Full Glossary
Cataloging

Floor Lot

An item physically present at the auction venue but not individually listed in the catalog. Floor lots are typically lower-value items that don't warrant the time and cost of individual photography and description. They are sold at the auctioneer's discretion during or after the cataloged lots.

How It Works in Practice

Floor lots are a practical reality of estate auctions — not every item justifies the 3–5 minutes of cataloging time. Professional auctioneers make strategic decisions about what gets cataloged individually versus what becomes a floor lot or box lot. AI cataloging tools lower the threshold by reducing per-lot cataloging time from minutes to seconds, making it economical to catalog items that would previously have been floor lots.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a floor lot and a box lot?
A floor lot is un-cataloged — it's present at the venue but not listed with a lot number, description, or photo. A box lot is cataloged — it has a lot number, description, and photo(s), but groups multiple items together as a single unit. Box lots appear in the catalog and can be bid on online; floor lots can only be purchased by in-person attendees.
Should floor lots be photographed?
Not individually — that defeats the purpose of designating them as floor lots. However, photographing the floor lot area as a whole (one wide shot showing the tables of un-cataloged items) and including it in your sale listing attracts in-person attendance. With AI cataloging reducing per-lot costs, consider upgrading your best floor lot items to individually cataloged lots.

Related Terms

Box LotLotAuction Catalog

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