Two circular hat boxes, both with carry

The Auction

We offer regular Fine Art Antiques and Interiors sales on the first Saturday of every month from 10am, with online and saleroom viewing. The auction is governed by the Conditions of Business. These apply to all aspects of the relationship between Shapes Auctioneers and actual and prospective bidders and buyers. Anyone considering bidding in the auction should read them carefully. They may be amended by way of notice posted in the saleroom or by way of announcement made by the auctioneer.

Buyers Premium

18% + VAT

VAT

Value Added Tax (VAT) wil be payable on the Buyers Premium. i.e. You will pay the hammer price + 18% commission and then VAT only on the 18% . If you are VAT registered, your VAT number wil be required.

The dagger symbol † after any lot indicates that VAT is payable on the hammer price.

Payment

Payment and collection MUST be made within 7 working days of the sale.

Payment in person only can be made by cash, card or cheque. There is no charge for paying by credit card.  We accept Visa, Mastercard, Debit Cards, Connect & Switch.

If you are NOT PRESENT payment can only be made via bank transfer, bankers draft or cheque. Account details as follows:

Bank of Scotland, 3 Earl Grey Street, Edinburgh EH3 9BN

Account No: 00376477

Sort Code: 801194

IBAN: GB79BOFS80119400376477

BIC: BOFSGB21008

Please quote your paddle number or surname as the reference when sending your payment.

Cheques should be made payable to 'Shapes Auctioneers'.  Please note that lots will not be released until such cheques have cleared.

Storage and Collection

Following the sale all items need to be collected within 7 working days.  Thereafter a storage fee of £10 per lot, per day will be charged.  If items are left on our premises for longer than 1 month after the sale, the goods will be sold by Shapes to defray storage costs.

Unfortunately we do not post and pack, however we recommend the following fine art wrappers and packers:

Mailboxes: Tel 0131 55 66 226. Email info@mbemorningside.co.uk (they collect every Tuesday and Thursday after a sale)

Aardvark Art Services: Tel 01253 794 673. Email info@aardvarkartservices.com

Move2.co.uk: Tel 0131 661 8522. Email info@move2.co.uk

If you are picking up yourself please remember to bring packaging and boxes. Due to health and safety reasons we are not able to keep these items on the premises.

Bidding at Auction

Bids may be executed in person, via commission bid, telephone bid or online bidding.  Lots are displayed on our TV monitors to provide a general visual guide to the sale, however buyers should not rely on the on-screen presentation when making bids.  Buyers should always refer to the text of the catalogue.  Please note that catalogue text is subject to amendments after printing, therefore please refer to the 'additional lots and amendments' sheet for accurate descriptions.

Cancellations & Refunds

Buyers must be sure of their purchases before bidding.  Once items have sold, and the hammer has been brought down, we do not accept any cancellations or refunds.  Please note that condition of lots is not included in catalogue descriptions (please see 'Condition of Lots').

Bidding in Person

If you intend to bid, you will need to register in advance and use your numbered "paddle" to bid. A £5 deposit is required to recieve your paddle number, which will be refunded upon return of your paddle. Should you be the successful buyer of a Lot, please ensure that your paddle can be seen by the auctioneer and that it is your number that is called out. Should there be any doubts as to price or buyer, please draw the auctioneer's attention to it immediately. All Lots sold will be invoiced to the name and address in which the "paddle" has been registered and cannot be transfered to other names and addresses. Please do not mislay your "paddle"; in the event of loss, inform the cash desk immediately.

Absentee & Telephone Bids

If you cannot attend the auction, you can nominate a third party to execute bids on your behalf, or alternately we will be happy to execute written bids on your behalf. A commission bid form allows this. The service is free and confidantial. Lots will always be bought as cheaply as is consistent with other bids and the reserves. In the event of identical bids, the earliest received will take precedence. Telephone bids can only be arranged for lots worth £300 or over and bids must be confirmed before the sale by registration of the completed telephone bid form. To ensure a satisfactory service, please ensure we receive your bids by 4pm (Friday) the day before the sale.

