Auctions

From General sales to specialist Fine Art & Antiques auctions and Country House Sales, Cuttlestones’ auctions are professionally run and extensively marketed. In addition to details on the different types of sale, here you’ll find details on how to sell at auction and how to buy at auction...
Fine Art & Antique Auctions
Specialist Sales
Country House Sales
General Sales
How to Sell at Auction
How to Buy at Auction

Fine Art and Antique Auctions

Cuttlestones’ Fine Art and Antique Sales attract a wide range of quality items including furniture, silver, watches, jewellery, glass, ceramics, militaria, toys, books, maps, paintings, clocks, barometers and general collectables.

Extensive marketing + live internet bidding = global reach
These auctions are extensively marketed to attract as wide an audience as possible. Each lot features on this website with photographs and detailed information enabling local, national and international audiences to view all items ahead of official viewings. Catalogues are also published on this site as well as specialist auction websites in advance, while comprehensive marketing and PR support helps ensure broad publicity. Meanwhile the ability to bid via telephone, leave commission bids or buy via a live internet bidding facility opens these sales to the global market.

Vendors may submit items to Fine Art and Antiques auctions at any time, for inclusion in the next sale.

NEXT FINE ART & ANTIQUES AUCTION: Friday, 5th March 2010 at 10am
Bidding in person, by telephone, via live internet bidding facility or by commission.
Sale catalogue & photographs will be published here on Friday 26th February

Specialist Sales

As the collectables market is diverse, with new niches appearing all the time, specialised services are available to clients wishing to sell new and unusual collectables.

A tailored solution
Whether lots are added to the next Fine Art and Antiques Auction or warrant an individual sale, Cuttlestones is able to provide a solution and will tailor marketing to target a specific audience.

Recent examples include a specialist aviation sale on location at a Shropshire airfield and the inclusion of a collection of 1920s football medals in the May 2009 Fine Art sale.

General Sales

Cuttlestones’ famous General Sales take place every Wednesday at 10am, coinciding with the traditional open air stall market on the same site. Items as diverse as tools, gardening paraphernalia, general ceramics and collectables, white goods, electrical items and furniture feature regularly, with far more unusual items often cropping up. Each sale usually consists of between 400 and 500 lots.

Entries: every Thursday and Friday from 9am - 5pm (other times by appointment).
Viewing: Tuesday prior to the sale from 2pm - 6pm.

If buying and selling at auction is a new experience, the Cuttlestones team is more than happy to assist – further information can be found within the ‘how to buy at auction’ and ‘how to sell at auction’ sections of the website.

How to Sell at Auction

Registration
Upon consigning goods to auction you’ll be issued with a personal account number by which all of your items will be tracked.

Whether you’re submitting a single item or the entire contents of a house clearance you will be provided with a receipt for all items, on the reverse of which are listed our full terms and conditions.

Valuations, guide prices and reserves
Once submitted items will be valued, entered in the next suitable sale and assigned an estimated price to help guide bidders. In the case of Fine Art and Antique auctions, you will receive written notification ahead of the date of the sale in which your items are entered, along with details of the guide and reserve prices, giving you the opportunity to review your items ahead of the sale.

However, with general sales written notifications are not issued due to time constraints, but vendors may discuss guide and reserve prices on consignment.

Standard vendors' charges
Standard entry charge: £2 per lot for general sales; £3 per lot for Fine Art sales
Commission of 15% is also charged on the sale price.

Settlement
All charges are plus VAT at the standard rate. Please note Cuttlestones is happy to discuss flexible terms with clients.
Final payment is made directly to the vendor by post or by electronic transfer if required within 14 days following the date of sale. No charges are made for insurance, cataloguing, photographs or electrical PAT testing.

Please note: If, once charges have been deducted, the final amount owing to the client is less than £5 it is not economical to send out a cheque.

How to Buy at Auction

Buying at auction is an extremely simple, exciting and rewarding process and when you buy through Cuttlestones there’s always a friendly member of the team on hand to offer help and advice. Once you’ve viewed the items you’re interested in - whether on the premises or online - and decided what you’re willing to spend, there are a number of ways you can place bids:

In person. To bid in person at the auction, you’ll need to register with the office on the day of the sale – bring along a recognised form of ID (driver’s licence or utility bill) which will enable you to pay by personal cheque, if preferred. You will then be provided with a bidding number – find yourself a spot in the auction room and, when your item comes up, signal clearly to the auctioneer each time you wish to place a bid (and don’t worry about scratching your nose - only obvious bids will be taken!). If you’re lucky enough to be successful, all that’s left is for you to pay for your items at the office before collecting them.

If, for whatever reason, you are unable to attend the sale in person there are still a number of ways you can bid:

Commission Bidding. Lodge a commission bid with the office and we will bid on your behalf up to the maximum limit set by you.

Telephone Bidding. Contact the office ahead of the sale to let them know you’d like to bid via phone and confirm which lot(s) you are interested in. A member of auction staff will ring you approximately five lots before the lot you are interested in, allowing you to bid over the telephone. Please note this option is not always available on lower priced lots.

Live Internet Bidding. Available for Fine Art sales, this option enables you to bid in ‘real time’ wherever you are in the world – all you need is a computer with an internet connection. Simply register using www.the-saleroom.com and you can bid via your PC from the comfort of your own home. Please note additional charges are applicable.

Payment can be made in cash or by major Debit and Credit cards with proof of ID. Please note credit card payment is subject to a 2.5% fee.

Standard buyers' charges
A buyer’s premium of 15% plus VAT will be added onto your bill so please take this into consideration when bidding.