Selling at B.E.A.R.

Valuations and Deliveries by appointment only

We work on a booking system for valuations at Bourne End Auction Rooms to give you a timeslot with a member of our valuation team. Please CLICK HERE to book an appointment to bring your items in for a valuation.  Valuations/Deliveries are held on Thursday's, Friday's and Saturday's.

Buying and selling at auction should not be a complex task and here at Bourne End Auction Rooms, we endeavour to make it an enjoyable experience for all. If you are new to our auction rooms, we hope you will find the notes below helpful. All transactions are subject to our Terms and Conditions.

Pre-auction Valuations

We hold weekly valuation days at the auction rooms by appointment on each Thursday, and Friday 9.00am–5.00pm, and on Saturday mornings 9.00am–12.00 noon, where we can value your items and take them in for auction. To book an appointment Click Here.

We hold a General Home Furnishings & Collectibles auction every week except for the first Wednesday in the month when we hold a specialist auction followed by an Antique, Fine Art & Collectables sale. We will allocate your items to the most appropriate auction and store them free of charge. Please see our auction calendar for our forthcoming auctions.

We can also give preliminary valuations via email, phone, and for larger items, collections and house clearances, a home visit by a valuer can be arranged. Please call our office on 01628 531500 or send us an email at info@bourneendauctionrooms.co.uk Online valuations are also available using the upload tool via contacts on our website. If you would prefer a video call, please contact the office to make an appointment.

Home Visits

For larger groups of items, collections or house contents, you may wish to make an appointment for one of our experienced valuers to come and visit you. We can advise as to the value and saleability of the items and which of our auctions would be most suitable. We pride ourselves on our honesty and are happy to pass on our wealth of knowledge and experience. There is no charge for this service. Please contact our office on 01628 531500 to make an appointment.

Standard Charges

• We do NOT charge a photographic or website illustration fee.
• A lotting fee of £6.50 per lot will be levied on every lot entered for auction on each occasion it is offered for sale. This charge covers the catalogue description, research and marketing. The lotting fee is payable irrespective of whether or not the lot is sold.
• A commission charge of 13.0% of the hammer price will be deducted from the proceeds of the sale.
• A loss and damage waiver of 1.5% will be charged on the total sale price.

VAT at the prevailing rate will be levied on all the above fees.

The auction room reserves the right to make a charge of £5.00 for each electrical item entered for auction that requires testing for safety by a qualified PAT tester.

The auction room reserves the right to make a charge of £30.00 for each item of ivory for auction that requires an ivory licence.

Catalogues, Guides and Reserves

The catalogue for our Antiques, Fine Art & Collectibles sales and our specialist sales are published online around three weeks before the auction date, and the sale results are instantly available on our website. The first half of the catalogue of our weekly auctions is published on our website on the Friday prior to the auction, with the full catalogue available on the Monday afternoon.

Reserves should be mutually agreed between the vendor and the auctioneers prior to auction. Auction lots with a lower estimate of £30 or less must be offered without reserve and can be sold for our minimum bid of £20.

Auctioneers’ Discretion (AD) may be used to sell a lot up to 15% below the reserve or guide price, unless a fixed reserve is specified at the time of entry.

A reserve price can be placed on a lot, usually at the low end or below that of the auction estimate. If your goods are being delivered by a third party or courier, and you wish to be advised by telephone of the estimated values of the auction lots in order to place a reserve price, please tick the ‘ADVISE BOX’ on the top right-hand corner of the entry form.

The auctioneer will always use his/her discretion in order to achieve the item’s full value at auction, unless otherwise agreed.

For further information about attending our sales, please see our Buying page.

After each Auction

We will email you the day after the auction informing you of the hammer price that each of your lots achieved and whether you have any unsold items.

Payment / Unsold lots

Payment to vendors is usually made three weeks after the sale date, once cleared funds from the purchaser have been received. A statement will be sent along with the payment detailing the hammer price(s), and all commissions and fees deducted.

We will contact you, usually by phone or email, following the sale regarding any unsold lots. Any unsold lots to be re-entered into a future sale will be subject to a further lotting fee(s), and any reserve will be reduced by a minimum 25%.

We ask you to collect any unsold lots not being re-entered for sale by the end of Saturday morning following the sale date they were entered in. Any unsold lots remaining uncollected by this date may be subject to a storage fee of £3.00 per lot per day after this date. See our Terms and Conditions.

Removals and Storage

Goods can be delivered in person to Bourne End Auction Rooms on our weekly valuation days. For larger items, part or entire house clearances, transport can be arranged via a local, independent transport company who charge £60 + vat per hour for local deliveries. Please contact the office for further information.

An entry form must be completed for all goods to be entered into a sale. Your attention is drawn to the Conditions of Sale on the back page of the seller’s copy.

All items are stored free of charge before being entered into the appropriate sale. Selected items may be kept aside for our Fine Art, Antique & Collectables sale or a specialist sale. All other items will be placed into the next available General Home Furnishings & Collectables sale after arrival at the auction house.

Free Valuations

To receive a free pre-auction valuation, please email images to info@bourneendauctionrooms.co.uk.

Or, book an appointment for one of our valuation days held every Thursday and Friday between 9.00am and 5.00pm, or on Saturday mornings between 9.00am and 12.00 noon.

Or, to arrange a free home visit, please call us on 01628 531 500.

For any other questions about our auctions please call 01628 531 500.