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Sign-up

  1. In order to create an account, click the SIGN UP button on the home page, in the upper right corner. If you have an account with us or would like to log in again, select LOG IN.
  2. In the sign-up window, enter your e-mail address, password and telephone number. Your password must contain a minimum of 6 characters.
  3. To create an account on the website, you must read and accept the terms and conditions. You may also wish to receive notifications for all or only selected types of auctions.
  4. In the process of creating your account, we will send you a text message with a 4-digit code that you should enter in the box that appears on the screen.
  5. After creating an account on our website, you need to confirm your e-mail address by clicking on the account activation link received in the e-mail.

In your account panel, in the Edit Profile option there is a place for you to fill in your Account Details, preferred language as well as currency and your address details. You can also choose to have a different delivery address or to receive invoices from individual auctioneers. Please note that the change of this data will apply only to subsequent auctions, so if you have already signed up for an auction, please inform the auctioneers about the change of your data.

The Profile section also includes information on messages received, your activity, auctions and purchases, favourite artists, and lots observed. Under the notifications tab, you can specify whether you want to receive text messages, e-mails and notifications about auctions and orders, and subscribe to a newsletter. In addition, you can also add your favourite auction houses to receive an SMS notification whenever they hold an auction.

Signing up for auctions

  1. To sign up for an auction of your choice, click the REGISTER FOR AUCTION button below the auction name. You can also perform this action after opening the window of the item of your choice. This button will then appear below the information on the auction start date.
  2. It is very important to read the auction terms and conditions. The terms and conditions contain information concerning, among others, auction increments, deposit, reserve prices, auction commission, time to purchase the item, time to collect the item won and issues related to sending lots to clients.
  3. Once you have thoroughly read the terms and conditions, you must accept them. From this level, you can also opt to receive SMS notifications before the start of all auctions of the auction house you wish to participate in.

Once you have signed up for an auction and your participation has been accepted, you can start bidding. Acceptance times are short, but it is best not to wait until the last minute but to sign up for an auction as early as possible.

Limits and bids

Thanks to our website you can participate in an auction from any place. However, if you are not able to keep up with bidding, the limit option comes to your aid. When you set a limit in the selected item window in the SET LIMIT box, during bidding the item will automatically be bid on your behalf up to the set limit. The set limits can be modified until bidding on the item begins.

In the case of online auctions and some classic auctions you can bid on a selected item on the fly by entering the amount and confirming it with the BID button in the selected item window. Each lot page shows the number of bids that have already been submitted as well as the reserve price and the current price of the item.

The difference between a limit and a bid is that a limit can be changed or removed at any time (but no later than before the start of bidding on the item). A limit does not raise the price before an auction begins and remains inactive until live bidding for an item begins. A bid works similarly in a classic online auction, where each successive bid raises the current price and determines who wins the bidding at the moment. In the case of classic auctions, bids are also used in live bidding, working in the same way as limits. When a limit and a bid for the same item are placed at the same time, the automatic bidding system will select the higher amount to recurrently outbid other bidders.

If only selected items are called in an auction, submit a request to bid on the item by clicking the SUBMIT FOR BIDDING button.

Favourites (auction items, artists, search terms)

On each item page you can find the FAVOURITES button next to the item name, which allows you to save items of your interest in your profile under the FAVOURITES tab. To add an item to favourites, you must first sign up for the auction in which the item is offered. In the case of classic auctions you can also set up an SMS notification that will be sent to you a few items in advance before bidding on your chosen item.

On our website there is the ARTISTS tab, where you can find an alphabetically grouped list of artists whose works have been or will be auctioned. When you select a particular artist, you can click on the ADD TO FAVOURITES option under their name. In this way, you will see the selected person in your profile under the ARTISTS tab and you will be informed whether any of their paintings are currently available for auction.

