8 lines of text. Be
sure that you save the resulting rules as an ASCII file.
3. If necessary, move the text file containing the rules to the disk
and directory where you keep The Winning Bid.
4. Re-start The Winning Bid (type "WB") and re-run the setup function
(F2). Change the "Rules on Paddles" parameter to "Y" and enter the
name of your rules text file in the field titled "Rules File Name".
Now, the next time you print paddles, your rules will be included.
Page III-5
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Tutorial Step E: Pre-print Lot Tags
After paddles have been printed, The Winning Bid asks if you want lot
tags printed. These tags are not the only tags available from The
Winning Bid and are not recommended for general purpose uses because
they do not contain a description of the merchandise. Respond "Y" if
you want to try printing some anyway. After you give The Winning Bid
a starting and ending tag number, it will print the tags and return
you to the main menu.
Tutorial Step F: Enter Sellers/Lots
The entry of seller and merchandise lot information is intended to be
done as merchandise is received for the auction, as far in advance as
necessary.
Throughout this process, you can back out at any point with the Esc
(escape) key.
1. To begin the seller/lot entry process, press F4 from the main menu
and you will be presented with the seller/lot entry screen and the
prompt:
Command (Add/Find/Modify/Delete/Report):
The seller/lot entry process requires entry of the seller's infor-
mation first, followed by entry of that seller's lots.
2. Press the "A" key (for Add) and then the "S" key (for Seller). You
are prompted for the seller's name, address, city, state, zip code,
phone number and commission rate. The commission rate defaults to
the value entered during the setup process.
3. After completing entry of the seller, you may enter merchandise
lots for the seller's merchandise. Again press "A" (for Add) and
then press "L" (for Lot). You are asked for a minimum bid (which
may be zero, indicating no minimum) and a description of the lot.
Lot descriptions must be at least one line long, and may be up to
ten lines long. Press the carriage return key after completing
each line of description; press it twice after the last line has
been entered.
If you have specified in the set up process that lot tags are to be
produced in-line, a lot tag will automatically print on the tag
printer after entry of each merchandise lot. If the lot tag stock
is specified as 2-across, a pair of tags will print following every
second lot entry.
4. For purposes of this tutorial, enter four sellers and at least two
lots for each. You can make up names and addresses and lot
descriptions as you go. Put a minimum bid on a few of the lots.
Page III-6
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
5. Notice that you can view your work using the up-arrow and down-
arrow keys to move through a seller's lots, and the PgUp and PgDn
keys to move between sellers. You can also find a specific seller
by pressing the "F" key at the main prompt.
6. The "M" key is used for changing or MODIFYING data on both sellers
and lots. After pressing the "M" key, you are asked whether you
want to modify the currently-displayed seller or a lot. Press "S"
or "L" in response and you will be allowed to make changes to the
data entered.
7. When entry of a seller and that seller's merchandise lots has been
completed, the final step in the seller/lot entry process is to
produce a receipt for the merchandise. Press "R" (for Report) at
the main prompt and enter the seller's number. If you specified
"batch" lot tag printing in the set up, lot tags will also be
printed at this time.
8. Press Esc (escape) at the seller/lot entry main prompt to return to
the system's main menu.
Tutorial Step G: Silent Auction
A silent auction is one in which lots are tagged with relatively large
sheets of paper (often with the regular Winning Bid lot tag stapled to
it). During the silent auction, bidders write their paddle numbers
and bid on these sheets and the highest bid wins. The Winning Bid is
used to prepare the lot tags and results are entered into it so state-
ments for buyers and sellers can be printed.
1. Press F5 from the main menu and you will be presented with the
silent auction operation screen. This screen is divided into three
areas for 1) system-maintained status information, 2) prompts, data
entry and messages, and 3) lot status information. See section IV
of this manual for a detailed description of these areas.
The subfunctions of the silent auction are reached through com-
mands. The main prompt is:
Command (Sell/Modify/Find/Close/Purge):
2. To enter a sale, press "S". You are asked to enter the buyer's
number (paddle number) and the bid amount. Assuming that the bid
is above any existing minimum, The Winning Bid records it and
returns to the main prompt. "Sell" one or two lots to get the feel
of it.
3. After entry, bids may be modified or errors corrected by pressing
the "M" key (for Modify). You are asked for a lot number and are
asked whether or not the lot should be "unsold". If you enter a "Y"
to unsell the lot, The Winning Bid will withdraw the current high
bid, remove the buyer's number, and there will no longer be an out-
standing bid on that lot. Try unselling one of the lots that you
sold in step 2.
Page III-7
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
4. If you modify a sale and enter an "N" when asked whether or not the
lot should be unsold, The Winning Bid will allow you to specify a
new price and/or buyer. The price entered must be above both the
auction-wide minimum bid and the lot-for-lot minimum bid. Make a
few changes to bids you entered.
5. The "F" key is used to FIND a lot with a specified description.
After pressing the "F" key, you are asked for a word or phrase to
search for. Try finding a lot.
6. The "C" key is used to CLOSE buyers and sellers. We will discuss
closing in more detail later. For tutorial purposes, do not use
the "C" key now.
7. The "P" key PURGES or removes from the data base all bids except
those made by buyers who have closed. This clears the way for a
live auction by eliminating buyers who did not show up to settle
their accounts after completion of the silent auction. Try the
"P" key. Unless you closed one or more buyers, all bids will dis-
appear.
8. Press Esc (escape) to return to the main menu.
Tutorial Step H: Live Auction
During a live auction, The Winning Bid is used to record the final bid
(only the final bid) on each lot as it crosses the auction block.
Recording live auction data allows the system to produce buyer's and
seller's statements later and allows the preparation of a variety of
management reports after the auction is complete.
1. Press F6 from the main menu and you will be presented with the live
auction operation screen, nearly identical to the silent auction
screen. See section IV for a detailed description of this screen.
The subfunctions of the live auction are reached through commands.
The main prompt is:
Command (Sell/Group/Modify/Find/Close):
2. The "S" key is used to SELL a merchandise lot, or to record a bid.
After pressing the "S" key, you are asked for a lot number, a bid
amount, and a buyer number. The lot number defaults to the lot
currently at the top of the third section of the screen, but you
are allowed to enter a different number, should the auctioneer
decide to sell lots out of numeric sequence. To accept the
default, simply press enter.
Sell the first two lots. Then sell a lot which has a minimum bid,
specifying a bid price below the minimum. Observe the error mes-
sage and press either "A" to accept the bid or "Esc" (or the car-
riage return key) to nullify it.
Page III-8
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
3. When an auctioneer cannot sell a lot, he or she will often put that
lot together with another one and sell the two together. The Win-
ning Bid calls this "grouping". Lots may be grouped only if they
share a single seller/consignor because there is otherwise a prob-
lem in dividing up the proceeds. When two lots are grouped, only
the second one named remains salable. The other becomes part of
it.
The "G" key is used to group lots for sale as a single entity.
Press the "G" key and you will be prompted for a lot number and
then for a second lot number. Try it once for two lots from one
seller, and then again with two lots from two different sellers to
see what happens.
Grouping is not limited to two lots. You can group three or more
lots together by successive use of the "G" key, so long as they are
all from a single seller. Try grouping three lots from one seller.
4. After entry, bids may be modified or errors corrected by pressing
the "M" key (for Modify). You are asked for a lot number and are
asked whether or not the lot should be "unsold". If you enter a "Y"
to unsell the lot, The Winning Bid will withdraw the current high
bid, remove the buyer's number, and there will no longer be an out-
standing bid on that lot. The process is identical to that used in
the silent auction.
5. Likewise, the "F" key is used as it is in the silent auction to
FIND a lot with a specified description.
Tutorial Step I: Close Buyers and Sellers
The act of closing a buyer or seller implies that he or she has com-
pleted all auction activity and is prepared to settle accounts. The
Winning Bid, therefore, prints a receipt/statement and forbids further
buying and selling for that individual. (Of course, a new buyer
and/or seller number can be issued if the person wants to continue at
a later time.)
1. To close a buyer, press the "C" key. You will be asked whether a
buyer or a seller is to be closed. Press "B" for buyer or "S" for
seller. You will then be asked for the buyer's or seller's number.
Enter the number.
The closing of sellers requires that all of that seller's lots must
all be sold (or must have at least crossed the auction block). If
the close control option has been selected in the set up process,
buyers of the seller's merchandise must have closed (indicating
that payment has been received). A report-only option allows these
requirements to be bypassed and a report produced without actually
closing the seller.
2. After accepting the number, The Winning Bid calculates the amount
due and displays it with a request for the payment type (cash,
Page III-9
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
check, or credit card). Select a payment type and key the appro-
priate number. The statement will then be printed.
Tutorial Step J: Print Reports
In addition to the seller's claim check and the seller's and buyer's
receipts, The Winning Bid provides several management reports. These
reports are reached by pressing F7 which presents a subordinate menu
listing the reports. Several of the reports involve the selection of
options (i.e. open, closed, or both; summary or detailed).
For purposes of this tutorial, run each of the reports with at least
one set of options. Compare the reports with their descriptions which
appear in section IV of this manual. Remember, while looking at the
reports, that you may not have sold all the items in your sample data
base and many not have closed out all buyers and sellers.
Page III-10
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
IV. Reference Section
Page IV-1
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
The Winning Bid operates under a single main menu, one subordinate
menu, and both prompts and commands as necessary. The reference mate-
rials appearing in this section are organized by main menu option, and
by submenu, prompt, or command within the main menu.
The seven main menu options are exercised by pressing function keys as
shown below. Function keys 8 and 9 are inoperative.
1. Clear Data Base
2. System Set Up
3. Print Paddles & Tags
4. Enter Sellers/Lots
5. Silent Auction
6. Live Auction
7. Reports
10. Stop
Main Menu option 1: Clear Data Base
The data base clearing process erases an old data base (if one exists)
and creates a new one. It must be run during the initial installation
of The Winning Bid to create files for entry of your sellers, lots,
and buyers. After the first use of the data base clear, it should be
run ONLY after completion of one auction as preparation for the next
one.
THE DATA BASE CLEARING PROCESS IRRETRIEVABLY ERASES DATA. DO NOT RUN
IT UNTIL YOU ARE COMPLETELY DONE WITH THE EXISTING DATA.
