FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW DO I BID AT AUCTION?

Ahlers & Ogletree offers 4 ways to bid in each of our auctions: Live Online Bidding, Telephone Bidding, Absentee Bidding, and In Person Bidding. Please visit our “How To Bid” page for full details.

HOW DO I SELL AT AUCTION?

Ahlers & Ogletree takes consignments for any given auction up to 6 months before each sale, and no later than 1 month before each sale date. For full information regarding selling at auction, please visit our “How to Sell” page.

WHAT TYPE OF ITEMS DOES AHLERS & OGLETREE SELL AT AUCTION?

Ahlers & Ogletree prides ourselves on offering turnkey service for liquidating entire estates. At auction, we sell items with a low estimate of $300 up to items in the $100,000+ range. Categories range from classic cars, silver, and fine art, to objets d’art, antique furniture, and fine textiles. Items that we find to be unsuitable for auction, or items that would perform better in a retail setting, can be considered by our sister company, Peachtree Battle Estate Sales, for sale in their monthly gallery sales.

WHAT IS “FAIR MARKET VALUE” AND HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM AN AUCTION ESTIMATE?

Fair Market Value is a term frequently used by appraisers and auction house specialists in reference to a selling price for an item upon which a buyer and seller agree. When an object is freely exchanged on the open market, this exchange establishes a Fair Market Value. Since bidding at auction is open to the public, realized auction prices can be considered Fair Market Value.

Auction Estimates are a range of values assigned by an auction house to a specific object predicting what value the lot should sell for at auction. Estimates are based on the professional examination of the item by our team of specialists, research of comparable pieces recently sold at auction (i.e. recent Fair Market Values), and breadth of knowledge of the current auction climate. An Auction Estimate generally encompasses what our expert opinion of that object/lot’s Fair Market Value is and also provides prospective buyers with an important preliminary guide to value upon which they can base their decision to auction an item at any given time.

HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR AND PICK UP MY PURCHASED ITEMS AFTER AN AUCTION HAS ENDED?

Full payment and removal of sold lots must be completed no later than 10 business days after the completion of the auction. Any invoice with an outstanding balance thirty days after the auction’s conclusion may be cancelled and the sale rescinded without further notice to the buyer. Failure to remove purchases within 10 business days after the completion of the auction will result in a standardized storage fee. Items not removed from the premises within 30 days of the completion of the auction will be considered abandoned and the buyer relinquishes all ownership rights to these items to Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Galleries, Inc.

WHAT PAYMENT METHODS DO YOU ACCEPT?

Check, wire transfer, credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover)

WHAT IS A BUYER’S PREMIUM AND WHY IS THIS CHARGE ON MY INVOICE?

Auction houses assess a Buyer’s Premium of a certain percentage on each lot sold at auction. This is a standard practice. Ahlers & Ogletree assesses a 21% buyer’s premium on all in-house, absentee, and phone bids paid with cash, check, or wire transfer; a 24% buyer’s premium on all in-house, absentee, and phone bids paid with a credit card; and a 25% buyer’s premium on all internet beds regardless of payment method.

WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CONSIGNED ITEM DOES NOT SELL AT AUCTION?

A representative of Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery will be in touch with you within 7 business days of the conclusion of an auction in order to discuss options for unsold items. Ahlers & Ogletree retains no rights to your items and you are welcome to schedule an appointment for pick up Monday-Friday from 10:00am-4:00pm.

ARE LOTS AVAILABLE FOR IN-PERSON VIEWING BEFORE AN AUCTION?

Yes, Ahlers & Ogletree hosts a preview for the entire week prior to each auction. A Preview Party reception, open to the public, is also hosted on the Thursday evening prior to the auction. All lots will be tagged with information on the item(s) and auction estimates.

WHEN WILL I BE PAID FOR MY ITEMS THAT SOLD AT AUCTION?

Payment is issued to consignors via check thirty days after the close of an auction. Should the consignor be selling multiple items, that consignor may notice a line item on his/her invoice “C/O Adjustment” – this refers to the amount that we have collected from buyers on your consigned items as of the date of that payout. There are sometimes bidders that are slow to pay and Ahlers & Ogletree does not pay consignors until their sold items have been paid for in full.

I HAVE SUBMITTED A REQUEST TO CONSIGN MY ITEMS FOR AUCTION, WHEN CAN I EXPECT TO RECEIVE NEWS FROM AHLERS & OGLETREE?

Due to the high volume of inquiries, there may be a delay of 2-3 weeks before a member of our team reaches out to you. If your need is urgent, please do not hesitate to call and we will do our best to expedite or request.

DO YOU PROVIDE LEGAL APPRAISALS?

Ahlers & Ogletree does not provide legal appraisals.