Buying antiques at auction

Overview

Buying at auction is, contrary to popular belief, a very straightforward process. Our auctions are always held fortnightly on a Wednesday. On the Saturday, Monday and Tuesday before the auction, the Auction Rooms are open for you to view all the lots for sale ( An item in a auction is referred to as a Lot) .

Bidding

If you have seen antiques(s) you wish to buy there are two ways in which to bid.

Attend the auction

The must common way of bidding is to attend the auction and bid on items as they come up. In order to do this you have to firstly turn up on auction day and register a paddle. A paddle is a piece of card with a unique number printed on it ( that number is assigned to you solely for the duration of the auction ).

When you bid for an item the Auctioneer conducting the auction will take down your number if you are the winning bidder.

Leave Absentee Bids

If you cannot physically attend the auction you may leave a bidding slip or place absentee bids online. A bidding slip is a form provided at the Auction Rooms which enables us to bid for you in your absence using your absentee bids. On this form you list the Lot Number(s) of the item(s) you wish to bid on and the maximum price(s) you are prepared to bid.

We will always try to purchase the item for you at the lowest possible price. For example, if you leave a bid for an item at £100, you will be treated as a normal bidder during the sale of the item. So if bidding on the item ends at £70 you would have bought the item at £70 as there are no further bids and your maximum bid was £100.

Auction Process

The actual process of a auction takes about 4-5 hours as we usually have approximately 900-1000 lots per auction. The auction will start from Lot 1 and continue to the end.

When an item comes up for sale the Auctioneer will start the bidding from a price they feel is appropriate based on the estimated value of an item. So if an item is worth approximately £100 the bidding may start at £70 to £80. The Auctioneer will then take bids on the item until there are no further bidders. If you wish to bid on an item you must hold your paddle up high and the Auctioneer will see you and register your bid. The Auctioneer will not register your bid if you scratch you nose, wink, sneeze etc. etc. as is a common misconception.

If you are the last bidder when the Auctioneer brings down their gavel ( hammer ), you will have bought the item.

Paying for Items

After the auction you are required to pay for the item(s) you have bought, which can be done at reception. On top of the price for which the item sold, you will have to pay Buyers Premium and V.A.T. Buyers Premium is our commission for selling the item and is currently 15% so if you purchase an item for £100 you will pay : -

£100	Hammer Price
£15	15% Buyers Premium
£2.25	V.A.T on Buyers Premium
-----------	----------------------------------
£117.25	Total

Before buying at auction please read our terms and conditions.