To run the data base clearing process, select function 1 from the main
menu. You will be presented with a warning screen. Press "Esc" if you
do not want to run data base clearing at this time. Press the enter
key to continue with the process.
{Data base clearing begins by erasing all data files and modifying
some values on the configuration file, WB.CFG. Then it builds a blank
9999 record buyer file. Because The Winning Bid does not necessarily
assign buyer numbers, the blank file is required to eliminate the dis-
tinction between non-existent buyers and buyers who haven't bid yet.
The completed buyer file occupies 200,160 bytes of storage and will be
the largest of The Winning Bid data files.}
Page IV-2
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Main Menu option 2: System Set Up
The system set up function is accessed by pressing F2 any time the
main menu appears.
System set up allows the user to enter and modify a range of control
variables which affect the operation of The Winning Bid and the pre-
sentation of screens and reports to both the WB operator and the auc-
tion's buyers and sellers. Switches are provided to turn on and off
major features; other controls direct output to different printers,
control screen colors, and provide information needed by The Winning
Bid (such as tag sizes).
During the set up process you will be presented with up to four
screens of options and variables to be completed (the exact number of
screens depends on the options you select, as described below). For
each of the screens displayed, fill in the blanks as appropriate. When
each screen is complete, press Esc to proceed to the next screen. When
the last screen has been completed, The Winning Bid will return you to
the main menu.
Following completion of each set up screen, The Winning Bid validates
your data and presents a screen of warnings if necessary. You may
elect to return to the prior screen and make any required corrections,
or you may elect to proceed without making corrections at this time.
Only one error (the selection of identical foreground and background
screen colors) is considered adequately important to force you to make
the correction immediately.
In addition to the above, after completion of the second screen, The
Winning Bid tests your printer port assignments and determines whether
or not your printers are present and the communications parameters
correct. If a problem occurs, the results of this test are presented
in one additional screen. Note that problems shown on this screen can
result if the printer isn't currently connected to the computer, if it
isn't turned on, and/or if it isn't online. If an error occurs in
this test, The Winning Bid will note the fact that the printer is not
available and, subsequently, will not attempt to use it. If the error
is later corrected, the test may be rerun (and printer status updated)
either by passing through the setup process or by stopping and
restarting The Winning Bid (the same test is conducted every time you
start The Winning Bid). To do this, press F10 from the main menu and
then type "WB" to restart the system.
Here is a detailed description of the set up data entry screens.
Screen 1 - Control Variable Maintenance (always displayed)
Auction Name. The auction name is printed at the top of certain
screens, on tags and paddles, and on reports. It serves to
identify this auction as different from all others. The auc-
tion name field is a 32-position character field which you may
complete as you wish.
Page IV-3
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Cash Tracking. When cash tracking facilities are turned on, The
Winning Bid will keep track of the amount of cash in the auc-
tion's till (not including checks and credit card slips) and
will prevent sellers from closing until there is enough cash
available to pay them. If cash tracking is turned off, sellers
are assumed to be paid by check and their closure is permitted
without regard to the amount of cash in the till. The cash
tracking field is a single-character field which should contain
either a "Y" or an "N".
Starting Cash Amount. When cash tracking is used, The Winning Bid
needs to know the starting amount of money in your cash box. If
money is withdrawn from (or added to) the cash box during the
auction for reasons other than to pay sellers or collect from
buyers, an adjustment can be made in the starting cash amount,
even in the middle of the auction. If you don't know the
starting cash amount now, enter any number (i.e. zero) and
change it later. The starting cash amount field is 7 positions
long. Enter dollars and cents, but do not use a dollar sign ($)
or commas.
Seller Close Control. When seller close control is turned on, The
Winning Bid will not permit sellers to close out and collect
their money until all of their lots have been sold (or at least
until the auctioneer has tried to sell them) and until all of
the buyers of their lots have closed out and paid. Should a
buyer fail to pay up, the merchandise can be reclassified as
unsold and can be returned to the seller providing the seller
has not already been paid. In an auction where cash is handled,
this facility protects the organization from buyers who "disap-
pear" without paying their bill. The seller close control field
is a single-character field which should contain either a "Y"
or an "N".
Commission Rate. Different sellers can be charged different com-
mission rates, which are entered as part of the seller entry
process (not as part of set up). The commission rate entered
here is simply the default rate, used to simplify seller data
entry. The commission rate field is a 4-position numeric field
which should contain the rate as a percentage ("10" indicates a
ten percent commission; ".10" indicates a one-tenth percent
commission). Do not enter the percent sign (%).
Tax Rate. If sales tax is to be collected, enter the sales tax
rate as a percentage ("5" indicates five percent; ".5" indi-
cates a half of one percent). Do not enter the percent sign
(%). The tax rate field is a 4-position numeric field.
Page IV-4
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Auction-wide Minimum Bid. Minimum bids are established by the
sellers (if you let them) on a lot-by-lot basis. In addition
to the seller's minimums, you can establish an auction-wide
minimum bid. The minimum bid used in the auction and printed
on lot tags and in reports will be the greater of the auction-
wide minimum bid and the seller's minimum bid for each lot.
This minimum bid is used for lot valuation prior to sale, and
to issue warnings when the sale amount is too small. The mini-
mum bid field is 7 positions long. Enter dollars and cents, but
do not use a dollar sign ($) or commas.
Color. If your CRT is capable of supporting color, enter "Y". If
not, enter "N". {Under some circumstances it may be preferable
to define a monochrome CRT which supports graphics as a color
CRT and then, in screen 3, select black and white as the colors
used. Experiment if you wish.}
Screen 2 - Control Variable Maintenance (always displayed)
Name and Address on Paddles. The Winning Bid is able to print
paddles for buyers to display to the auctioneer when a bid is
accepted and must be recorded. As a recommended option (con-
trolled by this field), The Winning Bid can provide blank
spaces on the paddle for the buyer to write his or her name,
address, and telephone number. The name-and-address-on-paddles
control field is one-position long. A "Y" will cause the blank
fields to be printed.
Rules on Paddles. On the same paddles, The Winning Bid can print a
set of rules for the auction. The rules can be of your design,
entered through a text editor. The rules-on-paddles field must
contain a "Y" if the rules are to be printed.
Rules File Name. If rules are to be printed on the paddle, this
field must contain the fully-qualified DOS name for a text file
which contains the rules text. Follow standard DOS naming con-
ventions in completing this twelve-character field. If you do
not want rules printed on the paddles, you may leave this field
blank or enter an "N".
{The rules file itself must be created outside of The Winning
Bid. Almost any word processor or text editor may be used so
long as it is capable of saving text in an ASCII file. When
the name of this file is given to The Winning Bid, the first 70
characters on each of the first eight lines will be used on the
buyer's paddles. The rules file must be saved along with the
software in the default directory on the default disk drive.}
Tags In-line or Batch. Lot tags are printed by The Winning Bid as
part of the seller and merchandise lot entry process. The tags
can be printed one-at-a-time as each lot is entered (so-called
"in-line"), or can be printed in a group along with the
seller's receipt after entry of the last merchandise lot. The
in-line procedure may be preferable at times because data entry
can occur simultaneously with the physical tagging of the mate-
Page IV-5
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
rial. Under other circumstances, such as the pre-entry of mer-
chandise before the auction when you do not have a printer con-
nected to your computer, the batch option may be better because
it will allow data entry without a tag printer connected to the
system. Enter an "I" or a "B" in this field.
Minimum Bid on Tags. Lot tags printed in the process of seller and
lot entry show the lot number and a description of the merchan-
dise. In addition, at your discretion, they can include the
minimum bid amount. Depending on specific auction procedures
and your assessment of buying psychology, it may or may not be
wise to include minimum bids on the tags. If, however, the auc-
tioneer is selling from the information on the tags (as many
will do), remember that he also needs to know about minimums.
The minimum bid amount shown on the tag is the larger of the
seller's minimum bid and the auction-wide minimum. Enter
either a "Y" or an "N" in this field. (Preprinted tags pro-
duced from option 3 on the main menu are not affected by the
content of this field; tags produced during the seller/lot
entry process from option 4 on the main menu are.)
Tag Printer Port. This is the DOS port to which the tag printer is
attached. Enter "1", "2", or "3", corresponding respectively
to LPT1, LPT2, and LPT3. The entry of "0" tells The Winning
Bid that there will be no tag printer.
Tag Eject (tags). After printing a batch of tags, The Winning Bid
is able to eject one or more tags so you can tear off the
printed ones. The number of (rows of) tags required to be
ejected depends on the printer used and may be entered here.
Zero is a valid entry. The tag eject is not used when tags are
produced "inline".
Report Printer Port. This is the DOS port to which the report
printer is attached. Enter "1", "2", or "3", corresponding
respectively to LPT1, LPT2, and LPT3. The entry of "0" tells
The Winning Bid that there will be no report printer.
Report Eject (pages). After printing a report, The Winning Bid is
able to eject one or more pages so you can tear off the printed
ones. The number of pages required to be ejected depends on the
printer used and may be entered here. Zero is a valid entry.
If you wish to operate The Winning Bid with a single printer,
set the report printer port and the tag printer port to the
same value. See the description of screen 4 for further infor-
mation on how to make this work for you.
Page IV-6
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
{If you have a serial printer and wish to use it with The Winning
Bid, the DOS MODE command can redirect output from a parallel to
a serial port. Try this:}
{1. Before starting The Winning Bid, type the following DOS
commands:
A> MODE COM1:24,E,7,1,P
A> MODE LPT2:=COM1:
MODE is a DOS command. Look for a program called MODE.EXE
on your DOS diskette. The examples given assume that a
serial printer is connected to port COM1 and that nothing
else is connected to port LPT2. Some parameters such as
speed, parity, etc. may have to be adjusted. Read about
the MODE command in your DOS manual.}
{2. Now run The Winning Bid. In setup option, tell The Win-
ning Bid that the printer is connected to LPT2. Use of
the MODE command redirects output from LPT2 to COM1.
Screen 3 - Colors (displayed only if you specified a color screen)
Screen four is presented only if you specified that you have a
color CRT on screen 1. Screen four works differently than the
others. A grid of sample foreground and background colors is
displayed. A box which serves as a cursor is drawn around the
color combination now in use. You may use the cursor control keys
(the arrows on the numeric keypad) to move the box to the color
combination you want. When you have made your selection, press
Esc to progress to the next screen.
