+ If you’re hunting for value rather than trophies, call an expert in the wine department, usually listed in the front of the catalogue. Specialists are delighted to steer you to undervalued bottles, which they have likely tasted.

+ Preauction tastings are often offered at modest price. They provide a great opportunity to discover a wine you’d not otherwise have considered bidding on. Check the front of the catalogue for details.

+ Full cases, especially OWCS, command the highest prices. Mixed-case lots—which include different wines and vintages—are often better buys and more interesting to drink, because of their variety. “We put odds and ends together to make a package,” says Robert Sleigh of Sotheby’s. Among the smarter ideas are “dinner party lots,” a selection of wines suited to a formal meal—perhaps Champagne, white Burgundy, red Bordeaux.

+ Lulls in the salesroom tend to occur after an expensive lot goes under the hammer and toward the end of a long session. At such times, you can find yourself the high bidder at a price that may be even lower than the low estimate.