At Halls Fine Art we hope to ensure buying at auction to be easy and enjoyable, from viewing our catalogues online to receiving your lot at home. Here we explain this process. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to get in touch, we would be happy to help.
However you choose to bid in our auctions, all our clients need to provide photo ID and proof of name and address by providing the following:
Please send copies via email to [email protected] when arranging your bid. These documents will be sent to a secure computer and uploaded to your client account.
On the day of the auction come to our Cash Office to register to bid and obtain your bidding number.
You can arrange to be contacted by telephone to bid during the auction.
You may leave an absentee bid, also known as a commission bid, which is the maximum you wish to spend excluding Buyer’s Premium. We will bid on your behalf for the lowest possible amount, subject to other competing bids, and continue bidding up to your maximum. We do not open bidding at your maximum, nor do we ‘run you up’ artificially.
Leave your bids by one of the following options:
Register to bid live with HallsLive. You can bid live online, following the sale as it happens with streamed video and audio.
You can also bid live with the-saleroom.com and Easylive.
Please call 01743 450 700 or email [email protected] to arrange your bid or for further advice.
More and more of our buyers are choosing to bid online in our auctions. Bidding remotely via HallsLive can be a thrilling experience enabling you to bid wherever you are in the world!
Charges: To use HallsLive we charge 3.6% commission including VAT on top of our buyer's premium of 28.8% including VAT.
To bid in any one of our auctions we require all potential buyers to register and provide two forms of identification. This is to comply with existing Anti-Money Laundering Regulations.
All our clients need to provide photo ID and proof of name and address by providing the following:
Please send copies via email to [email protected] when arranging your bid. These documents will be sent to a secure computer and uploaded to your client details.
Points to note:
To register to bid live in our timed online auction through our online bidding platform HallsLive follow these easy steps:
Step 1: Go to ‘Create a Client Account’ dropdown from the 'Auctions' tab
‘Sign in’ if you already have an account with us
OR
If this is the first time you are registering an account with us, after completing the online forms you will be sent an email with a link to verify your email address. Please click on this link to verify your account. If you do not receive your verification email, please call us 01743 450 700
Step 2: Being approved for live bidding - pre-registration
In order to bid live you will need to have registered a bank card (necessary to be approved for live bidding), if you have previously registered an account on our website but have not yet done this follow the steps below:
Step 3: Joining the Auction - Register to bid
Step 4: Bidding
Good Luck!
If you have any queries about using HallsLive don’t hesitate to call us on 01743 450 700 or email [email protected] and we can guide you through the process.
All UK auctioneers charge a premium in addition to the hammer price.
Halls’ Buyer’s Premium is 24% plus VAT (28.8% inc VAT) for the first £500,000 and 12% above £500,000 per lot.
All our auction catalogues are available to view online as interactive listings via our Upcoming Auctions page. These are uploaded in advance of each auction. Each lot is imaged and can be enlarged to get a more detailed view.
All auctions take place on a Wednesday and are open for viewing prior to the sale day.
Viewing for our Timed Auctions is prior to the auction end date.
Viewing dates and times can be found on the details for each auction.
You do not need to book to view our auctions (unless otherwise stated).
Before bidding in an auction you will need to register and create a client account. Read our bidding guides 'How to Bid in our Live Auctions' or 'How to Bid in our Timed Auctions' above on how to do this.
We require all potential buyers to register and provide two forms of identification. This is to comply with existing Anti-Money Laundering Regulations.
All our clients need to provide photo ID and proof of name and address by providing the following:
Please send copies via email to [email protected] when arranging your bid. These documents will be sent to a secure computer and uploaded to your client account.
Please register in good time before the end of the auction.
We do not state the condition of a lot within the lot decription.
Before bidding please ensure you are satisfied with the condition of the lot, all objects are offered in ‘as found’ condition.
Bidding indicates acceptance of condition of the lot.
You can ask for further details and extra images about any lots in our sales and this is especially important if you cannot view the lot in person. We recommend asking for a condition report and additional images prior to bidding. Our reports provide a general guide to the condition of a lot but are not a forensic examination and so a physical inspection by you or an appointed agent is ideal.
