BUYING AT CHORLEYS

Chorley's auctioneers, the Cotswolds’ destination for auctions of fine art & antiques. Experience the excitement of live bidding, the convenience of detailed online catalogues, and the assurance of detailed lot descriptions and professional service. Buying at auction offers exceptional value and a sustainable choice for discerning collectors.

At Chorley's, we recognize that every bidder is unique and might have a preferred method of participating. Whether you're inclined to the classic in-person experience, the modern efficiency of online bidding, or the personal touch of telephone bids, we've streamlined the process to suit your needs. We understand that diving into the world of auctions might seem overwhelming at first, which is why our dedicated team is always on hand. Let us guide you through the variety of options, ensuring that your journey with Chorley’s is seamless, enjoyable, and tailored just for you.

WAYS TO BID

BID IN PERSON

Our sales are held in our Prinknash Abbey salerooms unless otherwise specified. Please register to receive a paddle number from our saleroom office.  If you have not bid with us before, you will be asked to provide proof of identity and residence, such as a driver's license photocard or passport plus a current utility bill.  

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TELEPHONE BIDDING

At Chorley's discretion, usually for lots estimated to realise £500 or more, we offer prospective buyers the facility to bid over the telephone, subject to availability of lines/staff. Telephone bids must be booked no later than 4pm on the day prior to the auction. New bidders will be asked to provide proof of identity and current address.

CONTACT

COMMISSION / absentee BIDDING

If you cannot attend the auction in person to bid, you can submit a commission bid with the saleroom office no less than one hour before the start of an auction. Commission bids are the maximum amount up to which the auctioneer may bid on your behalf (exclusive of buyer’s premium and VAT, which will be added to your invoice if successful). Commission bids may be left in person, by telephone or by email. For further details on Registration see our FAQ menu below.

Upcoming Sales

bid online

For online bidding Chorley's offers live online bids through Chorley's Live and The-Saleroom.com. There is no extra charge for using Chorley's Live. There is a 6% fee (incl. VAT) when buying through the-saleroom.com. Registration for online platforms confirms you reside at the provided address and are the payment card's authorised user. For further details see our FAQ menu below. 

Create an Account

frequently asked questions

Registering in person

You can register and obtain a bidding (paddle) number from our saleroom office.  If you have not bid with us before, you will be asked to provide proof of identity and current address - a driving licence photocard is ideal as it has your address and photograph.  Otherwise, a passport and recent utility bill are acceptable. You can then either bid in the room or leave an absentee (commission) bid or telephone bid (on qualifying lots).

Registering for Commissions or Telephone Bids

You can either register in person or if you are unable to attend the auction to bid in person, you can leave commission bids or register for telephone bidding. New bidders will be asked to provide proof of identity and current address, either by emailing a scan of your driving license with your current address to info@chorleys.com or by submitting your credit/debit card details for verification through our secure payment page

Registering for Online Bidding

We offer internet bidding with no additional fees through our website. You can register for an account at the top right of this website. You will be asked to provide your address and contact details, then verify this with a debit or credit card. The verification process will take 10p from your card and refund it. Once you have successfully created an account on Chorley's Live, you will need to separately register for each auction in which you wish to bid.  To do this, find the sale in the Auction Calendar and click Register to Bid, then follow the further instructions.  If you have any difficulties, please get in touch.

Although there are no fees for the additional service of online bidding, our buyer's premium of 23.5% (28.2% including VAT) and any other fees noted will apply.

All lots are available to view in person at our salerooms at Prinknash Abbey, or other published venue, usually on the two days prior to each sale.

Our sales generally start on Tuesday at 10am. Sunday Viewing are from 10am to 4pm and Monday Viewings from 9am to 4pm.

Please email or ring the saleroom or view the sale details on our online catalogue for up-to-date information.

Printed catalogues are available approximately two weeks before the auction, and all lots are illustrated in our online catalogues.

For timed sales and non-catalogued sales, lots can be viewed on our website only. If you would like to order a catalogue or become a subscriber to our auction catalogues you can do so via your Chorley's login or by calling or emailing our team. 

