Conditions of Sale





The Auktionshaus Stahl (hereinafter ‘the auctioneer’) sells at auction in public and voluntary on behalf of and for the account of the seller.

The items to be sold may be viewed and inspected prior to the auction at the times publicized.

They will be sold in their present condition as seen.

The objects are used, they have a certain age and are in a state which accords to their provenance, age and previous usage.

The objects may show damages, is not mentioned continuously in the catalogue or other descriptions.

Descriptions in the catalogues as well as verbal explanations before or during the auction are made to the best of one’s knowledge and do neither constitute trade descriptions nor any other type of guaranty or warranty.

Written or verbal condition reports merely express a subjective opinion and do not constitute differing individual agreements of the above mentioned regulations.

They are merely supplied as non-binding additional information.

The Auktionshaus Stahl assumes no liability for obvious and hidden deficiencies of any kind of the consigned auction goods.



The fall of the hammer occurs in exclusion of any contractual or statutory guarantees for the buyer as well as for the seller.

In case of any justified complaints regarding any item bought in the auction, the name and address of the seller will be disclosed to the buyer upon request.

The statutory regulations in relation to the purchase of consumer goods (Verbrauchsgüterkauf) do not apply according to § 474 para.

1 s.

2 of the German Civil Code.



Any damage compensation claims irrespective of legal basis against the Auktionshaus Stahl, the proprietor, any assisting or executing person acting in performance of the obligation or vicarious agents as well as against the seller shall be excluded.

The legal limitation period for the assertion of claims shall be time-barred within one year.



The last two sentences do not apply in relation to damages following from the injury of life, limb or health or caused by wilfully or with gross negligence.



The Auktionshaus Stahl shall assume no liability for establishing and maintaining the telephone or the on-line connection.

Purchases executed via on-line bidding shall not be subject to §§ 312b ff, 355 ff of the German Civil Code.

There shall be no right to return purchased items according to §§ 312 ff, 355 ff.



Frames are only considered ‘additions’ and –if existent- as protection for the paintings.

The condition of the frame will remain unconsidered.

The illustrated catalogue provides additional information –errors excepted.

In case of discrepancies between descriptions in the text and the illustrated catalogue, the catalogue text will be binding.

The ‘Auktionshaus Stahl’ assumes no liability for incorrect translations of catalogue texts from German into any other language, decisive is only the German version.

Customers attending the auction are asked to request a bidding number at the entrance to the auction sales room – providing their name and address.

New customers are kindly asked to legitimate their identity by presenting their identity card as well as to deposit their credit card number or a cash depot as security.

Absentee bids of new customers require the submission of a copy of their identity card as well as a bank confirmation or their credit card number.

Absentee bids shall be present to the auctioneer latest by 6.00 p.m.

the day before the auction, otherwise the consideration of the bid can not be guaranteed.

Bids should be quoted in Euro and should be called out during the auction whereby the bidding number should be shown distinctly.

The auctioneer reserves the right to sell individual items in a different order to that listed in the catalogue and to divide, combine or exclude lots where he deems it appropriate.

As a general rule bidding starts with the price stated in the catalogue.

Reserve prices are clearly stated as such in the catalogue.

Bidding is generally executed in 10 % increments.

Usually a lot is knocked down after three calls.

The auctioneer reserves the right to knock down a lot ‘under reserve’, to turn down a bid without justification and to reject bids from bidders unknown to him if no security has been offered by that person prior to the auction.

Should two or more persons bid the same highest amount, it is left to the auctioneer’s discretion to choose the successful bidder.

Any doubts connected with the fall of the hammer should be expressed without delay.

If any dispute cannot be settled immediately, the auctioneer reserves the right to put the lot up for auction again.

If the highest bidder denies the validity of his bid, the auctioneer may put the lot up for auction again or can knock down the lot at the next highest bid, id est the bid prior to the highest bid.

The amounts offered in a written bid shall be regarded as the limit for a possible hammer price excluding value added commission and value added tax.

If an item is knocked down at a price under reserve, the bidder is bound by his offer for a period of three weeks.

He is released from his bid if he does not receive a written confirmation of the hammer price within this period.

In case the conditional knock down price is not accepted (by the owner) the lot can be sold to another bidder without query.

The fall of the hammer obliges the bidder to pay the agreed price and to collect the auctioned item immediately.

With the fall of the hammer the liability for the purchased item is transferred to the buyer.

The seller reserves the right of ownership of the item until the auctioneer receives full payment for the said item.

Any transport of the purchased item is effected at the risk and expense of the buyer.

In case that the buyer is in default with collection of the bought item or in payment default, default interests shall be charged amounting to 5% resp.

8 % above the base lending rate of European Central Bank (§§ 288 of the German Civil Code).

The enforcement of any additional damages caused by default are reserved.

The owner is free either to withdraw from the contract of sale or to claim compensation from the buyer for non-fulfilment of the contract.

In both cases the rights of the buyer in relation to the fall of the hammer become invalid and the item can be put up for auction once again.

If the owner claims damages caused by default due to non-fulfilment of contract, the buyer shall be liable for the commission for the auctioneer arising from the original auction as well as for a possible loss made on the renewed sale of the item, as well as storage costs for the item.

In case the renewed sale result in an increase in the hammer price, the buyer shall have no claim to these extra proceeds.

The auctioneer is authorised to assert the rights of the seller arising from and in connection with the contract of sale at his own discretion.

The buyer is obliged to pay the buying price as bid at the fall of the hammer.

If any doubts should arise, the clerk’s auction record is binding.

The buyer shall pay a commission of 20 % to the auctioneer plus the appropriate legal value added tax on this commission amount.

Buying price and commission are due immediately and payable to the auctioneer in EURO.

The goods may not be handed over to the buyer until full payment has been effected.

If the highest bidder was not personally present at the auction, the buying price plus the commission should be paid within 10 days of the auction.

The buyer may only charge undisputed and legally determined claims against the auctioneer.

The buyer shall have no right to hold back any payment provided this does not refer to the same contractual relationship.

Purchases are to be collected promptly by the buyer, and within 10 working days from the date of sale by foreign buyers respectively.

The Auktionshaus Stahl is not liable for storage or shipping; no insurance is provided.

Shipping can be arranged only at the buyer’s specific request, expense and risk.

Furniture and larger items not collected within 10 working days will be removed from the auction house by a transport company for storage.

Storage is subject to the transport company’s rates and is charged at the buyer’s expense.

Where purchases are not collected in due time a storage fee of Euro 2, - per day is charged.

Place of fulfilment shall be the business premises of the Auktionshaus Stahl.

Jurisdiction is Hamburg.

By placing a bid the bidder agrees to abide by these laws.

The present auction conditions shall apply analogously to any subsequent sale or sale by private contract.

Should one or any part of these paragraphs become invalid, the validity of the remaining paragraphs shall remain unchanged.



Auktionshaus Stahl e.K.

∙ Proprietor: Christiana Stahl-Kerle, Publicly appointed and Sworn Auctioneer

HRA75934 ∙ USt-IdNr.: DE 242361315