Condition reports must be submitted before 4.30pm the day before an auction so that we have sufficient time to action the request.
To request a condition report go to the lot of interest and click on the 'Request a condition report' button on the 'Condition Report' tab or email [email protected]. Condition reports are always given in writing.
So that you are happy with our conditions of sale please click here to read our full terms and conditions.
On 6th June the ivory ban came into force. The Ivory Act 2018 prohibits dealing in ivory items unless they meet one of five narrow and carefully defined exemptions and are either registered or have an exemption certificate.
The Government launched the ivory digital service on 24 February 2022. This service allows people to register or apply for an exemption certificate for ivory items they would like to deal in.
From 6 June 2022, you cannot deal in items containing or made of elephant ivory under the Ivory Act 2018 unless they are registered as exempt or certified as exempt.
If you started a transaction before 6 June, you have until 3 July to complete it without registering or applying for an exemption certificate. If you do not complete your transaction by 3 July, you’ll need to either:
You should allow enough time to register or apply for an exemption certificate before 3 July.
It’s the responsibility of anyone intending to be involved in a sale or purchase of an ivory item to find out if the item contains or is made of elephant ivory. If the item does contain or is made of ivory, it will be assumed to be elephant ivory unless you can prove otherwise.
If you buy an ivory item, you, as well as the seller, are responsible for checking that it can be lawfully sold or hired out. If you break the law, you could be fined up to £250,000 or risk up to 5 years’ imprisonment.
Detailed guidance on dealing in items made of ivory or containing ivory can be found on GOV.UK.
We have also created assets designed to help people understand the ban, which we will share with you shortly. We would appreciate it if you could share these with your members.
For further information on this please READ here
Prospective buyers should be aware that general wear to include; creasing, light foxing, small tears, bumped corners, worn boards or weak spine/joints, will not be specified in the catalogue descriptions. Any substantial losses/wear to include detached boards, detached spines or extensive graffiti will be described as ‘at fault’.
Prospective buyers must satisfy themselves with a condition report prior to bidding, Halls Holdings can take no responsibility for condition of purchased lots if condition reports were not requested.
**We regret that we do not accept payment by credit card**
**We regret that we do not accept payment by credit card**
Halls cannot guarantee that payments from restricted countries will be accepted. A list of restricted countries can be obtained from Halls Holdings Limited.
If your country does not appear on this list, but you are unsure please contact us before proceeding with your bid.
Payments from any closed country will not be accepted.
Buyers based in a restricted country will need to provide a government issued form of photo ID (current identity card/driving licence) and complete a due diligence form to enable Halls to expedite the necessary checks BEFORE their payment can be accepted. If the payment is made by bank transfer before doing so, it will be declined and your bank may issue charges.
If you have any concerns regarding payment to Halls | The Auction House please do not hesitate to get in touch with the team and we will try to help. Call +44 (0)1743 450 700 or email [email protected]
Halls | The Auction House are always happy to help, whether you are collecting in person or require advice about local couriers. Collection or shipping arrangements for lots can be made from midday on the next working day following the auction.
If you are the successful bidder and once you have paid for your items, you are free to collect anytime between Monday and Friday 10am - 5pm.
Rules to follow when coming to collect from Halls | The Auction House:
If you are not able to collect in person Halls are happy to suggest a number of local carriers who will be able to arrange packing and shipping for you.
Halls | The Auction House are a small team so unfortunately has neither the staff, nor the facilities to provide a comprehensive packaging service. Consequently, Halls will not package items for collection by third parties.
Buyers that engage the services of companies that do not fulfil these criteria will be asked to email or write to Halls stating that they, the client, do so entirely at their own risk and take full responsibility for their choice.
Halls are able to offer a limited in-house postage service within the UK in conjunction with Restored Reloved Specialist Nationwide Couriers. This is only for small, unbreakable items below £2500 (including buyer’s premium) which can be placed in a jiffy bag and weigh less than 2kg. Please see below.
If you wish to use this service, please note that once payment has been made, Marcus Brain at Restored Reloved should be contacted for all further delivery queries: [email protected]
Please ensure/check the address on your Halls invoice is correct for delivery.