Screen 4 - Tag Stock Descriptors (always displayed)
Lot tags are assumed to be printed on label stock. Depending on
the merchandise to be sold, any of a variety of label shapes and
sizes may be appropriate. The tag stock descriptors allow you to
tell The Winning Bid what your tags will look like so it can
print them correctly.
Number of Tags Across. The Winning Bid can print lot tags on
either 1-up or 2-up stock. Enter either a 1 or a 2 in this
field.
Tag Height. The tag height field contains the height of the
printed area of the tag measured in lines of print. To be
effective, tags should be at least 3 lines high, which will
allow the printing of the auction name, lot number and minimum
bid, plus one line of the description. Since The Winning Bid
limits merchandise lot descriptions to 10 lines, the maximum
tag height allowed is 12 lines.
Page IV-7
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Tag Width. The tag width field contains the width of the printed
area of the tag measured in characters. Most printers print
ten characters per inch. The Winning Bid limits merchandise
lot description lines to 48 characters each, so the tag width
should be entered as 48 or less.
Tag Separation. Tag separation is the number of blank lines which
should be printed between the completion of one tag and the
start of the next. The sum of this field and the tag height
field should equal the distance between the start of one tag
and the next (probably figuring at six lines per inch).
First Tag Starting Column. Enter the printer column number where
the printed area of the leftmost (or only) tag should start.
Second Tag Starting Column. Enter the printer column number where
the printed area of the rightmost tag should start. If tags are
1-up, this field is ignored.
{It may be appropriate to use 3x5 cards for lot tags. 3x5 cards
are generally available in pin-feed form and can be handled by
most printers. To center a lot tag on a 3x5 card, enter the
above descriptors as 1, 12, 40, 6, 6, and 0 respectively.}
{If you want to operate with a single printer, one way to elimi-
nate the need for the second printer is to print lot tags on
ordinary 8 1/2 by 11 paper. To print one lot tag per page, enter
the above descriptors as 1, 12, 48, 54, 17, and 0 respectively.
To print two lot tags per page, enter 1, 12, 48, 21, 17, and 0
respectively. To print three lot tags per page, enter 1, 12, 48,
10, 17, and 0 respectively. To print six lot tags per page,
enter 2, 12, 38, 10, 1, and 41, respectively. Other combinations
are possible. Of course, the printing of multiple tags on a
single page assumes that you will cut the page apart with scis-
sors or a knife after printing is complete.}
{Tag descriptors can be changed at any time during auction prepa-
ration and operation. However, as merchandise lots are entered,
the description field provided is sized to fit the tag stock as
The Winning Bid understands it at that time. For best use of your
tags, you should establish the tag descriptors before entry of
the first lot. If circumstances require that you later use
larger or smaller tags, the description fields will be truncated
or blank-filled as necessary.}
The set up process may be re-run at any time (even in the middle of an
auction), providing the cautions shown above are remembered. This can
be handy if, for instance, a printer breaks down or if you find an
error in the configuration.
Page IV-8
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Main Menu option 3: Print Paddles & Tags
Both buyer's paddles and lot tags may be printed in advance of the
auction. Advance printing of paddles is recommended because print
time is significant and buyers will not want to stand in line to wait
for the printing. Advance printing of lot tags, however, is not gen-
erally recommended because descriptive information and minimum bids
will necessarily be absent. A more complete lot tag can be printed as
part of the seller and lot entry process. See main menu option 4 for
more details.
To print either buyer's paddles or advance lot tags, select the Print
Paddles & Tags option from the main menu by pressing F3.
You will be prompted:
Do You Want Paddles (Y/N)
{Paddles are only available through buyer number 999 due to physical
space restrictions on the printed paddle. If you want to use buyer
numbers above 999, you may do so (up to the system limit of 9999), but
preprinted paddles will not be available.}
{Paddles are printed on the report printer. They do not involve
graphics and therefore do not require a graphics printer.}
Press either the "Y" to print paddles, or the "N" to skip paddle
printing. You will then be prompted for the first and last buyer num-
ber to be printed. If you change your mind and decide not to print
paddles, press escape (Esc) and The Winning Bid will jump to lot tag
printing.
After entry of the last buyer number to be printed, The Winning Bid
will attempt to print the paddles. Possible error conditions which
could arise include:
Printer Not Responding - Correct Problem and Press Any Key or
Press Esc to Abort. This error is typically caused by printer
hardware or communications problems. Check for a loose printer
cable. If nothing is apparent, press any key and let The Win-
ning Bid try again. Sometimes transient electrical noise on
the printer cable can trigger the message. If that doesn't
work, try turning the printer off and on again after a few sec-
onds' pause. If in fact the problem cannot be corrected and you
need to proceed with the auction, press Esc to abort the
report.
Printer Out of Paper - Correct Problem and Press Any Key. Note
that some printers will not communicate paper outages to The
Winning Bid. In some cases, these printers will simply continue
to print on the roller; in other cases they will issue a hard
error (above).
Page IV-9
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Rules File Not Found - Printing Without It. If you are printing
auction rules on the paddle, the rules file which you created
with an editor or word processor must be on the default drive
and in the default directory.
When the printing of paddles is complete, you will be prompted:
Do You Want Lot Tags (Y/N)
{Lot tags printed with this option show only the auction name and the
lot number. Because they are designed for printing in advance of
seller and lot entry, they do not include either lot descriptions or
minimum bids. A more complete lot tag can be printed as part of the
seller and lot entry process. See main menu option 4 for more
details.}
{Lot tags are printed on the tag printer.}
Press either the "Y" to print tags, or the "N" to skip tag printing.
You will then be prompted for the first and last tag numbers to be
printed. If you change your mind and decide not to print tags, press
escape (Esc) and The Winning Bid will return to the main menu.
After entry of the last tag number to be printed, The Winning Bid will
attempt to print the tags. Possible error conditions which could
arise include:
Printer Not Responding - Correct Problem and Press Any Key or
Press Esc to Abort. See description above.
Printer Out of Paper - Correct Problem and Press Any Key. See
description above.
When the printing of lot tags is complete, you will be returned to the
main menu.
Lot tag samples appear below; a paddle sample is on the next page.
+-----------------------------+ +----------------------------+
| Auction Name | + Auction Name |
| Lot 123 | | Lot 124 |
| | | |
| | | |
+-----------------------------+ +----------------------------+
Figure IV - 1: Preprinted Lot Tags
Page IV-10
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XX XX
XX AUCTION NAME XX
XX XX
XX XX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX
XX XXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX
XX XXXX XX XX XX XX XX
XX XXXXX XX XX XX XX XX
XX XX XX XX XX
XX XX XX XX XX
XX XX XX XX XX
XX XX XX XX XX
XX XX XX XX XX
XX XX XX XX XX
XX XX XX XX XX
XX XX XX XX XX
XX XX XX XX XX
XX XX XX XX XX
XX XX XX XX XX XX
XX XX XX XX XX XX
XX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX
XX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX
XX XX
XX XX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Rules of the Auction:
1) All merchandise is sold as-is and where-is. There are NO
WARRANTIES.
2) Buyers may close out at any time by surrendering their paddles and
paying for their merchandise. Cash, check (with ID), Visa, or
MasterCard accepted.
3) Sellers may close out and receive payment at any time AFTER the
buyers of their merchandise have closed and have paid. Surrender
your receipt to close.
--------------- TEAR HERE ---------------
Buyer No. 123
Name ________________________________
Address ________________________________
________________________________
City ________________________________
State _______________ ZIP __________
Phone (_____)_________________________
Page IV-11
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Main Menu option 4: Enter Sellers/Lots
The entry of seller and merchandise lot information may be done as far
in advance of the auction as necessary. In a typical auction, some
merchandise will be known in advance. In addition, sellers and mer-
chandise will arrive prior to, and depending on house rules, even dur-
ing the auction. Press F4 from the main menu and you will be presented
with the seller and lot entry screen. This screen is divided into
three areas for prompts, data entry and messages, for seller informa-
tion, and for lot information respectively.
The subfunctions of seller and lot entry are reached through commands.
The main prompt is:
Command (Add/Find/Modify/Delete/Report):
In response to this prompt, you may issue any of ten single-letter
commands. The Winning Bid responds to your commands without waiting
for you to press the enter key. The commands are:
Esc (escape), when pressed in response to the main prompt, returns
you to the main system menu. {Escape works differently in the
subfunctions. See the descriptions below.}
PgUp will display the previous seller and the first lot for that
seller.
PgDn will display the next seller and the first lot for that
seller.
Up Arrow (on the numeric keypad) will display the previous lot for
the seller currently displayed.
Down Arrow (on the numeric keypad) will display the next lot for
the seller currently displayed.
{In the seller display box and in the lot display box, small
arrows appear when there are previous/next sellers and/or lots.
These arrows are there to remind you that there are other sell-
ers and/or lots and to tell you when the four paging keys
described above are active.}
{If the four paging keys don't work when arrows appear on the
screen, try pressing the NumLock key to enable them.}
The "A" key is used for ADDING both sellers and lots. After press-
ing the "A" key, you are asked whether you want to enter a
seller or a lot. Press "S" or "L".
The "S" key initiates the addition of a new SELLER to the
data base. You are prompted for the seller's name,
address, city, state, zip code, phone number and commis-
sion rate.
Page IV-12
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
The commission rate defaults to the value entered during
the setup process. Press enter to accept this value, or
type in a different value. The commission rate field
should contain the rate as a percentage ("10" indicates a
ten percent commission; ".10" indicates a one-tenth per-
cent commission). Do not enter the percent sign (%).
Throughout the process, you can back out at any point with
the Esc (escape) key. Seller additions are not committed
to the data base until you have responded to the last
prompt.
{If you choose not to record seller's addresses and/or
phone numbers, simply press enter at each prompt. This
practice is not recommended, but can be used if you judge
it advisable.}
The "L" key initiates the addition of a new merchandise LOT
to the data base. You are prompted for the seller's num-
ber (the seller currently displayed on the screen is the
default - just press enter to accept it). After entry of
the seller number, you are prompted for the seller's mini-
mum bid and up to ten lines of description, one at a time.
After entry of the last description line, press enter once
again (thus entering a blank description line) to return
to the main prompt.
