SELLING 101

Auction Estimate: The estimated range within which our specialists anticipate your item selling at auction.

Consignor: The seller (and owner) of the item. As the consignor, you maintain ownership of an item until the moment the auctioneer’s gavel falls during the live auction.

Consignment Agreement: The legally binding terms and conditions of your consignment. If you have any questions regarding your consignment agreement, don’t hesitate to reach out at [email protected] or 617.720.2020.

Seller’s Commission: The percentage of the hammer price paid to the auction house, otherwise considered the “cost” of selling your item. The commission is based on the overall value of your consignment. The seller’s commission is deducted from your sale proceeds.

Reserve: The minimum price at which your item can be sold. This price is confidential prior to and during the sale and must be set at or below the low estimate.

The first step is to get in touch with one of our specialists regarding your items, either by email at [email protected] or by phone at 617.720.2020. Typically, providing images for our specialists to review is the best place to begin. You can also begin by submitting images through this form. When submitting an item for an auction estimate, it is best to be as specific as possible, particularly by including details such as artist, medium, size, provenance, and images of any signatures or maker’s marks.

Following your acceptance of the sale details provided by our specialists, the next step is getting your item(s) to our Beacon Hill gallery. We are happy to advise you about how best to transport your property, including putting you in touch with our recommended shippers or helping to coordinate a drop-off at our gallery. Once your property is at our gallery, our team will catalogue your item and prepare it for photography and inclusion in an upcoming sale. A month prior to the auction, you will receive a “Pre-Sale Notice,” confirming sale details and your item’s cataloguing information, such as its estimate and reserve.

Your item(s) will be published in our online and print catalogues one month prior to the sale. Live catalogues can be viewed on our website here.

Per our terms and conditions, we will mail proceeds from the auction via check within 35 days of the sale. If you would prefer to receive your settlement in the form of a bank transfer, please let us know within two weeks of the sale so that we can accommodate your request. Please note that all payments are pending providing that we have received full payment from the buyer.

This is a rare occurrence, as on average, 93% of lots in each auction sell. However, in the rare case an item does not sell or meet the reserve, we can return the item to you or facilitate selling it through a different outlet of sale. Based on bidder interest prior to the auction and bidding activity, we may also recommend re-offering it in the next auction.