^[1]Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers exceeded $5 billion of online equipment sales in the fourth quarter of 2011. Ritchie Bros., rbauction.com ^[2], hit this milestone on Oct. 6 at an unreserved public auction at its site in Hartford, Connecticut.

Close to 50 percent of the people bidding at Ritchie Bros. auctions participate online in real time; the others participate in person at the auction site.

In April 2010, Ritchie Bros. launched a new 21-language website at the Bauma trade show in Germany. The new rbauction.com ^[3] features current inventory and equipment search ^[4] in 21 languages, auction results in 14 languages and live online bidding in seven languages.

Facts about online bidding at Ritchie Bros.

Amount sold online (2002 – 2011): $5+ billion

Amount sold online (January – October 2011): $880 million

Registered bidders – total (January – October 2011): 318,000

Registered bidders – online (January – October 2011): 152,000 (48%)

Amount sold online (2010): $830 million

Registered bidders – total (2010): 343,000

Registered bidders – online (2010): 146,000 (43%)

Online bidding introduced: 2002

See a behind-the-scenes look at the Ritchie Bros. online bidding service by visiting youtu.be/XUP4nBAyyr8 ^[5].