If you have never watched one, here is the whole thing.
Before it starts
A seller schedules a show. If you follow them you are told when they go live. You can also just browse what is on — somebody is usually selling something.
You do not need an account to watch. You need one to bid or to type in the chat.
In the room
The seller is on camera with the things they are selling. Usually there is a table. They pick up one item, show it, say what it is, what condition it is in, and what is wrong with it — a chip, a repair, a missing part.
This is the moment to ask. The chat is right there and the seller is reading it. "Can you show the back", "what does it weigh", "is the clasp original" — these are normal questions and a good seller is pleased to be asked. A seller who will not show you a detail has told you something.
The clock
Each item gets its own countdown. Bids appear as they land, in the same order on every screen in the room.
On most items, a bid arriving in the last seconds pushes the clock back out — two people ten seconds from agreeing on a price should not be cut off by a stopwatch, so the auction ends when the bidding ends.
Sudden-death items are the exception. Those have a short clock that never moves, and the highest bid when it reaches zero wins. The item says which format it is, and on those the last second really is the last second. More on the moment itself.
Winning
The item closes and the highest bidder has it. A payment sheet opens over the show, so you do not leave the room. You have thirty minutes if you are there, and twelve hours from first opening it if the auction ended while you were away.
Win more than one thing in the show and they ship together — by default with no extra delivery charge for the later wins. A seller can set a charge for each later win, or turn combining off, and the listing says so before you bid.
After
The seller packs and sends it, or you collect it if that is how the item was listed. The money we took from you stays with us until it reaches you.
Questions people ask
Do I have to watch the whole show?
No. Join for the item you want. If you follow the seller you will be told when they are on.
Can the seller see me?
No. They see your display name and that you bid. Not your camera, not your number, not your address until you have paid.
What happens if my connection drops mid-bid?
Your bid stands. Come back and you will see where it got to.
Is the show recorded?
Some sellers keep clips. The chat and the bidding are not replayed.
What if nobody bids on something?
The seller decides — lower the start, explain more, or move on and relist it later.
Can I buy without bidding?
Sometimes. Some items are fixed-price buy-now and end the moment somebody takes them.
Next: how bidding works, or what happens when you win.