Help & FAQs

Below are the answers to some of the questions we're most often asked. If we haven't answered your question below, please get in touch and we'll be happy to help you. For enquiries on Probate Service and Insurance Valuations please see click on the links or see our Departments menu.

 

 

Selling

We are always happy to advise clients as to the value of any items that they are considering selling free of charge and without obligation. This can be anything from a single item to complete house contents.

A Valuer will always tell you there is no substitute for handling a piece, therefore we advise all clients that, where possible, it is best to bring your items in for one of our Specialist Team to peruse. See our Valuation Events for consignment dates. However if this is not possible, home visits can also be arranged at your convenience. Our Online Valuation Service, found in the Selling tab at the top of the page, is often the quickest way to receive a valuation. Just give us some details you know about your item and upload images to give us an idea of what you have.

Anderson & Garland Ltd. offer more than 180 years collective experience in appraising and valuing antiques and works of art. Our specialist staff are expert at presenting relevant information for our well produced catalogues and internet listings.

All sales held by us are widely publicised. This includes the publishing of fully illustrated catalogues on our own website, as well as listings on other prime collectors and antiques trade websites. Advertisements are placed in the antiques trade international press and local papers. We also regularly feature in the local and national media with sale highlights and items of significant interest. All of our catalogues enjoy a national and international mailing list.

Anderson & Garland will be pleased to advise on suitable protective reserves, but if no reserves have been received prior to the day of the sale, the lot will be at the discretion of the auctioneer. Reserves must be confirmed in writing.

From initial enquiry, we can quickly provide a valuation and receipt for items consigned for sale. These items are then carefully researched, catalogued and photographed by specialists in each field before being entered into the appropriate auction. Pre-sale email notification will be provided outlining sale details for the clients perusal.

Payment to vendors are normally made within 15 working days of a Homes & Interiors auction or Specialist Auction, and 21 working days for a Country House & Fine Interiors sale. The Auctioneers act throughout as Agents only and are not responsible for any default by the buyer. They disclaim liability for paying the vendor until they have received settlement from the buyer.

Post-sale email notification will be provided to all vendors detailing sale results. Unsold items are carefully reviewed and reoffered subject to our terms and conditions. Where appropriate our team will contact you to discuss the next steps.

Anderson and Garland offer a highly competitive service and our commission fees can vary depending on the type and value of the items you consign. We ask that prospective clients contact us to speak to a specialist directly so that we can gauge their needs before we agree a commission rate.

A web fee also applies to all goods consigned.  This is charged at £5 per lot for items included in our Fine Auctions and £3 per lot for items included in our Specialist and Homes & Interiors Auctions.

Please note all sold lots are subject to a minimum charge of £10. 

All charges are subject to VAT at the prevailing rate.

We require all clients, both new and existing, who would like to sell items in our auctions to provide the following documents as listed below

  • Government-issued photo ID (e.g. passport, driving license)

and

  • Proof of address (utility bill/bank statement dated within the last 3 months)

Please send these to

This process will only need to be completed once and all documents will be stored in accordance with GDPR.

 

Before the sale

If you require further information on item/s in an upcoming auction, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our staff by phone 0191 430 3000 or e-mail info@andersonandgarland.com  - all of our contact details can be found on our staffing page. We can advise you on quality, condition, value or any other matter. Please just ask!

Catalogue listings are offered for sale, priced at £2 per copy. An illustrated catalogue of all sales will be published on our website and these will also appear on selected third party websites, where appropriate and at our discretion.

Prospective buyers are provided with every opportunity to view the broad range of items available, with specialist staff in attendance during viewing times at the Auction House or via e-mail to answer any questions. Public viewing takes place in the days leading up to each sale at Anderson House. See our Auction Calendar. Photographs of all lots are available on our website.