Online Bidding

We offer a live online bidding service for bidders who may wish to bid from the comfort of their own home, or for those who cannot attend the sale. To register your details please visit www.the-saleroom.com Please note that any lots purchased via www.the-saleroom.com live auction service will be subject to an additional 3% commission charge + VAT.

Estimates/Guide Prices

Guide prices or estimates are intended as a guide for prospective buyers.  Any bid between the high and low guide price would, in our opinion, offer a chance of success.  However, all lots can realise prices above or below the guide price.  It is advisable to consult us nearer the time of sale as guide prices can be subject to revision.  The guide prices printed in the auction catalogue do not include buyers premium or VAT.

Condition of Lots

Prospective buyers are encouraged to inspect the items during our view.  Viewing takes place on the Thursday 10.00am - 7pm and Friday 10.00am - 4pm prior to the sale.  On the Saturday of the sale viewing is 8.30am - 9.45am with the sale commencing at 10.00am.  Lots are sold "as seen" and their condition cannot be guaranteed.  Whilst we seek to describe lots accurately, it may be impractical for us to carry out exhaustive condition reports on each lot.  Prospective buyers must, therefore, satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of any description applied to a lot.  Prospective buyers also bid on the understanding that, inevitably, representations or statements by us involve matters of opinion.  Although we endeavour ro provide accurate statements, we do not accept liability for the correctness of such opinions.  If you require a condition report before the sale then call or email an auctioneer who will offer their best advice.

Attributions & Descriptions

These are given as a guide only, and in good faith to assist buyers, however it is not possible for us to conduct exhaustive scrutiny or research on all lots.  Buyers are given ample opportunity to view and inspect lots and must therefore satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of any description we apply to a lot.  Inevitably, our descriptions are statements of opinion, in regard to, inter alia, matters of authorship, genuineness, signatures, style, origin, date, age, provenance, condition, value and estimated selling price.  Buyers are strongly recommended to consult a second opinion prior to making significant purchases for their collections, particularly in the case of paintings and the applied arts where the scope for subjective judgements is greater.

Conditions & Validity

Buyers should inspect purchases immediately after the auction with regard to their validity as described within our catalogue.  If a buyer believes the item bought to be a forgery or not as described, buyers must report to us any intention to return purchases within 21 days of the auction.  Please note that condition of lots is not included in catalogue descriptions (please see 'Condition of Lots').

Catalogue Conventions

We recommend that buyers ask our specialists for further and better particulars of any lot if required.  If we describe a lot i.e. an item of furniture as George III - in our opinion, this is of that period.  If we describe an item as 'In the manner or style of George III, this in our opinion, is not of that period, but possibly later or reproduction.  Catalogue attributions are not absolute guarantees of authenticity.

Artists Resale Rights (ARR)

Auctioneers are now required by law to collect royalities on behalf of living artists each time their work is sold by auctioneers and art market professionals.  This means that if you purchase a work by a living artists which sells for over 1,000 Euros, you are required to pay a surcharge of 4% of the hammer price to The Design And Artists Copyright Society (DACS).  Shapes will detail this DACS payment on your invoice, and the ARR will be paid across to DACS.  If your puchase exceeds 50,000 Euros, the levy is reduced to 3%, over 200,000 Euros reduces to 1%, over 350,000 Euros reduces to 0.5% and over 500,000 Euros, the levy will reduce to 0.25%.  The maximum amount due shall not exceed 12,500 Euros, however high the hammer price attained - this is the maximum royalty an artists can earn.  If you have further queries please refer to our department or contact the DACS Helpline on 0845 410 3410 or email arr@dacs.org.uk.  Information on the new legislation and helpful fact sheets are available on the DACS website: www.dacs.org.uk

Electrical Goods

Lots which were once operated by mains electricity are offered for sale for display or historical purposes and are bought entirely at the purchaser's risk.  Any lot with an electrical fitting must be checked by a qualified electrician before connection to the mains electrical supply.  Shapes cannot accept responsibility for any contravention of this condition.