There is no doubt that the most transformative development for auctions over the past twenty years has been the internet and online bidding. With potential buyers able to log in and bid from anywhere in the world, a typical auction might now have bidders taking part from dozens of countries around the world – and that’s on top of those bidding via the phone or commission. That’s good news for consignors, who now enjoy far larger audiences for their possessions, and good news for buyers, who can now gain access to multiple sales from the comfort of their armchair.

But with every bonus, there is also a catch: fewer people bother to come and bid in person in the saleroom. Why does this matter? In my opinion, it makes it more difficult to create an ‘atmosphere’ for any sale, making the auctioneer’s job a bit more challenging, but I also think that the less people visit auction houses, the more difficult it will be for them to grasp what a fantastic way this is of doing business for buyers and sellers.

So my advice is this: whether or not you end up bidding online, get to pre-sale viewings as often as possible and make sure you also attend the odd auction in person. That is the way to become a real expert and give yourself the edge in the long term.

The European elections operate by a somewhat complex system of proportional representation instead of the first-past-the-post arrangement used for local and general elections in this country.

The exercise of this last week reminded me that not all auction systems are the same either.

Traditionally, as we know, the auctioneer will offer a lot at a starting price and then accept bids on it as the sums offered rise. Assuming the eventual bid is above the reserve – or at least within the range agreed for the auctioneer’s discretion – when the hammer falls the lot is sold.

However, other methods include the Dutch auction, first used in the Netherlands during Tulip mania in the 17th century, where the auctioneer will lower the price from the starting offer on an item until it wins a bid.

This system developed because tulip bulb inflation rose at such speed that establishing a market value on any given day became impossible by any other practice.

Even more complex systems of bidding can be used under special circumstances, for instance when selling a large collection. Though the desire may be to keep the collection together, enough demand may not arise to achieve this, so a dual system can be employed to test the water in which all lots are first offered singly and then, once the collective price has been established, the auctioneer will see if any single bidder is prepared to outbid that sum, thereby winning the whole lot.

It’s nice to know that, with skill, auction professionals can adapt their service to the needs of any given situation.

It’s not often that something comes up for auction that is so outstanding and iconic that it stays in the memory forever, but something popped up in my InBox today that fitted the bill exactly: the world’s oldest Porsche sports car.

What a magnificent piece of design!

Dating to 1939, the Type 64 is the only model left from the three designed and built by Ferdinand Porsche. A compact coupé intended for road racing, its chief objective was to embody the might and pride of German engineering on the trip from Berlin to Rome. Its sleek lines and aerodynamic form were absolutely of their time, a fitting focus for a backdrop of Art Deco architecture, even if the engine itself was no more than the one fitted to the original VW Beetle.

Its provenance also helps when it comes to appeal and price; from Porsche himself, in 1948 the car passed into the hands of racing driver Otto Mathé before passing on to only two more owners in its 80-year history. Today it is considered the most historically important of all Porsche cars in existence.

So what is it expected to sell for when it comes up for sale in August in the United States?

A cool $20 million. It’s going to be an exciting day on the rostrum.

Politics has become a fairly ugly word in recent times, but it can create interest for the auction world, as we have just seen with the sale of items belonging to the late PM Harold Wilson. The sale came a year after the death of his wife, Mary, at the age of 102. A notable poet and confidante of the much-loved Poet Laureate John Betjeman, Lady Wilson was also a judge of the Booker Prize, so no slouch she.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the Wilsons’ lives, as unveiled by many of the lots on offer in the sale, was just how ordinary they were in many ways for the leader of our country and his family. Of the 700 pieces on offer, Wilson’s trademark Gannex raincoat and pipe proved to be among the most sought after, with the latter taking a six-times-estimate £320. My favourite lot was the bottle of centenary HP Sauce made for the PM, which took £250.

Now, I understand, that the Wilsons’ bungalow in the Scilly Isles, where they spent many a happy holiday walking with packed lunches, is also up for sale. Devoid of luxury, it harks back to an era before the complex times we live in today.

The dispersal of the Wilsons’ rather simple and modest collection of belongings made me wistful in more ways than one.