Terms of Sale
age, condition, materials or any other feature of items being sold. Our goal is to provide
prospective bidders with accurate and detailed information. We recommend prospective bidders
examine all items in which they have an interest. If you require absolute certainty in all areas of
authenticity, and the results of your evaluation leave uncertainty in your mind, we recommend you
not bid on the item in question.
written or oral made by the auctioneer shall be deemed a warranty or assumption of liability by
The Estate Center, LLC or by any seller represented by The Estate Center, LLC.
2. If a lot is offered with a reserve price, the reserve price is printed following the description and
bidding will begin at that price. Otherwise bidding will begin at a price appropriate in
auctioneer’s discretion. The auctioneer always reserves the right to withdraw a lot for any reason
he deems appropriate.
3. Once we declare that an item is sold, we cannot reopen the bidding. It is the bidder’s
responsibility to get our attention prior to our saying “sold”. We reserve the right to reject any
bids deemed inappropriate or to withdraw any item(s) for lack of appropriate bids. If an item is
withdrawn from the auction it will be offered again only at the auctioneer’s discretion.
4. Payment must be made by cash, approved check, wire transfer, Master Card, Visa or American
Express credit cards. We reserve the right to require bank checks for large purchases. Buyers not
known to us who wish to write a check must provide a current letter of credit from their bank
guaranteeing funds for that account. Credit arrangements must be made by the Friday prior to the
day of the auction so bank statements can be verified. We reserve the right to not issue a buyer’s
number or to withhold merchandise if appropriate credit has not been established. We require
wire transfers, bank checks or credit cards for international buyers.
5. Payment for all purchases is expected at the time of purchase. Payment for successful absentee,
phone bids and online bids are required within five business days of the auction. Our signature on
this form constitutes permission to charge successful bids to credit cards if payment is not
received within five days of the auction.
6. We are pleased to offer absentee and phone bidding for prospective bidders who cannot be present
at the auction. Please complete the Absentee Bid and/or Phone Reservation form. Absentee bids
are executed competitively and confidentially. All reservations for phone bidding are held in the
strictest confidence and must be received by 5 pm the day before the auction. No additional phone
bids can be accepted on the day of the auction i9ncluding additions when speaking with a staff
person on the phone. We cannot accept written absentee bids submitted on the Absentee Bid
Form up to 30 lots before the item comes up for auction. Leaving an absentee of phone bid on a
lot indicates your willingness to open the bidding at one half the printed low estimate, and give the
auctioneer the authority to open the bidding at any time for any reason and to default any sale in the event of an error or dispute.
7. In the case of identical absentee bids, the bid received first will prevail.
We sell 70-100 lots per hour.
Following are general guidelines for bidding increments:
Increments
0-100
$ 5
100-200
$10
200-500
$25
500-1000
$50
1000-5000
$100
5000-10000
$250
Above 10000 $1,000,
$2,000, $5,000 or greater
8. In our experience, cellular phones are not always dependable, and we recommend phone bidding
reservations be made on land lines. Telephone bidding is offered only to clients outside the 985
area code. We make every effort to honor all absentee bids or failed phone reservations.
Submitting absentee bids or bidding by phone does not imply an extension of credit. Please see
numbers 4 and 5 above.
9. Purchaser agrees that packing and shipping is done at purchaser’s risk and that the purchaser will
pay in advance all packing expenses, materials, carrier fees and insurance charges. At our
discretion, items will either be packed by an agent such as a packaging store or The Estate Center
Auctions.
The shipping of items is the responsibility of the purchaser. We are happy to provide names of carriers and
shippers if a purchaser so requests. The Estate Center will have no liability for any loss or damage
to shipped items.
10. Note to absentee bidders. We do not accept cut bids, (bids less than the last interval) from
the floor or from phone bidders, and we do not accept them from internet bidders. Thus it is
possible that a lot could go to another bidder for less than your absentee bid. For example, if the
bids are progressing in ten dollar increments, $50, $60, $70 and your absentee falls at $75, we will
not take the bid since it is less that the $10 interval. We always encourage bidders to bid by phone
or to leave absentee bids through our gallery to avoid such a situation.
11. All purchases are subject to Louisiana Sales tax unless the Louisiana Certificate of Resale tax
form is fully and completely filled out and received prior to time of purchase. Resale tax numbers
from other states are accepted. International buyers are responsible for tariffs, taxes, or
assessments of shipped items to the buyer’s country.
12. Bidding on an item indicates your understanding and acceptance of these Terms of Sale. If a
purchase breaches any of these Terms of Sale, including the obligation to pay for the purchased
items, The Estate Center Auctions my seek all remedies under law including canceling the sale
and re-offering the property without reserve.
13. A buyer’s premium of 10% will be applied to the purchase price of all items. 3% will be added
for credit card purchases.
14. Purchased items not picked up from our auction facility within ten business days fo the auction
will be assessed a storage fee of $5.00 per day, per item.
15. Please note lots containing ivory, tortoiseshell, or other animal materials may be subject to
regulations imposed by the Endangered Species Act and by the United States Fish and Wildlife
Department. Some countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from
endangered species, and prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant
customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import these lots into another country.
1. 1.5% Insurance
2. Commission Rates 25%
3. No Photo Fees
4. No Items removed until sale has ended
5. Jerry Rosato’s Louisiana Auctioneers License Number 387
We do not give refunds. All sales are final. No statement. Please allow two weeks for shipping after payment is received. Shipment of large
