Buying at auction need not be daunting for the uninitiated. Here at Gildings, we want the process to be as straight forward and enjoyable as possible. Most information you may need can be found here, but if you have any specific questions, please ask one of our Team.
All prospective bidders must register an account prior to bidding in an auction. Once you have an account you can use this to bid, buy, and sell items with ease. As part of the registration, clients will be asked to provide valid forms of ID so that we can verify their details. You can read further about what ID is accepted and what details we keep securely on file here.
A fully illustrated catalogue of each auction can be found online prior to the event.
For our Antique & Collectors auctions, saleroom guides are available in person during Viewing days, and for Specialist or Fine Art auctions an illustrated print catalogue is available two weeks in advance.
It is advisable for you to view items in person prior to the auction on our Viewing days. If you are unable to do that, we can provide further digital images and a condition report upon request. We understand the importance of obtaining all the information you need before committing yourself to bidding on an item, so please do ask any questions well in advance of the sale.
For more Information on our venue, catalogue publication, and viewing times, please visit our Upcoming Auctions page.
It is advisable to thoroughly inspect your lots during public viewing days prior to the auction sale.
A full listing of fees and charges can be found here.
Do remember that all lots are subject to Buyer’s Premium on the final hammer price. At Gildings, the Buyer’s Premium is 28.8% (inc. of VAT at 20%), with a minimum Buyer's Premium charge of £8 (inc. VAT) being applicable from 1st September 2022. For example, if you buy a lot for a hammer price of £100, the total cost is £128.80.
You can Bid Live through your gildings.co.uk account so long as a valid debit card has been registered. This will not incur any additional surcharge. If bidding live online via the-saleroom.com, an additional 5.94% surcharge (inc. VAT at 20%) is also applicable.
On rare instances, VAT is applicable on the hammer price, as well as the Buyer’s Premium. This shall be explicitly labelled in the catalogue listing. In these instances, the total cost will be: [hammer price + 20% VAT] + Buyer’s Premium of 28.8%; e.g. £120 + £28.80 = £148.80 total
Some Works of Art will be subject to ARR charges – those where it is applicable shall be clearly indicated. ARR was introduced in 2006 to ensure that artists receive a royalty when their work is resold by an auction house or gallery. This Right applies to European artists, living or those that have died within the last 70 years. This royalty is paid by the purchaser on top of the hammer price if the hammer price reaches or exceeds £1,000 (GBP). The amount payable is charged on a sliding scale basis – e.g. up to £50,000 GBP, the royalty rate is 4% of the sale price. A full outline is listed in our Terms and Conditions for Buyers.
You can pay & collect your items whilst the auction is in progress. Payments are accepted by debit cards, or direct bank transfers. Please be aware, we no longer accept credit cards or cash as a means of payment.
Once payment has been cleared you are free to collect your items from the saleroom. Collections are operated on an appointment basis. You can book an appointment to arrange a collection via our Appointment System. If someone is collecting on your behalf, do inform us prior to their arrival.
If you are unable to collect your items on the day of the auction, we ask if you can arrange collection promptly – preferably within a week. If items remain after 10 working days, storage charges may be enforced.
We offer postage and packing for certain categories of sold items to UK addresses. Alternatively, you can contact our Shipping department for a quote post-sale if you have bought multiple items. See our Shipping page for more details: SHIPPING
For International Shipping, or for an alternative to our UK service, you must appoint a third-party to collect and act on your behalf. We shall not release any items to a third party without prior notification from the named buyer.