You can back out of the lot-add process with the Esc
(escape) key at any time prior to pressing the enter key
after keying the first line of description. Lot additions
are not committed to the data base prior to that point.
If you have specified in the set up process that lot tags
are to be produced in-line, a lot tag will automatically
print on the tag printer after entry of each merchandise
lot. If the lot tag stock is specified as 2-across, a
pair of tags will print following every second lot entry.
If an odd number of tags are needed, the last tag will
print when the Esc key is used to exit the seller/lot
entry process and return to the main menu.
Sample copies of lot tags appear following the description
of the Report function.
{You must enter the seller before you can enter his or her
merchandise lots. Likewise, you cannot enter lots for
deleted sellers.}
{The length of the individual lot description line is
determined by the size of the tag as it was entered in the
set-up process, subject to a system maximum of 48 charac-
ters. Regardless of the length of the description line,
there can be no more than ten lines of description for
each lot.}
Page IV-13
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
The "F" key is used to FIND and display either a seller or a mer-
chandise lot. After pressing the "F" key, you are asked whether
you want to find a seller or a lot. Press "S" or "L".
The "S" key is used to find a SELLER's record on the data
base and display it along with the first lot for that
seller. You are prompted for the seller's name or number.
If you know the number, key it without any extraneous
characters and The Winning Bid will locate and display the
record. If you don't know the number, key the seller's
name or a portion of it, and a search will be made.
{The search is made only in the seller's name field (not
in any of the address fields); The Winning Bid searches
for the appearance of the characters you keyed anywhere in
the field. Keying "PAT", therefore, will result in the
display of both "Pat Smith" and "Bob Patterson". (Keying
"BILL" will not, of course, find "William Jones".)}
The "L" key is used to find a LOT record on the data base and
display it along with the appropriate seller's record. You
are prompted for the lot's number or a fragment of its
description. If you know the number, key it without any
extraneous characters and The Winning Bid will locate and
display the record. If you don't know the number, key one
or more important words from the description and a search
will be made.
{The search is made through all existing description lines
for every lot on file until a match is found. The search,
however, considers each description line separately and
will not, therefore, find two words if they exist on dif-
ferent description lines. Find is best used on one word
or a fragment of a word.}
Both find functions (seller and lot) will search until a match
is made (or until the end of the file is reached). If the
search was not successful, a "Not Found" message appears. If
the search is successful, the first appropriate record is dis-
played with a "Continue (Y/N)" message. Press "Y" or "N" to
indicate whether or not you want to search for another matching
record.
Following completion, you are returned to the main prompt and
may continue with other commands.
{All searches are insensitive to case. Everything is tempo-
rarily converted to upper case before making comparisons.}
Page IV-14
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
The "M" key is used for changing or MODIFYING data on both sellers
and lots. After pressing the "M" key, you are asked whether
you want to modify a seller or a lot. Press "S" or "L".
The seller/lot modified is the one currently being displayed.
Use the PgUp and PgDn, the Up and Down Arrows and/or the Find
function to display the lot to be changed before pressing the
"M" key.
The "S" key initiates a change to the current SELLER's
record. You are presented with the seller's name, address,
city, state, zip code, phone number and commission rate
and may modify them, or may simply press enter to accept
them as they exist.
Throughout the process, you can back out at any point with
the Esc (escape) key. Seller changes are not committed to
the data base until you have responded to the last prompt.
The "L" key initiates a change to the current merchandise
LOT. You are presented with the seller's minimum bid and
each line of description. You may modify them, or may sim-
ply press enter to accept them as they exist.
You can back out of the lot modification process with the
Esc (escape) key at any time prior to pressing the enter
key after rekeying the first line of description. Lot
changes are not committed to the data base prior to that
point.
{Modification of lots which have been grouped with other
lots or of lots which have been sold is not permitted. If
you must modify a grouped (but unsold) lot, ungroup it
first, then modify it and regroup it. Ungrouping and
grouping can be done from the live auction screen. If you
must modify a sold lot, unsell it first, then modify it
and resell it. Unselling and reselling can be done from
either the silent or live auction screens. Unselling, and
reselling is not permitted after buyers have closed on the
theory that they have paid their bill and the transaction
is final. Ungrouping, however, is permitted.}
The "D" key is used for DELETING both sellers and lots. After
pressing the "D" key, you are asked whether you want to modify
a seller or a lot. Press "S" or "L".
The seller/lot deleted is the one currently being displayed.
Therefore, use the PgUp and PgDn, the Up and Down Arrows and/or
the Find function to display the lot or seller to be deleted
before pressing the "D" key.
Page IV-15
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
The "S" key deletes the current SELLER's record and all mer-
chandise lots associated with that seller. You are
prompted for and must type the word "DELETE" in full
before the deletion occurs. If you type anything else
(i.e. the word "KEEP") or simply push the Esc or the enter
key, no deletion will occur.
{The Winning Bid will not delete a seller if any of his or
her lots have been sold. However, if the seller has not
closed, it will delete all lots which have not been sold.
Sellers with grouped (but not sold) lots can be deleted.
All lots in the group will be deleted along with the
seller. Groups are limited to lots belonging to an indi-
vidual seller.}
The "L" key deletes the current merchandise LOT. You are
prompted for and must type the word "DELETE" in full
before the deletion occurs. If you type anything else
(i.e. the word "KEEP") or simply push the Esc or the enter
key, no deletion will occur.
{The Winning Bid will not delete a lot if it has been
grouped with other lots or if it has been sold. If you
must delete a grouped (but unsold) lot, ungroup it first,
then delete it. Ungrouping can be done from the live auc-
tion screen. If you must delete a sold lot, unsell it
first, then delete it. Unselling can be done from either
the silent or live auction screens, providing the buyer
has not closed.}
The "R" key is used to print the Seller's Claim Check REPORT. You
are prompted for the seller's name or number and the report is
printed on the report printer. If you have specified in the set
up process that lot tags are to be batch-produced, they will
automatically print on the tag printer after completion of the
claim check. Sample copies of the Seller's Claim Check report
and the corresponding lot tags appear on the following pages.
{Reports and lot tags are not available for deleted sellers or
deleted lots.}
{Reports are also not available on disabled printers. Printers
are disabled when The Winning Bid is unable to establish and
maintain communications with them. Remember that if a printer
problem exists when you start The Winning Bid, that printer
will remain disabled (and The Winning Bid will not attempt to
use it) until you either pass through the set up function or
you stop and restart The Winning Bid. The startup process and
the set up process are the only two times when disabled print-
ers are tested and can be re-enabled. On the other hand, if a
printer fails (or runs out of paper) during operation, The Win-
ning Bid will pause and wait for you to fix the problem. If
you succeed in fixing it, the printer will not be disabled and
reports/tags will be available.}
Page IV-16
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Seller's Claim Check
Auction Name
02-06-1988
R. W. Jones Seller No. 2
250 Main St., Suite 125
Lawrence KS 70204
Lot No. Description Min. Bid
------- ------------------------------------------------ --------
5 Oak dining table and 4 chairs 25.00
with two leaves
6 6 folding chairs 0.00
7 Harden sofa, 3 pillows 40.00
8 Set of 3 occasional tables 25.00
cherry
9 Antique marble-top dresser 0.00
10 Small 7-drawer desk 0.00
11 RCA color TV 0.00
12 Weber upright piano 0.00
13 4 bar stools 0.00
14 Box of miscl. kitchen implements 0.00
15 Box of stoneware dishes 0.00
16 Box of pots and pans 0.00
17 Box of serving implements 0.00
18 Box of Corning ware 0.00
19 Set of sterling silverware 50.00
includes 9 serving pieces
plus service for 8 - complete
20 Stamp collection - 2 boxes 0.00
21 Black and chrome desk 0.00
22 Two desk chairs 0.00
23 7" Sears radial arm saw 0.00
24 Black & Decker sabre saw 0.00
25 Black & Decker 3/8" drill 0.00
26 Black & Decker circular saw 0.00
27 Box of hand tools 0.00
28 Sears lawn mower 0.00
29 Jacobsen 8 HP snow blower 0.00
30 Nine boxes of books 0.00
31 Sears washing machine 0.00
32 Sears dryer 0.00
Figure IV - 3: Seller's Receipt
Page IV-17
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
+-------------------------------+ +------------------------------+
| | | |
| Auction Name | | Auction Name |
| Lot No 5 Min Bid 25.00 | | Lot No 6 Min Bid 1.00 |
| Oak dining table and 4 chairs | | 6 folding chairs |
| with two leaves | | |
| | | |
+-------------------------------+ +------------------------------+
+-------------------------------+ +------------------------------+
| | | |
| Auction Name | | Auction Name |
| Lot No 7 Min Bid 40.00 | | Lot No 8 Min Bid 25.00 |
| Harden sofa, 3 pillows | | Set of 3 occasional tables |
| | | |
| | | |
+-------------------------------+ +------------------------------+
+-------------------------------+ +------------------------------+
| | | |
| Auction Name | | Auction Name |
| Lot No 9 Min Bid 1.00 | | Lot No 10 Min Bid 1.00 |
| Antique marble-top dresser | | Small 7-drawer desk |
| | | |
| | | |
+-------------------------------+ +------------------------------+
Figure IV - 4: Lot Tags
Page IV-18
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Main Menu option 5: Silent Auction
Press F5 from the main menu and you will be presented with the silent
auction operation screen. This screen is divided into three areas for
1) system-maintained status information, 2) prompts, data entry and
messages, and 3) lot status information.
The top section of the screen contains system-maintained status infor-
mation. If your set-up specifies cash tracking, the current contents
of the cash box is displayed with the legend "Cash Bal". If you are
not using cash tracking, this field does not appear. The next field
consists of the legend "Lots Sold" followed by two numbers separated
by a slash. The first of these numbers is the number of lots which
have been sold (i.e. have a valid bid outstanding); the second is the
number of lots which have not yet been sold. The final field consists
of two more numbers separated by another slash, following the legend
"Dollars Sold". The first of these numbers is the dollar value of
lots which have been sold (i.e. have a valid bid outstanding); the
second is the dollar value of lots which have not yet been sold. Sold
lots are valued at the actual current bid while lots not sold are val-
ued at the higher of the two minimum bids.
{Lot grouping is rare in silent auctions, but common in live auctions.
