HOW TO BID
at sothebys.com, as well as the Conditions of
Business applicable to the sale.
FOR ASSISTANCE WITH REGISTRATION AND BIDDING
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BUYING AT AUCTION
generally in increments of approximately 10% of
the previous bid.
Online bidding
may not be available for Premium Lots.
Please refer to Conditions 5 and 6 of the
Conditions of Business for Buyers published
below.
Bidders using an Online Platform are subject to
the Additional Terms and Conditions for Online
Bidding, which are published below and can
also be viewed at sothebys.com, as well as the
Conditions of Business applicable to the sale.
Online bidding may not be available for Premium
Lots.
The following is intended to give you useful
information on how to buy at auction.
All
bidders should read the following information
carefully and note that Sotheby’s act for the
seller.
Bidders’ attention is specifically drawn
to Conditions 3 and 4, which require them
to investigate lots prior to bidding and which
contain specific limitations and exclusions of
the legal liability of Sotheby’s and sellers.
The
limitations and exclusions relating to Sotheby’s
are consistent with its role as auctioneer of
large quantities of goods of a wide variety and
bidders should pay particular attention to these
Conditions.
Prospective bidders should also
consult www.sothebys.com for the most up to
date cataloguing of the property.
Buyer’s Premium and Overhead Premium
A buyer’s premium and overhead premium will
be added to the hammer price and are payable
by the buyer as part of the total purchase price.
The buyer’s premium is 25% of the hammer
price up to and including £300,000; 20%
on any amount in excess of £300,000 up to
and including £3,000,000; and 13.9%
on any
remaining amount in excess of £3,000,000.
The overhead premium, which covers an
allocation of Sotheby’s overhead costs relating
to our facilities, property handling and other
administrative expenses, is 1% of the hammer
price.
These rates are exclusive of any applicable VAT.
1.
BEFORE THE AUCTION
Bidding in advance of the live auction Certain
auctions have a period of online bidding followed
by a live auction.
In such cases, if you are unable
to attend the live auction in person and wish to
place bids, or simply wish to bid in advance of th e
live auction, you may do so on sothebys.com or
via the Sotheby’s App (each an “Online Platform”
and together, the “Online Platforms”).
In order
to do so, you must register an account with
Sotheby’s and provide the requested informatio n.
Once you have done so, navigate to your desired
lot and click the “Place Bid” button to start the
process.
You may bid at or above the starting bid
displayed on the Online Platforms.
Please note
that Sotheby’s reserves the right to amend the
starting bid prior to the start of the live auction.
You may also input your maximum bid which,
upon confirmation, will be executed automaticall y
up to this predefined maximum value, in
response to other bids, including bids placed
by Sotheby’s on behalf of the seller, up to the
amount of the reserve (if applicable).
The curren t
leading bid will be visible to all bidders; the value
and status of your maximum bid will be visible
only to you.
If the status of your bid changes,
you will receive notifications via email and push
(if you have enabled push notifications on your
device) prior to the start of the live auction.
You
may raise your maximum bid at any time in
advance of the live auction.
Please note that in
certain circumstances clients who have been
outbid may be reinstated as the leading bidder
and will receive notification via email or push (if
enabled on your device).
Please refer further
to the “DURING THE AUCTION section below.
Pre-sale Estimates Pre-sale estimates are
intended as a guide for prospective buyers.
Online bids are made subject to the Additional
Terms and Conditions for Online Bidding, which
are published below and can also be viewed
Any
bid between the high and low pre-sale estimates
would, in our opinion, offer a chance of success.
However, lots can realise prices above or below
the pre-sale estimates.
It is advisable to consult
us nearer the time of sale as estimates can be
subject to revision.
The estimates do not include
the buyer’s premium, overhead premium, any
applicable Artist’s Resale Right levy or VAT.
Pre-sale Estimates in US Dollars and Euros
Although the sale is conducted in pounds
sterling, the pre-sale estimates in some cases
are also published in US dollars and/or Euros.
The rate of exchange is the rate at the time of
publication of this guide.
Therefore, you should
treat the estimates in US dollars or Euros as a
guide only.