Chorley’s strongly advises that prospective bidders view lots in person and stresses that any descriptions, estimates and condition reports supplied are an opinion provided by our specialists and do not guarantee the condition, age, value or any other characteristic of the lot in question. The absence of a condition report on our online catalogue does not imply that the lot is without imperfection or damage, just that a condition report has not been undertaken.  Books are sold as seen, and we do not guarantee their completeness.  Wine is sold as seen and not subject to return.

All lots are subject to payment of buyer's premium, a charge based on a percentage of the hammer price, which will be added to your invoice as a VAT inclusive fee.

BUYER'S PREMIUM

23.5% (28.2% incl. VAT) on the first £100,000
15% (18% incl. VAT) on any balance between £100,000.01 and £500,000
12.5% (15% incl. VAT) on any balance between £500,000.01 and £1,000,000
10% (12% incl. VAT) on any balance exceeding £1,000,000

Some lots may include additional fees such as Artist's resale rights or based on a special VAT status. These will be marked accordingly in the printed and online catalogues.  

Lots by living artists and the descendants of an artist deceased within the last 70 years are entitled to receive a resale royalty each time their work is bought. The right is calculated in Euros and only applies when the sale price reaches or exceeds the sterling equivalent of €1,000. It is calculated on a sliding scale starting at 4% of the hammer price for lots selling between €1,000 and €50,000. The fee will be charged to the buyer and included on your Chorley's invoice and in addition to the buyer's premium and any other fees. The fee is paid to the artist's collecting society and no ARR is retained by Chorley's. Full details can be found on the Design & Artists' Collecting Society websites.

Further fees may also apply, such as live bidding fees if you choose to bid via a third-party online platform. Further details are available in our Conditions of Business, in our printed auction catalogues, or by asking a member of Chorley's staff.

If you cannot attend the auction in person to bid, you can submit a commission bid with the saleroom office no less than one hour before the start of an auction. Commission bids are the maximum amount up to which the auctioneer may bid on your behalf (exclusive of buyer’s premium and VAT, which will be added to your invoice if successful). They will be executed at the lowest possible price having regard to any reserve and competing bids. If two buyers submit identical commission bids, the auctioneers will give preference to the first bid received. The auctioneer will execute commission bids directly from the rostrum, clearly identifying the successful bid as a commission bid.

Commission bids may be left in person, by telephone or by email. All bids submitted are regarded as acknowledgment that the bidder has read and accepts Chorley's Conditions of Business and will submit any specific personal details requested to verify their intention and ability to comply with those conditions (see also Registration).

Execution of commission bids is a free service undertaken subject to other commitments at the time of the sale and we do not accept liability in an individual instance for failing to execute a written bid or for errors and omissions in connection with it, arising from circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

Successful bidders will be emailed an invoice after the sale and asked to confirm their proposed payment and collection arrangements. The invoice total will include buyer's premium and any other relevant charges, where applicable plus VAT.

At Chorley's discretion, usually for lots estimated to realise £500 or more, we offer prospective buyers the facility to bid over the telephone, subject to the availability of lines/staff. Telephone bids must be booked no later than 4pm on the day prior to the auction. Bidders will be required to provide two telephone numbers, in case one line is busy or unobtainable at the time of the auction. They will also be asked to supply an emergency bid for each lot for which they propose to bid; this will only be executed in the event that saleroom staff are unable to reach the bidder on the telephone number provided at the time the lot is offered for sale.

This is a free service undertaken subject to other commitments at the time of the sale and we cannot accept liability in an individual instance for failing to execute a telephone bid or for errors and omissions in connection with it, arising from circumstances beyond our reasonable control. Telephone bids may be recorded for security purposes and, by bidding on the telephone, prospective buyers consent to the recording of their conversation.

Chorley's offers prospective buyers the facility to bid live online through Chorley's Live and The-Saleroom.com

Chorley's Live - We are currently offering this facility at no additional charge

The-saleroom.com - Additional live bidding platform fee 5% (6% incl. VAT)

Bidders will be approved and activated for live online bidding at our discretion. By registering to bid in our auction through these online platforms, you confirm that you are resident at the address supplied and that you are the authorised user of the card used for registration.  