Therefore, it is not supported from the silent auction function, but
is supported from the live auction function. If lots are grouped
using the live auction capabilities and then the silent auction is
run, you will find that lots grouped into another one are considered
"sold" for purposes of the "Lots Sold" fields in the top section of
the silent auction screen. The "Dollars Sold" field will continue to
include the minimum bid value of all lots in the not-sold-amount field
since the minimum bid on a group of lots is considered to be the sum
of the minimums for the individual lots. The sold-amount in the "Dol-
lars Sold" field will continue to be the sum of all actual bids.}
When the silent auction screen is first displayed, the third section
will display the merchandise lots beginning with lot number 1. Five
columns are shown: lot number, lot description, the minimum bid, the
current high bid, and the number of the buyer who made the current
high bid.
{The minimum bid displayed is the lot-by-lot minimum bid, usually spe-
cified by sellers. The auction-wide minimum bid is not considered in
the display (but is included in calculations) because auctioneers
sometimes waive auction-wide minimums, but rarely are in a position to
waive lot-by-lot minimums. The display thus communicates the restric-
tions on the auctioneer.}
{When one lot is grouped under another, the current bid column is
replaced with the legend "With nnnn". The value of nnnn is the number
of the lot under which this one was grouped. At the extreme right of
the screen, an asterisk designates lots which have other lots grouped
under them.}
Page IV-19
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
The subfunctions of the silent auction are reached through commands.
The main prompt is:
Command (Sell/Modify/Find/Close/Purge):
In response to this prompt, you may issue any of eight single-letter
commands. The Winning Bid responds to your commands without waiting
for you to press the enter key. The commands are:
Esc (escape), when pressed in response to the main prompt, returns
you to the main system menu. {Escape works differently in the
subfunctions. See the descriptions below.}
Up Arrow (on the numeric keypad) will scroll the display of lots
up. {The up arrow works only to the point where the last lot is
displayed at the bottom of the screen.}
Down Arrow (on the numeric keypad) will scroll the display of lots
down.
The "S" key is used to SELL a merchandise lot, or to record a bid.
After pressing the "S" key, you are asked for a buyer number, a
lot number, and a bid amount. The buyer number defaults to the
most recently-entered buyer number; to accept the default, sim-
ply press enter. If the specified buyer has closed, The Win-
ning Bid will reject the sale with a warning message. The lot
specified must exist, the lot must not be deleted, and it must
not be grouped under another lot. The price entered must be
greater than the current high bid and greater than both the
auction-wide minimum bid and the minimum bid for the lot.
Finally, the buyer who is bidding must not be the current high
bidder.
{If a buyer who is the current high bidder wants to increase
his bid, use the Modify function, described below.}
{If you are running the demo version of The Winning Bid, buyer
numbers are limited to the values 1, 2, and 3.}
The "M" key is used primarily for MODIFYING or correcting key
entry errors. After pressing the "M" key, you are asked for a
lot number. The lot specified must exist, the lot must not be
deleted, it must not be grouped under another lot, it must have
an outstanding bid, and the buyer must not have closed. If all
these conditions are met, you will be asked if you want to
"Unsell" the lot. Enter a "Y" or an "N" to respond.
If you enter a "Y" to unsell the lot, The Winning Bid will
withdraw the current high bid, remove the buyer's number, and
there will no longer be an outstanding bid on that lot.
If you enter an "N", The Winning Bid will allow you to specify
a new price and/or buyer. The price entered must be above both
the auction-wide minimum bid and the lot-for-lot minimum bid.
The new buyer must not be closed.
Page IV-20
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
{If you are running the demo version of The Winning Bid, buyer
numbers are limited to the values 1, 2, and 3.}
The "F" key is used to FIND a lot with a specified description.
After pressing the "F" key, you are asked for a word or phrase
to search for. Lots found to have this word or phrase in their
description will be displayed at the top of the third section
of the screen, one at a time, unit you respond "N" or "Esc" to
the "CONTINUE (Y/N)?" prompt.
{The search is not case sensitive; all fields are temporarily
capitalized before searching. Find considers each description
line independent of all others and is not able to locate
phrases which are split across multiple description lines.}
The "C" key is used to CLOSE buyers and sellers. The act of clos-
ing a buyer or seller implies that he or she has completed all
auction activity and is prepared to settle accounts. The Win-
ning Bid, therefore, prints a receipt/statement and forbids
further buying and selling for that individual. (Of course, a
new buyer and/or seller number can be issued if the person
wants to continue at a later time.)
Upon pressing the "C" key, you are asked whether a buyer or a
seller is to be closed:
The "B" key designates the closing of a BUYER. You are asked
to enter the buyer number. The buyer must have bought
something, and must not already be closed. If a buyer has
previously closed, his or her receipt can be re-printed
using a report-only option (press "R").
After accepting the buyer's number, The Winning Bid calcu-
lates the amount due from the buyer and displays it with a
request for the payment type (cash, check, or credit
card). Enter the numeral 1, 2, or 3 as shown in the
prompt. If the cash-tracking feature is being used, the
payment type tells The Winning Bid whether or not to add
this sale to the cash box. If not, entry of the payment
type is still recommended for historical purposes.
Upon entry of a valid payment type, The Winning Bid will
attempt to print the buyer's receipt on the report
printer.
The "S" key designates the closing of a SELLER. You are
asked to enter the seller number. The seller must have
lots associated with his record and must not already be
closed. If a seller has previously closed, his or her
receipt can be re-printed using a report-only option
(press "R").
In addition, the seller's lots must all be sold (or must
have at least crossed the auction block). If the close
Page IV-21
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
control option has been selected in the set up process,
buyers of the seller's merchandise must have closed (indi-
cating that payment has been received). A report-only
option allows these requirements to be bypassed and a
report produced without actually closing the seller.
After accepting the seller's number, The Winning Bid cal-
culates the amount due to the seller and displays it with
a request for the payment type (cash or check only in this
case). If the cash tracking option is in use and if pay-
ment is to be made in cash, the seller will not be allowed
to close unless there is enough cash in the till to make
the payment.
Upon entry of a valid payment type, The Winning Bid will
attempt to print the seller's receipt on the report
printer.
Possible error conditions which could arise during report
printing include:
Printer Not Responding - Correct Problem and Press Any Key or
Press Esc to Abort. This error is typically caused by
printer hardware or communications problems. Check for a
loose printer cable. If nothing is apparent, press any
key and let The Winning Bid try again. Sometimes transient
electrical noise on the printer cable can trigger the mes-
sage. If that doesn't work, try turning the printer off
and on again after a few seconds' pause. If in fact the
problem cannot be corrected and you need to proceed with
the auction, press Esc to abort the report.
Printer Out of Paper - Correct Problem and Press Any Key.
Note that some printers will not communicate paper outages
to The Winning Bid. In some cases, these printers will
simply continue to print on the roller; in other cases
they will issue a hard error (above).
Sample Buyer's and Seller's receipts appear on the following
pages.
The "P" key PURGES or removes from the data base all bids except
those made by buyers who have closed. This clears the way for
a live auction by eliminating buyers who did not show up to
settle their accounts after completion of the silent auction.
DO NOT "PURGE" UNTIL ALL SILENT AUCTION BUYERS HAVE CLOSED.
DATA IS DESTROYED.
The purge process is preceded by a double-check to make sure
you really want to purge bids. When authorized, the process is
fully automatic.
Page IV-22
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Auction Name
Receipt Page 1
Payment by Check
Buyer No. 14
Lot Description Bid Amt
---- -------------------------------------------------- --------
39 Box of costume jewelry 5.00
31 Sears washing machine 10.00
24 Black & Decker sabre saw 14.00
15 Box of stoneware dishes 8.00
3 Irish linen table cloth 48x84 10.00
2 Sterling carafe - no marks 101.00
very fine condition
--------
Total 148.00
Tax at 5 % 7.40
--------
Total 155.40
Figure IV - 5: Buyer's Receipt
Page IV-23
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Auction Name
Receipt Page 1
Payment by Check
Seller No. 1
Mary Ellen Walker
12A 14th St.
Crestline OH 30327
412-498-2958
Lot Description Bid Amt
---- -------------------------------------------------- --------
1 Large Limoges floral bowl - chip 23.00
in bottom rim
2 Sterling carafe - no marks 101.00
very fine condition
3 Irish linen table cloth 48x84 10.00
4 Four assorted bolts of cloth: 3.00
2 cotton, 1 cotton velour,
1 terry toweling
--------
Total 137.00
Commission at 15 % 20.55
--------
Total 116.45
Figure IV - 6: Seller's Receipt
Page IV-24
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Main Menu option 6: Live Auction
Press F6 from the main menu and you will be presented with the live
auction operation screen. This screen is divided into three areas for
1) system-maintained status information, 2) prompts, data entry and
messages, and 3) lot status information.
The top section of the screen contains system-maintained status infor-
mation. If your set up specifies cash tracking, the current contents
of the cash box is displayed with the legend "Cash Bal". If you are
not using cash tracking, this field does not appear. The next field
consists of the legend "Lots Sold" followed by two numbers separated
by a slash. The first of these numbers is the number of lots which
have been sold (i.e. have a valid bid outstanding); the second is the
number of lots which have not yet been sold. The final field, labeled
"Dollars Sold", consists of two more numbers separated by another
slash. The first of these numbers is the dollar value of lots which
have been sold (i.e. have a valid bid outstanding); the second is the
dollar value of lots which have not yet been sold. Sold lots are val-
ued at the actual current bid while lots not sold are valued at the
higher of the two minimum bids.
{When lots are grouped into other lots, they are considered "sold" for
purposes of the "Lots Sold" field. The "Dollars Sold" field will con-
tinue to include the minimum bid value of all lots in the not-sold-
amount field since the minimum bid on a group of lots is considered to
be the sum of the minimums for the individual lots. The sold-amount
in the "Dollars Sold" field will continue to be the sum of all actual
bids. Because grouping complicates the picture, it may not always be
possible to add up the minimum bids on unsold lots in the third sec-
tion of the live auction operation screen and arrive at the same total
as shown in the "Dollars Sold" field.}
When the live auction screen is first displayed, the third section
will display the merchandise lots beginning with lot number 1. Five
columns are shown: lot number, lot description, the minimum bid, the
current high bid, and the number of the buyer who made the current
high bid.
