Bonhams : Sell with Bonhams

FAQ

Yes. Our staff can put you in touch with shippers in your area, who will be able to assist you with shipping your item to us, or you can arrange this yourself. For assistance, please contact the selling location of your nearest Bonhams office.

Please be aware that if you are shipping goods from one country to another, shipping charges, taxes and import duties may apply. Many countries also have cultural import and export controls with which you must comply to be able to offer your property for sale. If you are in any doubt about the regulations that apply to your property, please do seek professional guidance, as it is your responsibility, as the owner of the goods, to ensure you comply with all relevant regulations and controls.

No, it is completely free and confidential with no obligation to sell.

We sell items through a busy calendar of auctions in global salerooms and via the Bonhams website and app. Our sales are marketed to a global network of collectors, through various digital marketing tactics and printed materials, to ensure the best possible price.

Please do not submit your own artwork. Bonhams does not specialise in the primary market, and we recommend that you contact a gallery for representation.

You can contact your local expert by using the map below. Arrange a virtual valuation via video call, or simply pick up the phone. We also hold regular valuation events worldwide where specialists assess property free of charge. You can find these listed on our valuations calendar. Or you can send us an email at [email protected].

For valuations on five or more items, as well as multi-category collections, please contact [email protected]. If you are based in the United States or Canada, please contact [email protected].

If you require assistance in relation to any other kind of valuation service, including formal appraisals for estate tax, market or insurance purposes, please contact our Valuations, Trusts and Estates Department who will be delighted to assist you.

Auction estimates based on photographs are preliminary only and may change based on first-hand inspection and further research. Once we have received, inspected, and conducted the appropriate research on your item, our specialists will review, and if appropriate revise, the auction estimate. If we are able to accept your item, we will advise you on the choices available for offering your property for sale—whether at public auction, online or by private sale.

No, there is no obligation to sell once you have received your free and confidential valuation.

Please note that auction estimates are a statement of Bonhams’ opinion as to what an item may achieve if consigned for sale at auction and are not a representation or guarantee of the actual value or potential selling price, and that Bonhams accepts no liability whatsoever in connection therewith.

For the purpose of the auction estimate given, Bonhams assumes that the item is authentic and can be freely sold. Auction estimates are provided only for the owner of the property and may not be used by any other person or for any other purpose nor disclosed to any third party, reproduced or published in any form.

In order to provide the most accurate auction estimates, Bonhams may share information about the item with third parties. Please note, Bonhams gives no representation, warranty or guarantee in respect to an item’s origin, provenance, attribution, condition, date, age or authenticity.

Auction estimates based on photographs are preliminary only and may change based on first hand inspection and further research.

If your property sells at auction, you will receive a notification informing you of the hammer price - the winning bid for a lot at auction - that your item achieved. The money you receive – the net sale proceeds - will be based on the hammer price less our agreed seller’s commission and any agreed upon expenses, such as illustration or loss and damage warranty fee.

We will not deduct any expenses that have not been agreed with you before sale. The date for payment of the net sale proceeds varies between selling locations and we can advise you of the payment date for your property. Payment for sold property is made provided we are in receipt of cleared funds from the buyer.

Please note that Bonhams is entitled to charge a fee to the successful purchase - the Buyer’s Premium - on any property we sell on your behalf. This fee is for Bonhams account and you accept that we are entitled to retain it. Buyer’s Premium rates vary but are displayed on our website so please let us know if you require more information.

If you are happy with the auction estimate, which for sale by public auction or online will be shown as a low and high estimate range, and the suggested strategy for offering your work for sale, we will produce a written agreement. This agreement will also confirm relevant terms, including the reserve (the minimum amount you will accept for your property prior to our charges) and the seller’s commission. All sales are subject to the Conditions of Business (for the sale in which your property will be offered) and these record the terms on which Bonhams and you, the seller, agree to sell a lot to a buyer.

How to sell at Bonhams

How it works

Request a valuation

Consigning your property

Sell at auction

Why sell with Bonhams?

Select a category

FAQ

Can you arrange shipping or local drop-off for my item?

Does this initial valuation cost anything?

How do people find my item for purchase?

I am an artist. Can I request an estimate of my own work?

I’d like to talk to someone instead

I have a number of items I’d like valued.

I need a valuation for tax or inheritance purposes.

Is my initial valuation fixed?

Is there any obligation to sell with Bonhams after getting a valuation?

What are your terms and conditions for this service?

What does it cost to sell with Bonhams?

What happens after I agree to consign with Bonhams?

Customer Services

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