Care is taken to ensure that any statement as to authorship, attribution, origin, date and provenance is reliable and accurate. All such statements are opinion only and are not taken as statements or representations of fact. Bidders are strongly recommended to personally inspect the lot for which they intend to bid. Whilst every care is taken to photograph lots accurately, it is only possible to give approximate representations in our catalogues, on our website and elsewhere. Images are for general guidance only, and colours in particular will vary - especially when viewed on a screen. Bidders are directed to Item 2 of our conditions of sale and are advised to attend our viewing days. We cannot accept returns on the basis of inaccuracies caused by the limitations of photographic reproduction.

While an identification of damage is given in some instances, an absence of such advice does not imply the lot is free from defect. All condition reports whether verbal or in writing are given as a matter of courtesy and are statements of opinion. Condition reports are not exhaustive and may not encompass all defects. The Auctioneers will not be responsible for any defects not mentioned in condition reports. All prospective buyers are strongly advised to inspect any lot on which they intend to bid and fully satisfy themselves as to condition and accuracy of any description applied to a lot.

 

During the sale & bidding

The purchaser shall pay the hammer price together with a buyer's premium of 25% of the hammer price plus VAT (30% inc. VAT). Please note that Anderson & Garland operate within the UK Auctioneers VAT Scheme therefore VAT is levied on the buyer's premium only (not the hammer price) except in special circumstances where a clear indication will be given.

Prospective buyers are required to register before the sale giving their full name and address, along with telephone and e-mail contact details. Additional information may be requested depending on the level of bidding to be undertaken and in some cases proof of ID and/or a bank reference may be required. Registration can be done via our website, or on sale day at reception and by email or telephone for absentee bids. Alternatively you can bid live via www.andersonandgarland.com.  
When choosing to bid live via www.andersonandgarland.com you will need to register, using a bank card, to verify your address details. We would ask for you to register before the sale to make sure that you are verified for when you come to bid in the auction. To bid live on the sale day you will access the sale by going to www.andersonandgarland.com and clicking on the sale this will have a grey banner across the sale photograph which says 'bid live'. Please click on this and it will take you to the sale. Please note the bid live banner only appears once the sale commences on the sale day and is not there beforehand.

We require all clients, both new and existing, who would like to buy items in our auctions to provide the following documents as listed below

  • Government-issued photo ID (e.g. passport, driving license)

and

  • Proof of address (utility bill/bank statement dated within the last 3 months)

Please send these to

This process will only need to be completed once and all documents will be stored in accordance with GDPR.

You can bid in person at the auction, by leaving a commission bid on our website prior to the sale, by telephone (in certain circumstances), or by leaving an absentee bid via email to bids@andersonandgarland.com prior to the sale. Further information is given on each of these bidding methods below.

Telephone bids are only available for lots estimated at over £250. Lots which are bought for less than £250 via telephone bidding will incur a £10 (plus VAT) per lot charge. We only accept telephone bidding registrations up to the day prior to the lot in question going under the hammer. At the point of registration all new bidders will be required to submit proof of identification and address. This can be either a current driver's licence or ID card showing the registered address, or a passport together with a recent utility bill bearing the registered address which can be emailed to a.orgill@andersonandgarland.com. Only when this identification is received can the registration process be completed and your telephone line will then be secured for you. As the number of telephone lines are limited, early booking is recommended. (We also recommend that you leave an “emergency cover bid" in case we are unable to reach you by telephone). Please note - there are inherent dangers with telephone bidding; despite our best efforts, Anderson & Garland Ltd. may be unable to contact the intending bidder at the appropriate time. All such arrangements are therefore made entirely at the intending bidder’s risk.

Yes, you can place an absentee bid through our website, up to 30 minutes before the sale day begins. You can also bid live via our website When choosing to bid live via www.andersonandgarland.com you will need to register, using a bank card, to verify your address details. We would ask for you to register before the sale to make sure that you are verified for when you come to bid in the auction. To bid live on the sale day you will access the sale by going to www.andersonandgarland.com and clicking on the sale this will have a grey banner across the sale photograph which says 'bid live'. Please click on this and it will take you to the sale. Please note the bid live banner only appears once the sale commences on the sale day and is not there beforehand. From 1st April 2022, there is no additional charge to bid live through www.andersonandgarland.com. Alternatively, you can still bid through www.the-saleroom.com which incurs an additional charge of 6% plus VAT.

