Auction as a concept and even as a business manner has existed long before the internet and eBay came up, and though I do not venture an opinion on its future, I can definitely say that auction houses are alive and well, and have websites like this one, where you can check out a variety of information on buying and selling stuff through a regular auction house. James G.
Murphy and Co. is a Washington-based commercial and industrial auction, and their site is very simple but extremely well organized and thus very useful. Probably the best way to explore this site is to start by taking a look at the schedule of auctions, in which you can buy anything from restaurant equipment to industrial printing to woodworks machinery; once you find an auction you might be interested in, you can read a detailed list of the items for sale and watch pictures of them, and you’re probably best advised to read the driving instructions with attention and write them down (no maps, unfortunately). If you are not planning to go over to the auction but are still interested in buying something, check if the auction of your preference has the MurphyLIVE logo; if it does, it means that you can bid over the internet. MurphyAuctions.net has developed a proprietary software which you can download from the site for free and which allows you to hear the auctioneer in real time, and make your bids on the go; if this is not an option for you, or the Live Auction feature is not enabled for the auction you are interested in, just e-mail them with your bid –it’ll probably cost a bit more, but at least it’s almost a sure buy. I couldn’t find much information on international bidders and shipping. I wonder if they can add a section on this. 
