Buying
Buying at Smiths of Newent
Smiths hold monthly sales of antiques and collectables which include a wide variety of entries ranging from beautiful jewellery to a huge range of interesting collectables. We want to make buying with us as easy and enjoyable as possible so please feel free to contact us to ask any questions.
You can contact us to receive our monthly pre-sale flyer or to receive one of our specialist flyers for our Postcard, Militaria or Coin Sales.
Catalogues
The fully illustrated auction catalogue is available one week before the sale on this website, with online bidding available. You can also see our catalogues on the two popular bidding platforms, Easy Live Auction and The Saleroom. This provides a good starting point for buyers to explore the sale and see what is on offer ahead of the viewing.
Viewing
Viewing is usually held for two days prior to the sale 10am-5pm and on the morning of sales 9am-10am.
Buyers Premium
There is a Buyer’s Premium of 24% inclusive of VAT on the hammer price of all lots purchased. There are also additional fees for buying online via our two bidding platforms.
Bidding In Person At The Sale
This is possibly one of the most exciting ways to purchase art and antiques at auction. Buyers can register in our office with their name, address and telephone number as well as email address and occasionally bank details. They will then be given a bidding number to display to the auctioneer upon winning a lot. Buyers can register before or even during the sale. Bidding is carried out by clearly waving or raising your hand to the auctioneer. Contrary to popular belief scratching your nose or winking will not cause you to accidently purchase a lot.
Online Bidding
Increasingly popular these days ‘Online live bidding’ is available on our website - simply visit the Upcoming Auctions page and register to bid on a sale. We also publish our catalogues online via two popular bidding platforms Easy Live Auction and the-saleroom.com
To join an auction and bid live please click the links on our home page and follow the instructions. You will need to register a valid debit or credit card before you will be allowed to bid. Your computer screen will show you a live video of the rostrum during the sale so that you can join the sale remotely and bid in real time. Alternatively if you are short on time you can leave 'auto bids' with the online bidding platform. Both sites charge an additional fee for providing online bidding and auto bidding – see below
Online Bidding Charges
The-Saleroom.com charges 4.95% of the hammer price plus VAT whilst EasyLive Auctions charge either a flat fee of £3 regardless of how much you buy or 3% of the hammer price plus VAT
Commission and Telephone bids
If you are unable to attend the sale then the auctioneers will be pleased to execute a commission bid on your behalf. Lots will be procured as cheaply as is permitted by other bids or the reserve and you will be notified promptly by email or telephone if you have been successful. This service provided directly with Smiths is free of charge. Commission bids can be left by email, telephone or via our website. If you email the bids to us please ensure you receive a confirmation receipt.
For more valuable items a telephone bid can be arranged if required. In this instance the auction rooms will telephone you a few moments before your lot is reached and you can bid via a member of staff on the telephone. This service is also free of charge.
Collection of Lots and Payment
All items purchased must be collected by the end of the Thursday following the auction. We are open for clearing on the Saturday after the sale from 10am-12noon and on Monday to Thursday 10am-5pm. Please note we are open on Fridays by appointment only. Items can be paid for online with your card via the invoice or by bank transfer or by card on arrival at the saleroom. We do not accept telephone payments.
Payment for purchases which require postage or courier collection can be made by the online direct payment link on our invoices or by Bank Transfer, Please Note: When jewellery, gold, silver or other valuables are bought over the value of £200 then the payment must be made by bank transfer. Bank transfer details will be found on your invoice. We do not accept telephone payments.
For larger items we can usually put you in touch with several local couriers who should be able to help you with delivery.
Postage
Smiths offer an excellent and reasonably priced postage service for many smaller and medium items purchased at their auctions. This is at the expense and risk of the purchaser. Please click HERE to be taken to our Postage information page.
Condition reports
If you are unable to attend our viewing then we highly recommend you ask for a condition report on items you are thinking of purchasing. You may also wish to ask for additional images. This is usually done by email. Please note we complete hundreds of these reports during the week prior to the sale and so we will get back to you as soon as we are able.
Artists Resale Right
Paintings or sculpture marked with an asterisk are potentially subject to the Artists Resale Right introduced in 2006. This ensures artists receive a royalty when their art is re-sold. This royalty is paid by the purchaser on top of the hammer price if the sale price exceeds 1000 euros.