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# Shopping a sale event as a buyer

A sale event is a timed auction of many lots from one host, and the lots close together. Most lots are animals. Some events also sell genetic lots, such as semen straws or embryos. You can get a reminder before the sale starts, save the lots you like, bid on as many as you want, and pay for your animal wins in one checkout.

## Get a reminder before it starts

On the event page, you'll see when it starts and when bidding closes. Select **Remind Me**, and Creatures will notify you when the event starts. The button then changes to **Subscribed**.

![Upcoming sale event with its start countdown, closing date and a Remind Me button](https://cdn-test.creatures.com/6f0/838/a82/46873.png?width=1760)

If you're signed out, **Remind Me** asks for your first name, last name and email. Creatures then emails you a code to confirm.

You can also set the reminder from a lot's own page before the sale opens, with the same **Remind Me** button next to **View Sale**.

**Apply to Participate** is for sellers who want to add their animals to the event. You don't need it to bid.

## Save the lots you want to follow

Select the heart on a lot to save it. You need to be signed in. Saved lots also go on your watchlist.

Above the lots, **All** shows every lot and **Saved** shows only the ones you saved. Until you save one, the Saved view says **Your Saved view is ready**.

## Bid on a lot

Each lot works like a single auction, with the same card hold, auto-bid and reserve rules. See [How auctions and bidding work](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/how-auctions-and-bidding-work-zu7y78/).

Once you bid on a lot, its card shows **Winning** or **Outbid**. The status updates while you watch the page. If someone outbids you, Creatures also sends you a notification, so you can decide whether to bid again.

![Saved view of a live sale event with one lot marked Winning and one marked Outbid](https://cdn-test.creatures.com/f17/cc9/358/743f8.png?width=1760)

Plan for the end to move. The event page says: "Bids placed in the final 3 minutes reset the auction clock to 3 minutes." In a sale event, a late bid on any lot resets the clock on every lot still open. The whole sale can run past its listed end time. If you can't watch the finish, set an auto-bid on each lot you care about.

## Pay for your wins

When the event closes, your wins wait under **Dashboard > Buying > Purchases**. Animal lots and genetic lots are paid separately.

**Animal lots:** they share one banner with **Pay auction wins**. Pay within 72 hours of the close. The wins page lists every animal lot you won. For each one, you choose pickup or delivery and whether to keep it private. Then you pay once for all the lots you select. Each seller's volume discount and promo code apply to that seller's lots. For the full steps, see [I won an auction: what happens next](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/i-won-an-auction-what-happens-next-dci1x6/).

**Genetic lots:** straws or embryos you won get their own banner with **Pay genetic wins**, which opens a separate checkout. See [Buying genetics on the marketplace](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/buying-genetics-on-the-marketplace-oy4ayo/).

## Keep a purchase private

Tick **Keep this animal private** on an animal lot when you pay. Other visitors then won't see that lot on the event page after the sale. It's also hidden from the public feed, search and your public profile. You can change this anytime. See [Keeping your purchase private](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/keeping-your-purchase-private-10rjkru/).

### Related information

- [How auctions and bidding work](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/how-auctions-and-bidding-work-zu7y78/)
- [I won an auction: what happens next](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/i-won-an-auction-what-happens-next-dci1x6/)
- [Saving searches and using your watchlist](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/saving-searches-and-using-your-watchlist-1yqepwk/)
- [What sale events are](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/what-sale-events-are-1qkf4jy/)