Another useful option is the search engine, available both from the home page and the individual auction pages. In the search engine you can enter the name of the artist, the subject you are interested in, or a keyword that matches the item you are looking for. When your search terms are found, next to RESULTS FOR... you will see the OBSERVE THIS SEARCH option. This way, when there is another lot matching your search, you will receive an e-mail notification. The added term will appear in your profile under the SEARCHED tab.

Live bidding

In classic auctions you can start bidding on a selected item after the auction has started. When it is your turn to bid on your selected item, at the time of bidding you’ll see on the screen the bids submitted by both on-site and online bidders. If your proposed bid is the highest, a message will appear with this information. In addition, you will also see the number and name of the item you are currently bidding for, who is currently leading the bidding, the current price, your bidding history and the bid button. There is also an option to enable a voiceover that will read the number of the item being bid for and the current price. Some auctions also have the option of live video streaming from the auctioneer’s premises.

Any raise in art auctions must be approved by the auctioneer. Submissions wait until the auctioneer accepts the bid. To avoid conflicts in online submissions of raises, the ability to bid is temporarily disabled while waiting for approval. When your bid is still the highest at the end of the bidding time, the screen will indicate that the item is yours. In this form of bidding, in the case of equal bids with the same amount by manual and automatic bidding (by a previously set limit or bid), the priority is determined by the queue of consecutive raises accepted by the auctioneer, according to the principle of alternation of consecutive bidders.

In the case of numismatic and bibliophile auctions, raises are accepted automatically. It may happen that at the same time someone else bidding in the auction room also submits a raise. In such cases, the auctioneer decides who is leading the bidding at any given time. If the auction house allows you to bid at half price, you will also see the blue CUT BID button below. You may only bid half the amount once for each item. In this form of bidding, in the case of equal bids with the same amount by manual and automatic bidding (by a previously set limit or bid), the automatic bidding has priority.

Bidding at online auctions

For online auctions, the auction announcement is considered the start of bidding. In turn, the moment when the auction and bidding ends is determined by a predetermined date. In the window of the item you are interested in, you will find information about the reserve price, current price, number of bids and how much time is left to the end of the auction. Below you will find a field to enter your proposed amount and the BID button. Please note that an item can be bid on until the end of the auction and the amount you submit may be outbid even a few days later, so keep an eye on the information you receive and re-offer a higher amount if necessary.

Bids submitted 5 minutes before the end of the bidding time extend the closing time for the item by another 1-3 minutes, depending on the auction settings.

Winning bids and notifications

In the case of public and live auctions, bidding ends when the Auctioneer strikes the gavel, and the highest bidder becomes the buyer. At the end of the time allowed for bidding on the item, the screen will automatically show that the item belongs to you.
For online auctions, the highest hammer price is confirmed by the end of time and is equivalent to the conclusion of a contract for sale.

Information about the price of each item and the total amount to be paid will be available in an e-mail sent automatically after the auction ends or on our website in your Profile under the My auctions tab.

Collection and delivery

Once you have won the auction, you must purchase the items won within the time limit specified in the auction terms and conditions. In the case of default and failure to collect the work on time, the auction house may charge a storage fee for the storage of the lot. Collection of the lot won takes place on the premises of the auction house after the total payment of the hammer price including the auction fee has been credited. At your request, the auction house can have the lot shipped to your address by a transport company. Shipping costs, including insurance, are added to the total price to be paid for the items won, along with all other fees.

Payment

A fee for the organisation of the auction, usually between 10% and 20%, is added to the hammer price. The fee also applies to post-auction sales. The hammer price together with the fee for the organisation of the auction is a gross amount. The purchase of some lots is subject to an additional fee resulting from the so-called droit de suite, i.e. the right of the author and their heirs to receive remuneration for the sale of the original copies of the works. This fee is added to the total amount payable for the items won. Some items may also be subject to VAT if outside the EU. Information on all fees is always provided on each item page.

You will receive account details for payment in an e-mail with auction summary. This information is also available on our website in your Profile under the My lots tab.