Definition
The speed and frequency with which units of an asset change hands over a given period is a core liquidity metric; higher turnover generally signals a more actively traded, more easily exited position.
In Panel Profits
'Auction Velocity' specifically measures how quickly and how often copies of a given issue and grade clear through major public auction houses (e.g. Heritage Auctions, ComicConnect) rather than across the secondary market as a whole. High auction velocity for a key issue signals strong, active collector demand and generally supports tighter, more confidently-sourced FMV data, since auction results are independently verifiable, publicly recorded transactions.
Comic-market example
An issue with three verified auction sales in the past 90 days has materially higher auction velocity, and more reliable recent FMV data, than an issue with no recorded auction sale in over a year.
Common mistakes
Do not confuse auction velocity (auction-house-specific clearing frequency) with broader secondary market velocity, which also includes private sales, marketplace listings, and dealer transactions.