Condition of Lots Prospective buyers are
encouraged to inspect the property at the
pre-sale exhibition.
Solely as a convenience,
Sotheby’s may also provide condition reports.
The absence of reference to the condition of a
lot in the catalogue description does not imply
that the lot is free from faults or imperfections.
Please refer to Condition 3 of the Conditions of
Business for Buyers below.
Electrical and Mechanical Goods All electrical
and mechanical goods are sold on the basis
of their artistic and decorative value only, and
should not be assumed to be operative.
It is
essential that prior to any intended use, the
electrical system is checked and approved by a
qualified electrician.
Provenance In certain circumstances, Sotheby’s
may publish the history of ownership of an item
of property if such information contributes to
scholarship or is otherwise well known and
assists in distinguishing the item of property.
However, the identity of the seller or previous
owners may not be disclosed for a variety of
reasons.
For example, such information may be
excluded to accommodate a seller’s request for
confidentiality or because the identity of prior
owners is unknown given the age of the item of
property.
Bidding at the Live Auction Following any
applicable online bidding period, bids may be
executed during the live auction in person, on
the telephone or online via an Online Platform.
Auction speeds vary, but average between 50
and 120 lots per hour.
Bidding in Person If you would like to bid in
person at the live auction, you may register for
a paddle prior to the start of the live auction
through an Online Platform or by contacting
the Bids Department.
The bidding steps are
Alternatively, you
may register for a paddle upon entering the
saleroom.
Proof of identity will be required.
If you
are a first-time bidder, you will also be asked for
your address, phone number, email address and
signature in order to create your account.
If you
have a Sotheby’s Client Card, it will facilitate the
registration process.
Should you be the successful buyer of a lot,
please ensure that your paddle can be seen by
the auctioneer and that it is your number that
is called out.
Should there be any doubts as to
price or buyer, please draw the auctioneer’s
attention to it immediately.
All lots sold will be invoiced to the name and
address in which the paddle has been registered
and cannot be transferred to other names and
addresses.
Please do not mislay your paddle; in the event of
loss, inform the Sales Clerk immediately.
At the
end of the sale, please return your paddle to the
registration desk.
Telephone Bids In some circumstances, we
offer the ability to place bids by telephone live
to a Sotheby’s representative on the auction
floor.
If bidding by telephone, we suggest that
you leave a maximum bid which we can execute
on your behalf in the event we are unable to
reach you.
Please see sothebys.com or contact
the Bid Department prior to the sale to make
arrangements or to answer any questions you
may have.
Telephone bids are accepted only at
Sotheby’s discretion and at the caller’s risk.
Calls
may also be recorded at Sotheby’s discretion.
By bidding on the telephone, prospective buyers
consent thereto.
Absentee Bidding For some sales (other than
where the option to submit an Advance Bid (as
defined below) is enabled and a current bid
is visible on the Online Platforms), if you are
unable to attend the live auction in person, you
may place your maximum bid prior to the start
of the live auction on an Online Platform or by
submitting your maximum bid in writing to the
Bids Department.
When the lot that you are
interested in comes up for sale, the auctioneer
will execute the bid on your behalf, making every
effort to purchase the lot for as little as possible
and never exceeding your limit.
Please place
your bids as early as possible, as in the event of
identical absentee bids the earliest received will
take precedence.
Bids should be submitted at
least twenty-four hours before the auction.
This
service is free and confidential.
1.
BROWSE 2.
REGISTER 3.
BID
Go to sothebys.com or the Sign up to place bids.
Bid before and during the auction,
Sotheby’s app to find works from anywhere in the world.
you are interested in.
2.
DURING THE LIVE AUCTION
Conditions of Business Sotheby’s auctions
are governed by the Conditions of Business
and Authenticity Guarantee.
These apply to all
aspects of the relationship between Sotheby’s
and actual and prospective bidders and buyers.
Anyone considering bidding in a Sotheby’s
auction should read them carefully.
They may
be amended by way of notices posted in the
saleroom or by way of announcement made by
the auctioneer.
Online bids are made subject
to the Conditions of Business applicable to the
sale and the Additional Terms and Conditions for
Online Bidding, which are published below and
can also be viewed at sothebys.com.
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