Buying and Selling Guide

Seller’s Guide

Items for sale, there are three options:

Free home vist:  To arrange for one of our valuation team to visit you in your own home.  Contact our office on 0131 553 7000. 

Online valuation service:  Please click the link.  

Saleroom visit:  For small consignments or single items you may prefer to deliver them in person where a member of staff is always available to advise you. 

Should you require a carrier to bring your goods to sale we have a list of approved carriers who will be able to help.

Once goods are consigned for sale, you will be given a receipt with a vendor number, this is your unique client number which is used to identify your goods as they proceed through the sale process. All communication with you from receipt to settlement statement will include this number. Settlement will be made by cheque or bank transfer approximately three weeks after each sale.  

Terms and conditions for sellers

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Buyer’s Guide

Bidding in Person

To bid in person

  • To bid you should register for a paddle number, you will be asked to complete a buyer’s registration form for which proof of address and full contact details are required
  • If you make a successful bid,  you should displaying your paddle number clearly to the auctioneer.
  • Paddle numbers are allocated per sale so you should register and get a new number for each sale you attend.
  • Your bill will be available during or after the sale and should be paid on the day at the office
  • Payment is by cash, cheque, or bank transfer (please note we do not accept credit/debit cards).
  • Goods cannot be removed from the saleroom until payment has been received.
  • We regret that we are unable to store goods for buyers after the sale.  

Catalogues:

  • Catalogues are available in the saleroom for each sale with a brief description of the item, an auction price estimate and a ‘lot’ number allocated to each item.
  • Our online catalogue is fully illustrated with useful features such as enlargement and we may put up multiple images for certain lots; for example to show a detail or signature etc..
  • Please remember that our staff are on hand to help and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Absentee Bidding

Bidders who are unable to attend the sale can bid in a variety of ways.

  • You can either email a list of bids with lot numbers clearly shown – it is advisable to put a brief description of the lot, such as ‘chest’ or ‘wardrobe’ to ensure that lot numbers have not been transposed and that your bid is for the correct lot. The email should include your full contact details.
  • Bidders can also complete an ‘absentee bid form’, available in the saleroom, which you would complete with lot number, description and your maximum bid.
  • Please be assured that your bid is viewed by the auctioneer as if you are bidding in the room.
  • Bidders can also complete a ‘telephone bid’ form for items with a minimum lot value of £80 or can submit a telephone bid request by email.  We will telephone you a few lots before your lot comes up.
  • Telephone bids are on a first come first served basis so please book your line well in advance of the sale.
  • Our staff are on hand to answer any questions you may have about absentee bidding.
  • If you are not requesting a telephone or absentee bid in person they must be received by email, we cannot accept requests made by telephone. 

Online Bidding

We welcome online bidding through the Saleroom.com, bidders who chose to bid online can do so by registering and logging into the Saleroom website  Terms and conditions for buyers

Privacy Notice

Buying and Selling Guide

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