Bidding with A Goldfinch Auctions is easy, safe, and exciting! You can contact us by telephone, email or fax to start the process. Here are step-by-step instructions on the four ways to participate at auction and how to register:

In Person Bidding

Our auctions are free and open to the general public. If you would like to bid, you will be asked to complete a registration form and collect a​ bidding ​ number​ before the auction begins. If you are a first-time bidder, you will also be required to present government-issued photo identification that includes your address, telephone number and signature in order to create a Goldfinch Auctions ​account with us. You also may be asked to provide a bank reference. Payment is due at the end of each sale.

After you have completed registration and received a number​ then the real fun begins! To place your bid, simply raise your​ number or hand until the auctioneer acknowledges you. The auctioneer will take increasing bids on each lot, until only one bidder remains; the final bidder purchases the lot when the hammer drops. If you are the successful bidder on a lot, the auctioneer will acknowledge your​ number and bid amount. Some lots will have a reserve, which is the confidential minimum selling price previously agreed upon with the seller. The reserve cannot be higher than the low estimate. If the bidding fails to reach this price, the lot will remain unsold.

Absentee Bidding

If you are unable to participate in person or by phone an Absentee Bid allows you to place a maximum bid amount on individual lots. All absentee bids must be in keeping with Goldfinch Auctions​ specified increments; if a bid is placed off increment, the bid will be rounded down to the nearest on-increment dollar amount. In the event identical bids are submitted, the earliest bid submitted will take precedence.

Absentee bids will be executed against other absentee bids, any applicable reserve, and bids from other auction participants. ​A Goldfinch Auctions publishes an absentee Bid Form where you indicate the item you wish to bid and the maximum bid amount you are willing to offer.

​T​he Bid Form​ ​can be downloaded from our forms drop down menu. If you do not have an account with us already, your Absentee Bid Form will contain the information required for registration, and we will contact you to confirm your identity.

To complete the Absentee Bid Form, select the ‘absentee bid’ box on the Bid Form for each lot you wish to bid. Finished forms should be returned to the Bid Department by email (preferred), fax, post or in person to a Goldfinch Auctions staff member. It is Goldfinch Auctions policy that absentee bids are not known by the auctioneer prior to the auction or during the sale.

Written bids are offered as a service for no extra charge, and at the buyer’s risk. Goldfinch Auctions cannot accept liability for failure to place such bids and will not be responsible for any errors or omissions in connection with any written bids. Successful absentee bidders will receive an invoice after the auction​.​

Online Bidding

All ​of Goldfinch Auctions are streamed live on LiveAuctioneers.com so you may participate in real time bidding. Live Auctioneers will administer registration and process and execute all bids. Your bids will be electronically transferred to​ Goldfinch Auctions during the sale. Please visit Live Auctioneers.com to register; we recommend you do so well before the start of the auction to ensure you are approved in time and have installed the appropriate software on your computer. Reasonable efforts will be employed to place online bids in the saleroom; however there will be no liability for any failure or error in the placement of such bids.

Bid or Watch Live

Approximately 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the auction, visit GoldfinchAuctions.com ​and click on the LiveAuctioneers.com link on the homepage to bid live online; the link will transfer you to our platform on their website. You can follow along with the auction even if you are not registered to bid, although we encourage you to register so you can easily participate in the sale.

How to Register

All phone and absentee bidders must register before the day of the sale; bidders who choose to participate in the auction room can register on the same day of the auction. On site bidders may arrive up to two hours before the start of the auction or any time prior to the selling of the first lot on which they desire to bid.

All registered bidders will be required to:

  • Complete contact information
  • Provide current credit card

Bidders who register to bid by phone or an absentee bid must also provide a completed Bid Form with:

  • A list of the lots on which you wish to bid
  • The bidding method specified for each lot (phone or absentee)
  • Day of sale phone numbers and/or maximum absentee bid amounts

Auction Results

You will be able to view sale results on our website .

Payments

Payment is due at the end of each sale.

Buyer’s Premium & Sales Tax

Our buyer’s premium is 18% for credit and debit cards and 15% for payments made via cash or approved check. Our buyer’s premium for bidding online through LiveAuctioneers is 20%. Internet buyers are not responsible for sales tax unless the item (s) are picked up at the gallery.

Buyers are required to pay 6.875% NJ Sales Tax on purchases, unless delivered out of state or appropriate exemption form is filed.

Goldfinch Auctions accepts payment by bank check, personal check, cash, money order, traveler’s check, PayPal, bank wire and credit card. Payments for all purchases are due immediately; all invoices are sent by post or email soon after the auction.

If you believe you were the successful bidder and did not receive an invoice by email contact info@atouchofthepastauctions.com to confirm your email address.

You may pay with cash, check, traveler’s check, bank wire, and money order up to $7,500, and PayPal up to $10,000. We also accept American Express, VISA and MasterCard (subject to certain restrictions). NOTE: Credit cards may not be accepted in all locations, and not all credit cards are accepted in every location.

You must pay for your purchase immediately after the auction by going to the Cashier
If not at the sale an invoice will be mailed to you following the sale. If you pay by check, we ask for your patience as your purchase will be released upon notice that your check has cleared. Payments must come from the invoiced party only. We reserve the right to decline payments received from anyone other than the invoiced party.

Please find payment options and instructions below:

Pay by Check
Bank checks and personal checks must be drawn on a U.S. bank and payable in U.S. dollars.

Send check by standard US Postal Service (no signature required):
Send check by courier
Goldfinch Auctions
39 Stangl Road
Flemington, N.J. 08822

Pay by Bank Wire
Bank details are available on request, please contact info@atouchofthepastauctions.com

Pay by Credit Card
To submit your credit card information for payment, please contact info@goldfinchauctions.com
NOTE: Credit cards are not accepted in all locations, and not all cards are accepted in every location. We accept American Express, VISA and MasterCard (subject to certain restrictions).

Terms and Conditions

 

ALL GOODS ARE SOLD AS IS WHERE IS.  ALL SALES ARE FINAL. Condition reports in Auction catalog are not guaranteed and may vary in accuracy. It is the responsibility of prospective bidders to inspect the goods. All condition reports, measurements, opinion of values, age and quality are offered by the Gallery but are not guaranteed. Neither the auction house, nor the consignor, is responsible for the accuracy of printed or verbal descriptions or its authenticity. Gold, silver, diamonds & gemstones are guaranteed. We do not guarantee or warranty clocks. All weights & measurements are approximate. Artist’s names, signatures do not carry warranty & are not guaranteed unless Certificate of Authenticity accompanies lot, provenance provided when available. Goldfinch Auctions, LLC. and its representatives do not claim any expertise. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client; it is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Goldfinch Auctions, LLC. shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Any dispute of purchase must be made within 7 days of sale.