{The minimum bid displayed is the lot-by-lot minimum bid, usually spe-
cified by the seller. The auction-wide minimum bid is not considered
in the display (but is included in calculations) because auctioneers
sometimes waive auction-wide minimums, but are rarely in a position to
waive lot-by-lot minimums. The display thus communicates the restric-
tions on the auctioneer.}
{When one lot is grouped under another, the current bid column is
replaced with the legend "With nnnn". The value of nnnn is the number
of the lot under which this one was grouped. At the extreme right of
the screen, an asterisk designates lots which have other lots grouped
under them.}
Page IV-25
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
The subfunctions of the live auction are reached through commands. The
main prompt is:
Command (Sell/Group/Modify/Find/Close):
In response to this prompt, you may issue any of eight single-letter
commands. The Winning Bid responds to your commands without waiting
for you to press the enter key. The commands are:
Esc (escape), when pressed in response to the main prompt, returns
you to the main system menu. {Escape works differently in the
subfunctions. See the descriptions below.}
Up Arrow (on the numeric keypad) will scroll the display of lots
up. The up arrow works only to the point where the last lot is
displayed at the bottom of the screen.
Down Arrow (on the numeric keypad) will scroll the display of lots
down.
The "S" key is used to SELL a merchandise lot, or to record a bid.
After pressing the "S" key, you are asked for a lot number, a
bid amount, and a buyer number. The lot number defaults to the
lot currently at the top of the third section of the screen,
but you are allowed to enter a different number, should the
auctioneer decide to sell lots out of numeric sequence. To
accept the default, simply press enter.
The lot specified must be valid and not deleted. (Deletions are
done through the seller/lot entry option.) It must not be sold
(i.e. have an outstanding bid) and must not be grouped under
another lot.
Only final bids on each lot (those accepted by the auctioneer)
should be recorded.
{If a lot has been sold and must be re-sold, The Winning Bid
requires that it first be "unsold". Or, if a lot has been
grouped and must now be separated for sale by itself, it must
first be "ungrouped". Both topics are covered under the
description of the "M" (modify) key, below.}
The bid price entered must be for the lot. Don't enter per-unit
price when the lot contains more than one unit. It must be
greater than both the auction-wide minimum bid and the lot-for-
lot minimum bid. If the auctioneer waives a minimum bid, you
may enter a lower number and "force" The Winning Bid to accept
it after the warning message appears by pressing the "A" key.
Sales to closed buyers are not permitted.
{If you are running the demo version of The Winning Bid, buyer
numbers are limited to the values 1, 2, and 3.}
Page IV-26
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
The "G" key is used to group lots for sale as a single entity.
When one lot is grouped "with" (or "under") another, the first
lot is no longer available for sale. The second lot's lot-by-
lot minimum bid becomes the sum of the two minimums and only
the second lot can be sold. Multiple lots can be grouped in a
"chain" simply by repeated use of the "G" key. One or more
lots can later be removed from the group by "ungrouping", a
sub-function of the "M" key.
When the "G" key is pressed, you will be asked for two lot num-
bers. Both must be valid lots which have not been sold, which
have no bids outstanding, and which have not been deleted. The
first lot entered must not already be grouped under another
lot, but it can have other lots grouped under it. That is, it
must show zeros in the bid column in the third section of the
live auction screen. The second lot may be a member of a group
or can have lots grouped under it or both. The two lots speci-
fied must belong to the same seller (because grouping across
sellers causes problems with division of the proceeds). And,
finally, a lot may not be grouped with itself and the lots may
not form a circular grouping.
The "M" key is used primarily for MODIFYING or correcting key
entry errors. After pressing the "M" key, you are asked for a
lot number. The lot specified must exist and it must not be
deleted.
If the lot specified is a member of a group, you will be
asked if you want to "ungroup" it. If you respond "Y",
the lot will be removed from its group and will again be
an independent lot, available for sale. If you respond
"N", you will be returned to the main prompt. Ungrouping
is possible, even after the buyer has closed.
{If you "ungroup" a lot from a group that has been sold,
the lot removed from the group will be in "unsold" status
while the remainder of the group (which may be one or more
lots) will continue to be in the "sold" status.}
If the lot specified is not a member of a group, it must have
an outstanding bid, and the buyer must not have closed. If
all these conditions are met, you will be asked if you
want to "Unsell" the lot. Enter a "Y" or an "N" to
respond.
If you enter a "Y" to unsell the lot, The Winning Bid will
withdraw the bid, remove the buyer's number and there will
no longer be an outstanding bid on that lot.
If you enter an "N", The Winning Bid will allow you to
specify a new price and/or buyer. The price entered must
be above both the auction-wide minimum bid and the lot-
for-lot minimum bid. The new buyer must not be closed.
{If you are running the demo version of The Winning Bid,
Page IV-27
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
buyer numbers are limited to the values 1, 2, and 3.}
The "F" key is used to FIND a lot with a specified description.
After pressing the "F" key, you are asked for a word or phrase
to search for. Lots found to have this word or phrase in their
description will be displayed at the top of the third section
of the screen, one at a time, unit you respond "N" or "Esc" to
the "CONTINUE (Y/N)?" prompt.
{The search is not case sensitive; all fields are capitalized
before searching. Find considers each description line inde-
pendent of all others and is not able to locate words or
phrases which are split across multiple description lines.}
The "C" key is used to CLOSE buyers and sellers. The act of clos-
ing a buyer or seller implies that he or she has completed all
auction activity and is prepared to settle accounts. The Win-
ning Bid, therefore, prints a receipt/statement and forbids
further buying and selling for that individual. (Of course, a
new buyer and/or seller number can be issued if the person
wants to continue at a later time.)
Upon pressing the "C" key, you are asked whether a buyer or a
seller is to be closed:
The "B" key designates the closing of a BUYER. You are asked
to enter the buyer number. The buyer must have bought
something, and must not already be closed. If a buyer has
previously closed, his or her receipt can be re-printed
using the report-only option (press "R").
After accepting the buyer's number, The Winning Bid calcu-
lates the amount due from the buyer and displays it with a
request for the payment type (cash, check, or credit
card). If the cash-tracking feature is being used, the
payment type tells The Winning Bid whether or not to add
this sale to the cash box. If not, entry of the payment
type is still recommended for historical purposes.
Upon entry of a valid payment type, The Winning Bid will
attempt to print the buyer's receipt on the report
printer.
The "S" key designates the closing of a SELLER. You are
asked to enter the seller number. The seller must have
lots associated with his record and must not already be
closed. If a seller has previously closed, his or her
receipt can be re-printed using a report-only option
(press "R").
In addition, the seller's lots must all be sold (or must
have at least crossed the auction block). If the close
control option has been selected in the set up process,
buyers of the seller's merchandise must have closed (indi-
cating that payment has been received). A report-only
Page IV-28
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
option allows these requirements to be bypassed and a
report produced without actually closing the seller.
After accepting the seller's number, The Winning Bid cal-
culates the amount due to the seller and displays it with
a request for the payment type (cash or check only in this
case). If the cash tracking option is in use and if pay-
ment is to be made in cash, the seller will not be allowed
to close unless there is enough cash in the till to pay
him or her.
Upon entry of a valid payment type, The Winning Bid will
attempt to print the seller's receipt on the report
printer.
Samples of these reports appear under Main Menu Option 5, the
silent auction.
Possible error conditions which could arise during the printing
of reports include:
Printer Not Responding - Correct Problem and Press Any Key or
Press Esc to Abort. This error is typically caused by
printer hardware or communications problems. Check for a
loose printer cable. If nothing is apparent, press any
key and let The Winning Bid try again. Sometimes transient
electrical noise on the printer cable can trigger the mes-
sage. If that doesn't work, try turning the printer off
and on again after a few seconds' pause. If in fact the
problem cannot be corrected and you need to proceed with
the auction, press Esc to abort the report.
Printer Out of Paper - Correct Problem and Press Any Key.
Note that some printers will not communicate paper outages
to The Winning Bid. In some cases, these printers will
simply continue to print on the roller; in other cases
they will issue a hard error (above).
Page IV-29
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Main Menu option 7: Reports
In addition to the seller's claim check and the seller's and buyer's
receipts, The Winning Bid provides several management reports. These
reports are reached by pressing F7 which presents a subordinate menu
listing the reports. The reports are described below with samples and
field-by-field descriptions.
Although these reports are intended for use after completion of the
auction, they are available any time and will correctly reflect the
status of the auction whenever they are printed.
Profit and Loss Statement
The Profit and Loss Statement (P&L) is produced by pressing F1
from the reports sub-menu. No further input is required.
Fields included in the report are:
a) Auction Name - The value stored in the set up auction name
field.
b) Lots Handled - The total number of merchandise lots on file
excluding those deleted.
c) Value (at Minimum Bid) - The value of all merchandise lots on
file excluding those deleted, priced at the greater of the two
minimum bids.
d) Less Lots Grouped - The quantity and value of all lots which
were grouped into another lot. A group of lots is considered
to have as a minimum bid the greater of 1) the sum of the
seller's minimum bids for the individual lots, and 2) the auc-
tion-wide minimum bid for a single lot. The effect of group-
ing, therefore, is only to reduce the total auction value by
the auction-wide minimum bids, and only in cases where they are
not overruled by seller's minima. The value shown here
reflects that effect.
e) Less Lots Not Sold - The quantity and value of all lots which
have not been sold as of the time of the report. Lots not
sold, for the purposes of this report, are lots which have no
selling price recorded. The value reported is the greater of
the seller's minimum bid and the auction-wide minimum bid. When
groups have not been sold, the value is the value of the group.
f) Lots Sold - Items (b) and (c) less items (d) and (e).
g) Overbid Amount - The sum, for all lots sold, of the difference
between the minimum bid and the actual selling price.
h) Tax Collected - The sum, over all buyers, of the amount of
sales tax collected. This includes buyers which have not yet
closed, but excludes buyers which were purged at the end of the
silent bidding process (because the failed to close out and
pay).
i) Total Receipts - The sum of items (f), (g), and (h).
j) Tax Payable - The sum of items (f) and (g) multiplied by the
sales tax rate setup parameter.
