Guide To Selling
Your Definitive Selling Guide
Our auctions are curated and diverse, the combination of our one-to-one service with our team of specialists, means that selling your antiques and works of art can be easy and stress free. We will keep you informed at every stage, from the initial valuation to settlement.
Here is our guide to selling at auction:
Auction Estimates
Prior to your lot being accepted for auction, we will examine your property and provide you with an open market valuation. This is a free, no obligation service and you can contact us a number of ways, click here to find out how to obtain an auction estimate on your lot.
Customer Receipts
Once you decide to consign your items with Trevanion, you will receive a full customer receipt from us, this receipt will outline your details, the details of the item/s you wish to consign (including brief description, sale dates, estimates and any reserves discussed) and the commission charges involved. We would then ask you to review the receipt, sign it and retain a copy for your records along with our conditions of sale.
Your items will now be assigned a personal reference number/receipt number which must be quoted in all communication concerning your items. It is important that you retain a copy of this customer receipt, it is a record of your instruction for us to sell and acts as a contract with Trevanion.
Reserves
Where appropriate, a reserve price (a price below which an item will not be sold) may be placed on an individual object. Reserves cannot exceed the low estimate and reserves are not applied to any item valued at less than £100. Your valuer will advise you on whether a reserve is necessary. In our experience, a high reserve will put bidders off, whereas a low reserve encourages more bidders to participate, therefore generating higher prices.
Before the Auction
Prior to any auction you will receive a Pre-Sale Notification, either by email or post indicating which lots will be offered in the upcoming auction. This notification will outline the lot number of each of your items alongside the description, final estimate and reserve (if applicable). If you would like to change anything listed on you pre-sale notification, please contact us immediately.
After the Auction
Results of the auction – The week following the auction, you will receive a Post Sale Advice notification either by post or email outlining each of your lots and the hammer price of each item. If you would like to know the outcome of the auction on the day, you are welcome to telephone the saleroom after the auction has ended on 01948 800 202.
Unsold lots – If some of your lots remain unsold after an auction, we will contact you with our recommendations on what to do next. We may suggest that your lot is re-offered in the next appropriate auction with a lower estimate or for you to collect the item. Trevanion do not charge for unsold lots.
Settlement – Payment will be sent no later than 28 days following the auction for all lots sold and collected along with a detailed settlement statement. It is at this stage that we deduct our fees and charges. Payments are normally made by bank transfer or cheque.
Anti Money Laundering Regulations
First time vendors will be asked to supply identification before selling at auction, this is to comply with the current government Anti Money Laundering regulations.
You will be required to provide:
- Photo driving licence or Government issue passport
- Proof of address i.e Utility bill or bank statement dated within the last 3 months
Vendors who are required to supply identification can submit documents via email to info@trevanion.com or can bring them along to the saleroom when consigning items.
Ivory Policy
From 6 June 2022, it is against the law to deal in items containing or made of elephant ivory, unless they are registered as exempt or certified as exempt, under the Ivory Act 2018.
For further information please do not hesitate to contact us.
Read more about the policy and what it means here.
