Bidder FAQ
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Q. When does the auction start?
| A. Each auction begins the moment you receive your catalog. Our business hours are 9am-5pm Pacific Standard Time Monday-Thursday and 9am-3pm Pacific Standard Time on Friday. We answer the phones until 9pm PST the night of the auction. Each auction ends promptly at 9pm PST. |
Q. I'm a first time bidder. What do I do next?
| A. Call us and register. You need to give your name, address, daytime phone number and method of payment. Even if paying by check, you will need to have3 on file a credit card number. For your convenience we take VISA, MasterCard and American Express, personal checks or money orders. Once we receive this information, we enter you into our database and issue you a bidder number. You can call anytime up until auction closing to register, however it is preferable that you call prior to the Monday before auction night. |
Q. What is the bidder number for?
| A. Each customer is identified in our database by their bidder number. This allows us to quickly access your information and streamlines the bidding process. Your bidder number is exclusive to you and remains the same for all auctions. |
Q. Why do I need to re-register for each auction?
| A. Registering each time gives us the opportunity to confirm and update your customer information as necessary. It also ensures that you remain on our active customer list to receive upcoming catalogs and the after auction listing of unsold items, even if you don't place a bid or are unsuccessful. |
Q. How are bids taken?
| A. You can make a bid in one of several ways: |
(Be sure to include your full name, a contact phone number, and your bidder number)
Call toll free: 1 800 899-1776
Outside the US call: 831 656-0111
Fax us your bids at 831 656-9085
Send an email to StickelC@aol.com
Or use our online bidding form.
We can guarantee processing of email and online bids up to 9:00 PM PST (12:00 Midnight EST) the day of the auction.
Q. How do I bid?
| A. Once you have registered, call for the lot's status and simply bid the next increment. It is best to have a list of all lot numbers you are interested in before you call and give that list to us all at one time. There is no limit to the number of items you can check on when you call, but faxed requests for more than 10 items would be greatly appreciated. Bid increments are as follows: |
| Under $100 | $5 |
| $100-500 | $10 |
| $500-1,000 | $25 |
| $1,000-2,000 | $50 |
| $2,000-5,000 | $100 |
| $5,000 and above | $500 |
| There is a 15% Buyer's Premium charged on the final hammer price of each lot. |
| You may check the progress and raise your offer as many times as you like, but all bidding stops at exactly 9pm PST. Time permitting, we can fax you a list of the status of any or all lots. Current bid status will also be updated and posted on this website. |
Q. Can I bid below the minimum bid?
| A. No, you may not offer below the minimum bid. All items in our auction are consigned and to do so would be unfair to our consignors. |
Q. What is a maximum bid and how does it work?
| A. Toward the end of an auction it can be difficult to reach us, so we encourage you to put maximum bids on the items you really want. Once you do so, we input your maximum into the system, and each time your lot or lots are bid on by another customer, we will bid for you up to your authorized limit. If your item does not reach your maximum bid, you win it for the lower amount. For example, the lot you are interested in is currently at $50. You place a bid of $55 (the next bid increment) and enter a maximum of $100. If the highest bid on the item reached $70, you would win it for $75 (the next bid increment over the previous high bid). All maximum bids are strictly confidential. We have increased our phone lines and staff, however it is virtually impossible to get through to us the last two hours of the auction. For this reason, we very strongly suggest placing maximum bids on those items you really want. |
Q. I've heard about reserves. What are they?
| A. Many auction houses use "hidden reserves." These are secret minimum bids higher than the published minimum bid. They are similar in procedure to that of a maximum bid, but the difference is that customers are bidding against the consignor rather than other bidders. A customer believes he is the high bidder on an item, but unless they have exceeded the reserve they do not receive the item and it is returned to the seller. We believe these practices to be deceptive and we do not use reserves in our auctions. |
Q. Can I withdraw a bid?
| A. Bids may not be withdrawn or cancelled - this rule is strictly enforced. Doing so will exclude you from participating in future auctions. |
Q. Do you let me know if I am outbid?
| A. Unfortunately, it is impossible to contact each bidder if they are outbid on an item. Again, we suggest placing maximum bids on the items you really want and/or calling periodically to check the status of your lots. |
Q. I would like more information on an item than what's in the catalog. Is this available?
| A. In spite of our efforts, a bidder occasionally needs more information on an item than what we can possibly describe or illustrate in our catalog. To assist in this area, we can fax you a photocopy of any item you are interested in, or time permitting, mail it to you. |
Q. How do I know if I won?
| A. Our offices are closed the following two business days after each auction to process invoices. There is no need to call us to check the status of your bids as the day following the auction, each bidder is mailed either a preliminary invoice, or if unsuccessful, a price realized list. The price realized list is also available on this website late the evening of the auction. No other auction house has such a rapid response rate. |
| Bid with confidence knowing that every item is carefully evaluated and comes with a lifetime guarantee and signed letter of authenticity backed by our 23 years experience. Please give us a call, you won't regret it! We welcome your questions and want to win your trust and your business for many years to come. |
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