Selling

Sale Types: Timed & Live

Two kinds of auctions that share the same core concepts but differ in how and when items close.

Basta supports two kinds of auctions. Both share the same core concepts — items, bids, reserves, and increments (see the Glossary) — but differ in how and when items close.

Type	Description
`ONLINE_TIMED`	An online timed auction. Items open and close automatically on a schedule
`LIVE`	A live auction, driven in real time by an auctioneer

Timed auctions (`ONLINE_TIMED`)

This is the standard online auction model covered throughout the documentation. Items open at a set time and close on a countdown, with anti-sniping extending the clock when last-moment bids arrive.

See the first auction tutorial and the Glossary entries for ClosingMethod and ClosingTimeCountdown.

Live auctions (`LIVE`)

In a live auction, an auctioneer works through items one at a time in real time. Online bidders participate alongside the room, and the auctioneer decides when each item is sold or passed.

Items in a live sale move through a ITEM_LIVE state while on the block, then to processing as the outcome is settled.

Auctioneer controls

Operation	Purpose
`sellLiveItem`	Sell the current item (lowering the reserve to the current bid if needed)
`sellLiveItemToBid`	Sell the current item to a specific leading bid
`passLiveItem`	Pass the current item (no sale)
`addFairWarningNotificationToItem`	Send a “fair warning” cue to bidders before selling
`addMessageNotificationToItem`	Send an ad-hoc message to bidders watching the item

Live auction controls are typically operated from a saleroom console and require an authenticated back-office session.

Live streaming

A sale can carry a live video stream so remote bidders can watch and follow along. Two approaches are supported:

Approach	Description
External stream	You provide your own stream URL (from your existing streaming setup) and attach it to the sale
Basta-hosted stream	A built-in stream provisioned for the sale, with a public playback URL and live viewer counts (available on accounts where this option is enabled)

GraphQL

mutation AddStream {
  addLiveStreamToSale(accountId: "ACCOUNT_ID", input: {
    saleId: "SALE_ID"
    # provide an external stream URL, or request a built-in stream
  }) {
    __typename
  }
}

Real-time viewer and stream updates are delivered alongside other sale activity over Subscriptions.

Paddles & registration

Live and saleroom auctions often assign paddle numbers. Paddles tie into the registration flow — see Bidder Registration & Approval and the PADDLE registration type.

Timed auctions (ONLINE_TIMED)