Page IV-30
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Auction Name
Profit and Loss
Lots Handled 51
Value (at Minimum Bid) 918.00
Less Lots Grouped 3 3.00
Less Lots Not Sold 6 40.00
----- --------
Lots Sold 42 875.00
Overbid Amount 507.00
Tax Collected 69.13
--------
Total Receipts 1,451.13
Tax Payable 69.10
Due or Paid to Sellers 1,107.95
--------
Total Payments 1,177.05
--------
Profit 274.08
Figure IV - 7: Profit and Loss
Page IV-31
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
k) Due or Paid to Sellers - The sum, over all sellers, of the
actual selling price for all of their lots multiplied by one
minus their commission rate.
l) Total Payments - The sum of (j) and (k).
m) Profit - Item (i) minus (l).
List of Lots
Lots may be listed by pressing F2 from the reports sub-menu.
There is a summarized and a detailed list, and the listing may be
restricted to sold lots, or unsold lots, or it may include all
lots.
Columns on this report are:
a) Lot - The lot number assigned by The Winning Bid when the lot
is entered.
b) Description - The seller-provided description of the lot. On
the summary report, only the first description line is printed
for each lot. On the detail report, all description lines are
printed.
c) Sale Price - For lots that have not been grouped into another
lot, the sale price is the actual selling price. For grouped
lots, the legend "With nnnn" appears, where nnnn is the number
of the lot this lot was grouped into. On the detail report,
the seller's minimum bid appears on the second line in this
column.
d) Buyer - The number of the buyer who purchased this item. On the
detail report, the sale date appears on the second line in this
column.
e) Seller - The number of the seller who sold this item. On the
detail report, the time of the sale appears on the second line
in this column.
At the bottom of the last page, summary fields are printed:
f) Total at Selling Price - The grand total of all selling prices
for the lots listed.
g) Total at Minimum Bid - The grand total of all seller's minimum
bids for the lots listed (appears only on the detail report).
h) Total Number of Lots - The total number of lots listed.
Page IV-32
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Auction Name
Lot List - Page 1
Lot Description Sale Price Buyer Seller
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Large Limoges floral bowl - chip 23.00 2 1
2 Sterling carafe - no marks 101.00 14 1
3 Irish linen table cloth 48x84 10.00 14 1
4 Four assorted bolts of cloth: 3.00 19 1
5 Oak dining table and 4 chairs With 6 2
6 6 folding chairs With 8 2
8 Set of 3 occasional tables 50.00 2 2
9 Antique marble-top dresser 12.50 3 2
10 Small 7-drawer desk 4.50 1 2
11 RCA color TV 26.00 30 2
12 Weber upright piano 45.00 3 2
/=====/
52 Five boxes of books. 5.50 22 6
53 Encyclopedia Brittanica 1987 5.00 51 6
54 Water pump - no motor 1.00 3 6
55 Computer desk with printer stand 0.00 0 6
Total at Selling Price $1,382.00
Total Number of Lots 51
Figure IV - 8: Summary Lot List
Page IV-33
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Auction Name
Lot List - Page 1
Lot Description Sale Price Buyer Seller
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Large Limoges floral bowl - chip 23.00 2 1
in bottom rim 20.00 02-09-88 23:53
2 Sterling carafe - no marks 101.00 14 1
very fine condition 100.00 02-06-88 22:07
3 Irish linen table cloth 48x84 10.00 14 1
0.00 02-06-19 22:07
4 Four assorted bolts of cloth: 3.00 19 1
2 cotton, 1 cotton velour, 0.00 02-06-88 22:05
1 terry toweling
5 Oak dining table and 4 chairs With 6 2
with two leaves 25.00 02-09-88 23:56
/=====/
53 Encyclopedia Brittanica 1987 5.00 51 6
0.00 02-06-19 22:07
54 Water pump - no motor 1.00 3 6
0.00 02-10-19 00:03
55 Computer desk with printer stand 0.00 0 6
0.00 02-10-19 00:03
Total at Selling Price $1,382.00
Total at Minimum Bid $ 877.00
Total Number of Lots 51
Figure IV - 9: Detail Lot List
Page IV-34
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
List of Sellers (F3)
Sellers may be listed by pressing F3 from the reports sub-menu.
There is a summarized and a detailed list, and the listing may be
restricted to closed sellers, or open sellers, or it may include
both.
The columns included on the report are:
a) No. and Name - The seller's number and name. On the detail
version of the report, the seller's address and phone number
also appears.
b) No. Lots - The number of lots auctioned for the seller. Lots
are counted whether or not they have been sold.
c) Total $ - The total of all actual selling prices for the
seller.
d) Less Comm - The total paid (or to be paid) to the seller after
deduction of commission.
e) Close Date/Time - The date and time of closure of the seller.
On the detail version of the report, the method of payment to
the seller appears below the closure date and time.
On the detail report, each seller's listing is followed by a
listing of the lots sold by that seller:
f) Lot No. - The number assigned to the lot by The Winning Bid.
g) Act $ - The actual selling price. Lots which have been grouped
into other lots bear the legend "With nnnn" instead of a price.
h) Description - The seller's description of the lot, including
all lines.
At the bottom of the report, a total is printed:
i) Total Number of Sellers - The total number of sellers appearing
on the report.
Page IV-35
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Auction Name
Seller List - Page 1
No. and Name No. Lots Total $ Less Comm Close Date/Time
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Mary Ellen Walker 4 137.00 116.45 02-10-1988 00:04
2 R. W. Jones 27 528.00 448.80 02-10-1988 00:04
3 Robert Peterson 4 591.00 502.35 02-10-1988 00:04
4 Gary Boswell 2 20.00 17.00 02-10-1988 00:05
5 June Brown 7 27.50 23.37 02-10-1988 00:05
6 House Items 7 78.50 0.00 02-10-1988 00:05
Total Number of Sellers 6
Figure IV - 10: Summary Seller List
Page IV-36
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Auction Name
Seller List - Page 1
No. and Name No. Lots Total $ Less Comm Close Date/Time
Lot No., Act $, and Description Payment Method
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Mary Ellen Walker 4 137.00 116.45 02-10-1988 00:04
12A 14th St. Check
Crestline OH 30327
412-498-2958
1 23.00 Large Limoges floral bowl - chip
in bottom rim
2 101.00 Sterling carafe - no marks
very fine condition
3 10.00 Irish linen table cloth 48x84
4 3.00 Four assorted bolts of cloth:
2 cotton, 1 cotton velour,
1 terry toweling
/=====/
6 House Items 7 78.50 0.00 02-10-1988 00:05
No address Check
No city
49 41.00 Ansel Adams print - signed and
numbered.
50 20.00 Box of model trains. Includes
2 engines, 7 cars, track, 3
buildings, transformer
51 6.00 Large model piper cub with
gasoline engine
52 5.50 Five boxes of books.
53 5.00 Encyclopedia Brittanica 1987
54 1.00 Water pump - no motor
55 0.00 Computer desk with printer stand
Total Number of Sellers 6
Figure IV - 11: Detail Seller List
Page IV-37
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
List of Buyers (F4)
Buyers may be listed by pressing F4 from the reports sub-menu.
There is a summarized and a detailed list, and the listing may be
restricted to closed buyers, or open buyers, or it may include
both.
The detailed list of open buyers is appropriate for posting to
announce winning bidders after a silent auction.
The columns included on the report are:
a) Buyer - The buyer's number.
b) No. Lots - The number of lots purchased by the buyer.
c) Total $ - The total amount paid by the buyer, exclusive of tax.
d) Close Date/Time - The date and time of closure of the buyer.
e) Payment Method - The payment method selected by the buyer.
On the detail report, each buyer's listing is followed by a list
of the lots bought:
f) Lot # - The number assigned to the lot by The Winning Bid.
g) Price - The actual selling price. Lots which have been grouped
into other lots bear the legend "With nnnn" instead of a price.
h) Description - The seller's description of the lot, including
all lines.
At the bottom of the report, a total is printed:
i) Total Number of Buyers - The total number of buyers appearing
on the report.
Page IV-38
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Auction Name
Buyer List - Page 1
Buyer No. Lots Total $
Lot # Price Description
---------------------------------------------------------------------
4 1 3.00
16 3.00 Box of pots and pans
13 2 92.00
29 70.00 Jacobsen 8 HP snow blower
25 22.00 Black & Decker 3/8" drill
14 6 148.00
39 5.00 Box of costume jewelry
31 10.00 Sears washing machine
24 14.00 Black & Decker sabre saw
15 8.00 Box of stoneware dishes
3 10.00 Irish linen table cloth 48x84
2 101.00 Sterling carafe - no marks
very fine condition
Total Number of Buyers 3
Figure IV - 12: Detail List, Open Buyers Only
Page IV-39
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Auction Name
Buyer List - Page 1
Buyer No. Lots Total $ Close Date/Time Payment Method
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 4 151.50 02-10-1988 00:04 Check
2 12 108.50 02-10-1988 00:04 Cash
3 5 133.50 02-10-1988 00:04 Credit Card
13 2 92.00 02-07-1988 20:01 Check
14 6 148.00 02-07-1988 20:00 Check
19 3 28.00 02-07-1988 20:00 Cash
22 1 5.50 02-07-1988 20:01 Cash
30 1 26.00 02-07-1988 20:00 Credit Card
40 1 3.00 02-07-1988 20:01 Cash
51 6 95.00 02-07-1988 20:01 Credit Card
62 4 591.00 02-07-1988 20:01 Credit Card
Total Number of Buyers 11
Figure IV - 13: Summary Buyer List
Page IV-40
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Auction Name
Buyer List - Page 1
Buyer No. Lots Total $ Close Date/Time Payment Method
Lot # Price Description
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 4 151.50 02-10-1988 00:04 Check
28 1.00 Sears lawn mower
26 14.00 Black & Decker circular saw
19 132.00 Set of sterling silverware
includes 9 serving pieces
plus service for 8 - complete
10 4.50 Small 7-drawer desk
/=====/
62 4 591.00 02-07-1988 20:01 Credit Card
36 21.00 Apple color monitor
35 20.00 Package of 25 diskettes: games
word processor, spreadsheet
etc. Documentation missing
34 100.00 Epson FX80 printer
33 450.00 Apple IIe computer
Total Number of Buyers 11
Figure IV - 14: Detail Buyer List
Page IV-41
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Main Menu option 10: Stop
Press F10 from the main menu or from the reports sub-menu and The Win-
ning Bid will stop operations, returning you to DOS.