Please remember that a click on the bid button is a commitment to buy

Failure to pay for lots purchased online within the requested collection period will result in their reoffer in a subsequent auction and any resulting shortfall being invoiced to the defaulting bidder.  The defaulting bidder will receive negative feedback from Chorley's on the relevant bidding platform, which will be visible to other auctioneers, and will be blocked from bidding with us again.

If you are unable to pay for and collect your lots in person, we require payment to be made either by bank transfer or by card on the secure payment page of our website (please contact the office first to ensure you know the total amount payable. Please note, we do not accept absentee payments by card over the telephone.

This service is offered subject to Chorley's Terms and Conditions and those of The Saleroom, as stated on their website. Chorley's cannot be held responsible for any failure or delay in online bidding technology that results in bids failing to reach the auctioneer or reaching the auctioneer after the hammer has fallen, neither are we responsible for incorrect information provided by the bidding platforms regarding the success of internet bids. Please do not assume you have been successful until you receive an emailed invoice from Chorley's, as all results have to be verified at the end of the auction.

All bidders who register to bid at one of our sales online will have their details stored securely in our client system.  We will only use them to contact you in relation to our auctions unless specifially authorised to do so.

The easiest and quickest way to make a payment is to view your invoice in your Chorley's Account. Sign in or Register here. 

By Bank transfer

Lloyds TSB, Rowcroft, Stroud
Account name: Simon Chorley Art & Antiques Ltd
Account number: 42917868
Sort code: 30-98-29
IBAN: GB66 LOYD 3098 2942 9178 68 / SWIFT: LOYDGB21056

 

By Credit or Debit Card

You can either pay by card in person or by logging into your Chorley's account. Under your name, select the menu option INVOICES & PAYMENTS.

We are not able to process card payments over the phone.

Payments by credit card cannot exceed £1,000 per auction per bidder.

 

Other Methods of Payment

We do not currently accept cash, cheques or bankers drafts.

It is the responsibility of the buyer to arrange collection of their goods. We request that all purchased lots are collected by 5pm on the Friday one week after the auction. Unless otherwise agreed with the Auctioneers, any client with Lots remaining at the saleroom after this time will incur an administration charge of £10, plus storage fees of £2 per Lot per day (all subject to VAT). Please note that payment must be cleared in our account before the goods will be released. Purchasers who pay by card through the online payment system will be required to show us that payment card when they collect.

For details of couriers and shipping firms, please refer to our shipping section.

All bidders are required to read and abide by our Conditions of Business.

Storage

We are not unfortunately able to provide storage for lots purchased beyond the Friday in the week after the sale. Unless otherwise agreed, any lots remaining at our saleroom later than this will incur an administration charge of £10, plus storage fees of £2 per lot per day (all subject to VAT). 

Postage & Packing

Chorley’s offer a packing and postage service within the UK on small non-breakable items only. This service is available at our discretion, and there are certain items we do not pack or ship including, but not limited to, ceramics, glass, paintings or framed and glazed artwork, arms or weaponry. 

Packing charges start at £15 per package plus postage by Royal Mail Special Delivery (packing charges are subject to VAT).

Couriers & Shippers

We are happy to provide the following details, without liability, of courier/carrier firms who may be able to arrange the collection of purchased goods. All charges relating to collection, carriage, packing, shipment and insurance will be the responsibility of the buyer. 

SMALLER ITEMS

Pack & Send
+44 (0)1865 260 610
oxford@packsend.co.uk 

Mailboxes
+44 (0)1242 530130
info@mbecheltenham.co.uk 

Shipping Services Direct
+44 (0)7453 848981
shippingservicesdirect@gmail.com

LARGER ITEMS

P J Payne & Son (Gloucestershire)
01452 760 864
pjpayneandson@btinternet.com

Simon Hall Limited (UK & International)
01386 858555
info@simonhallltd.com 

Martin Bros (UK & International)
01985 844 144
info@martinbrosltd.com

Alban Shipping (UK & International)
01582 493099
info@albanshipping.co.uk

H & H Transport (UK)
01993 843 664
traffic@HandHDistribution.co.uk 

 

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