A method of allowing a seller in a multi-unit auction facility to offer
buyers the option of buying an offering at a pre-auction seller
determined price or using a regular auction process. In one embodiment,
the option to buy at the pre-auction seller determined price remains
throughout the auction as long as there are units of an item remaining
that have not yet been bid on. In another embodiment, the duration of an
option of purchasing an item at a pre-auction seller determined prices
depends on a configurable threshold, the current auction price in
relation to the threshold, and whether the unit has been bid on. In
another embodiment, a participant in an auction is allowed to re-bid, but
is not allowed to reduce the price in that re-bid, or the quantity in
that re-bid, unless that participant is currently not winning any units.
In yet another embodiment, purchases during an auction at the pre-auction
determined price reduces the quantity of that bidder's previous bid (if
there is one), and reduces the quantity available for bid for any later
bidders (but does not reduce the quantity of any other bidders who bid
before the fixed-price purchase).