THE USE OF F10 IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED WHEN YOU ARE DONE WITH THE WIN-
NING BID BECAUSE SOME DATA IS NOT WRITTEN TO DISK IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU
TURN OFF THE COMPUTER OR REBOOT IT WITHOUT FIRST PRESSING F10, RECORDS
COULD BE LOST.
Page IV-42
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Data Backups and Archiving
To make a backup copy of The Winning Bid's data, you must copy the
following files:
WBSELL.DTA
WBLOT.DTA
WBBUY.DTA
WBDESC.DTA
WB.CFG
Note that the first four will be on the disk or diskette drive you use
to hold data (the drive you specify on the introductory screen when
you start The Winning Bid). The last file, WB.CFG, contains configu-
ration data and summary data about the auction. It resides with the
software. All five must be copied to make a valid backup and all five
must be restored to their correct places if The Winning Bid is to
function properly after the restore.
Page IV-43
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
V. Terms and conditions of sale
Page V-1
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
The terms and conditions of sale are different for different versions
of The Winning Bid. This manual corresponds to the "User-Supported"
version. You can tell which version you have by looking at the sys-
tem's introductory screen. Terms and conditions of sale for the User-
Supported version of The Winning Bid are as follows:
The User-Supported Version of the The Winning Bid (WB) is owned by Jan
B. Young, doing business as Precision Systems, 767 N. Holden St., Port
Washington, WI 53074. For your payment (if any), you have not pur-
chased the system, but only a license to use a copy of it.
The User-Supported Version is intended for the user-supported market
place and, as such, is a subset of the complete system.
1. Your license is transferrable and may be subdivided. This means
that you may freely make and distribute copies of both the
software and documentation, provided you:
A) Make no alteration to either the software or the documen-
tation. Copyright and disclaimer notices must be preserved
and distributed intact with the system.
B) Distribute only complete copies of the software, each copy
accompanied by a complete copy of the documentation. (The
documentation may be distributed as a data file on a dis-
kette, or as a physical document.)
C) Charge the recipient no more than $10 per diskette for the
sublicense. This $10 fee is inclusive of all diskette,
documentation, shipping, handling and other ancillary
charges (but need not include sales tax, if any).
2. The software is copyrighted and all rights therein are reserved
by the owner.
3. You must assume all responsibility for the selection and appli-
cation of the software as appropriate to achieve the results
intended by you. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WAR-
RANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT
NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
4. The user-supported version of The Winning Bid is not return-
able. All sales are final.
Page V-2
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
The registration fee for the User-Supported version of The Winning Bid
is $25.00. For your fee, you will receive:
1) A free copy of The Auction Primer, a separate manual which
gives hints and tips for the operation of profitable auctions
using The Winning Bid.
2) Free telephone support (see section VI).
3) A free copy of the professional version demo on diskette. This
demo diskette is worth $5 if you choose to upgrade to the Pro-
fessional Version.
Upgrade today! Send your $25.00 to:
Precision Systems
767 N. Holden St.
Port Washington, WI 53074
Wisconsin residents must include 5% sales tax ($1.25 additional).
Page V-3
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
VI. Support
Page VI-1
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
Support for The Winning Bid is available to all licensees of the Pro-
fessional Version of The Winning Bid, and to REGISTERED licensees of
the User-Supported Version. Unregistered licensees are not eligible
for support. (See section V for instructions on how to register your
copy.) The support provided to registered licensees includes:
1) Free letter/telephone support covering installation, setup,
auction procedures, and auction operations in reasonable
amounts. If you telephone, you must be prepared to pay the
phone bill, including any calls we must make back to you. Write
to Precision Systems, 767 N. Holden St., Port Washington, WI
53074 or call 414-284-3742. CALLS CAN ONLY BE ACCEPTED EVENINGS
OR WEEKENDS.
2) On-site installation and training is available on a quotation
basis. Write to Precision Systems at the address above stating
your requirements. We will provide a price.
3) Similarly, custom modifications and enhancements can be pur-
chased. Write to Precision Systems at the address above stating
your requirements. We will provide a price.
No matter how much testing is done, no software product is ever per-
fect. If you find an error in The Winning Bid, or in its documenta-
tion, we'd like to know about it. Similarly, if you identify an
enhancement that you would like made in the future, let us know. We
cannot promise any immediate action, but all input will be carefully
reviewed and taken into account as future versions of The Winning Bid
are planned.
Page VI-2
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
VII. Index
Page VII-1
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
The Winning Bid - Subject Index
Subject Section Page
---------------------------------------- ------- ----
Archiving data IV 43
Assumptions made I 3
Auction operations, live IV 25
Auction, live, tutorial III 8
Auction, silent IV 19
Auction, silent, tutorial III 7
Backups IV 43
Benefits I 2
Brackets, meaning of I 4
Buyer close, tutorial III 9
Buyers, closing, live auction IV 28
Buyers, closing, silent auction IV 21
Buyers, lists, printing IV 38
Buyers, lists, samples IV 39
Cash tracking IV 4
Cash, starting amount IV 4
Claim check report, seller's, printing IV 16
Claim check, seller's, sample IV 17
Clearing the data base II 4
Clearing the data base IV 2
Clearing the data base, tutorial III 3
Close buyers, tutorial III 9
Close control, seller IV 4
Close sellers, tutorial III 9
Closing buyers, live auction IV 28
Closing buyers, silent auction IV 21
Closing Sellers, live auction IV 28
Closing sellers, silent auction IV 21
Color IV 5
Colors, selection IV 7
Commission rate IV 4
Copyright V 2
Data base clearing, tutorial III 3
Diskette, contents II 2
Eject, report IV 6
Eject, tags IV 6
Grouping lot, live auction IV 27
Hardware requirements I 3
Installation II 2
Installation, on-site VI 2
License, software V 2
Live auction, tutorial III 8
Lot entry, tutorial III 6
Lot tags, prep rinting, tutorial III 6
Lots, deleting IV 15
Lots, finding IV 14
Lots, finding, live auction IV 28
Lots, finding, silent auction IV 21
Lots , lists, printing IV 32
Lots, lists, samples IV 33
Lots, merchandise, addition of IV 13
Page VII-2
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
The Winning Bid - Subject Index
Subject Section Page
---------------------------------------- ------- ----
Lots, modifying IV 15
Merchandise lots, addition of IV 13
Merchandise lots, deleting IV 15
Merchandise lots, finding IV 14
Merchandise lots, finding, live auction IV 28
Merchandise lots, finding, silent auct'n IV 21
Merchandise lots, lists, printing IV 32
Merchandise lots, lists, sample IV 33
Merchandise lots, modifying IV 15
Minimum bid on tags IV 6
Minimum bid, auction-wide IV 5
MODE, using for RS232 printers IV 7
Modifications, software VI 2
Modifying sales, live auction IV 27
Name, auction IV 3
Organization, this manual I 4
Paddle, sample IV 11
Paddles, creating rules file IV 5
Paddles, name and address blanks IV 5
Paddles, printing IV 9
Paddles, printing, tutorial III 5
Paddles, rules IV 5
Port, report printer IV 6
Port, tag printer IV 6
Printer tests II 3
Profit and Loss Statement, printing IV 30
Profit and Loss Statement, sample IV 31
Purging unclosed buyers, silent auction IV 22
Purpose I 2
Receipt, seller, sample IV 24
Receipts, buyer, printing IV 21
Receipts, buyer, printing IV 28
Receipts, buyer, sample IV 23
Receipts, seller, printing IV 21
Receipts, sellers, printing IV 28
Refunds V 3
Registration V 5
Report eject IV 6
Report printer port IV 6
Reports IV 30
Reports, tutorial III 9
RS232 printers, setup IV 7
Rules, creating rules file IV 5
Sales, modifying, silent auction IV 20
Seller close, tutorial III 9
Seller entry, tutorial III 6
Seller's claim check report, printing IV 16
Seller's claim check report, sample IV 17
Sellers, addition of IV 12
Sellers, close control IV 4
Sellers, closing, live auction IV 28
Page VII-3
The Winning Bid
Version 1.3
User Manual
The Winning Bid - Subject Index
Subject Section Page
---------------------------------------- ------- ----
Sellers, closing, silent auction IV 21
Sellers, deleting IV 15
Sellers, finding IV 14
Sellers, lists, printing IV 35
Sellers, lists, samples IV 36
Sellers, maintenance IV 12
Sellers, modifying IV 15
Selling, live auction IV 26
Selling, silent auction IV 20
Serial printers, setup IV 7
Set up, tutorial III 3
Setup, data base II 3
Setup, data base IV 3
Silent auction, tutorial III 7
Starting cash amount IV 4
Starting The Winning Bid II 3
Starting The Winning Bid, tutorial III 2
Stopping The Winning Bid IV 42
Support VI 2
System set up, tutorial III 3
Tag descriptors IV 7
Tag eject IV 6
Tag height IV 7
Tag printer port IV 6
Tag separation IV 8
Tag starting column(s) IV 8
Tag width IV 8
Tag width vs. description field width IV 8
Tags across, number of IV 7
Tags, lot, preprinting, tutorial III 6
Tags, minimum bid on IV 6
Tags, preprinted, sample IV 10
Tags, preprinting IV 10
Tags, printing inline or batch IV 5
Tags, printing on plain paper IV 8
Tags, sample IV 18
Tags, using 3x5 cards IV 8
Tax rate IV 4
Tests, printer ports II 3
Tracking, cash IV 4
Training, on site VI 2
Tutorial III 2
Warranty V 4
Page VII-4
Directory of PC-SIG Library Disk #1388
Volume in drive A has no label
Directory of A:\
FILE1388 TXT 1928 5-26-89 10:52a
GO BAT 38 4-24-89 4:39p
GO TXT 694 5-26-89 10:55a
MANUAL BAT 148 5-26-89 12:13p
PAGE COM 325 1-06-87 4:21p
VIEW BAT 41 5-26-89 12:12p
WB DOC 170752 11-28-88 10:59p
WB EXE 145348 12-15-88 9:56p
WBNOS FLE 3680 9-12-87 10:53a
WBREAD ME 1792 2-28-88 11:37p
10 file(s) 324746 bytes
32768 bytes free