If you are unable to attend the sale in person and would like the Auctioneer to bid on your behalf, please complete an absentee bidding form and hand in to reception at Anderson House by 4.30pm the day before the sale commences. Alternatively you may submit your absentee bids stating the lot numbers and maximum bid on each Lot by email to bids@andersonandgarland.com, by telephoning our team on 0191 430 3000. We will try to secure the item for you as reasonably as is allowed by other bids and the reserve price, if any. Commissions placed by telephone, fax or e-mail are made only at the buyer's own risk.

All books are sold on a non-returnable basis. We may be able to assist bidders who cannot attend our viewing days by providing general condition reports. These are intended as a guide only and no assumptions should be made concerning absolute condition or that all pages, illustrations, etc. are present. We cannot refund purchase on the basis that a book is incomplete even if a condition report was provided.

We ask tha all potential new bidders wishing to bid on a vehicle, please be aware that prior to the sale they will need to provide full ID in the form of a driving licence/passport and a copy of a utility bill.

Buyer's premium is 10% +VAT on the hammer price.

Agents buying on behalf of a third party must have written authority from their principal clearly stating their authorisation to bid.

We will also require a 10% deposit of the lower estimate at the time of registering, which can be made during the viewing period. If unsuccessful, then we will issue a refund immediately.

There will be no internet bidding on vehicles.

 

After the sale

Our payment terms are that all purchases must be paid for and collected within 2 working days of a Homes & Interiors or Specialist auction or within 5 working days of a Fine auction. 

Buyers Premium will be charged at 25% plus VAT              
Our payment terms Fine auctions are five working days following the sale and for Homes & Interiors auctions and Specialist auctions two working days following the sale,  methods of payment are bank transfer, credit/debit card, cash or bankers draft; cheques will be subject to full clearance through the banking system before collection of goods.          
Payments by debit or credit card can be made in person or via our website www.andersonandgarland.com 

Any invoices remaining unpaid by the end of the terms (two working days after Homes & Interiors and Specialist Auctions and five working days after a Fine Auction) will be subject to an administration charge of £20, plus VAT charged at the prevailing rate. On the fifth working day after all auctions a storage levy of £1 per day per lot, plus VAT charged at the prevailing rate, will be charged.

Please see our get in touch page for directions and opening times for collection at Anderson House. If you are instructing a third party to collect on your behalf, please give our team prior notice and ask you representative to bring ID documentation to enable us to verify them and execute properly the collection instructions. In the event that you are unable to collect in person, we are happy to facilitate the collection of your purchases. Our recommended shipper is Mailboxes Newcastle who provide a comprehensive and highly competitive service. Contact Andrew or Regan either by email to info@mbenewcastle.co.uk or telephone 0191 222 0018. It is our strong recommendation that when customers are unable to collect their goods in person, they use a packing and shipping agent such as Mailboxes. All lots should be paid for and collected within our payment terms. Lots not paid for by this time will be removed to store at the purchaser's expense. No purchase shall be claimed or removed until it has been paid for and the transaction has been concluded. All purchases shall be paid for and removed by the end of the second working day after the sale, failing which the Auctioneer shall not be responsible if the same are lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed, all lots not so removed shall remain at the risk of the buyer and may be subject to a minimum warehousing charge of £1 per lot per day. If they are not paid for and removed within five days of the sale, the Auctioneer may re-offer them by auction or privately without notice to the buyer. Any liability which there may be on the part of the Auctioneer in respect of any loss, shall be restricted to a maximum of the price paid by the buyer of the lot. Buyers paying by cheque must allow for the full clearing process to take place before collecting goods.

In the event that our payment & collection terms are not met, we may without further notice re-offer purchased items for sale. Should there be a shortfall the original purchaser will be liable and damages sought.

Got a question?

If you've got a question, please get in touch - we'd be delighted to help. If you prefer to talk to someone please call us on 0191 430 3000.