2kg or less (Jiffy bag/ small box)
Invoice amount £750 and under - £30.
Invoice amount between £751 and £2500 - £45
Over 2kg or over £2500 – price on request.
Halls cannot ship items internationally.
Please call us on +44 (0)1743 450 700 or email [email protected] if you require further assistance with payment, collection and shipping.
For all other collection and delivery services, see our list below for local couriers.
Please contact them directly to receive a quote for costs. You are, of course, very welcome to use an alternative courier.
If you are interested in buying a large or heavy item, we advise to look at shipping arrangements prior to buying.
Please note that a storage and handling charge of £5.00 + VAT per lot, per day, will be levied if after a period of four working days from the sale date, items remain uncollected.
Halls Holdings Ltd. reserve the right to re-sell any items that have been paid for where appropriate after a period of fourteen days. The original buyer will be charged storage, full commission and insurance and the net proceeds remitted to them.
If you need any further assistance, please don't hesitate to call us on +44 (0)1743 450 700 or email [email protected]
Halls strongly advise their clients to seek advice from their shipper as to the extra costs of shipping items to and from Europe, given the UK is now no longer part of the EU. These costs will include import duty and VAT, for which Halls is not liable and so buyers/vendors will need to budget for this.
In accordance with Artists Resale Rights Regulations 2006, all lots marked ARR or § which sell for €1000 or more are subject to a resale royalty charge (“Royalty”). This Royalty is payable by the Bidder. The Royalty will be charged at a rate of 4% of the total hammer price (exclusive of Bidder’s premium) for lots selling for amounts up to €50000. For lots selling in excess of €50,001, the Royalty shall be calculated at a reduced rate (details available on request). The Royalty is not subject to VAT and is payable in sterling calculated on the day of sale at the prevailing rate of exchange. Payment shall be passed directly to the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS), 33 Great Sutton Street, London EC1V 0DX. For further information please contact the Auctioneers or DACS on 0845 4103410 or visit their website at www.dacs.org.uk.
You can obtain a refund of VAT if you buy an object which is shipped to a country outside the European Union. You will need proof of export from your courier and then complete a VAT refund form obtainable from the HMRC website.
Please would all overseas bidders note that if they are bidding from a ‘restricted country’, if they are successful and become the buyer and wish to pay by bank transfer, they will need to provide ID and permit due diligence checks BEFORE payment can be made. If payment is made before this can take place the buyer may end up paying for a cancelation initially, as our bank will not accept payments before the necessary due diligence checks are made.
Lots in this sale may be purchased with notes, coins or travellers cheques in sterling provided that the total payable by you does not exceed the equivalent in sterling of €10000. If the amount payable by you exceeds the equivalent of €10000, the balance must be paid otherwise than in notes, coins or travellers cheques. These conditions are in accordance with The Money Laundering Regulations 2003.
In January 2020, the Fifth Anti Money Laundering Directive (5AMLD) came into effect covering the UK and all EU nations. This was an enhancement of existing laws, designed to fight organised crime and the funding of terrorism. As Art Market Practitioners, Halls handles valuable works of art and so is obliged to adhere to 5AMLD guidelines. This includes due diligence on all our clients, both buyers and sellers, confirming their identity with recognised documents and monitoring transactions or groups of transactions amounting to 10,000 EUR (£8,600) or more. We try to do this as sensitively and efficiently as possible while meeting our obligations.
Halls Fine Art uses a state-of-the-art dedicated database and auction management which also runs our website. This is continually updated to ensure it is efficient and secure. It is hosted on a Microsoft Azure server. MS Azure is the safest and most secure data server with the highest levels of compliance in the world, over 1 billion USD invested in research and development and more than 3500 cyber security specialists employed round the clock. It is used and trusted by Fortune 500 corporations, police services and hospitals. You can be confident that your data is in very safe hands.
No. Very simply, we do not give any of your data to any third parties. Halls Fine Art retains your data within a separate, dedicated database that only we have access to.
Tell us immediately. Either call the Fine Art team on +44 (0)1743 450700 or email [email protected]
We can disable your account or reset your password for you to prevent it from being used by unauthorised people. We can also view the audit log to see what activity has occurred on your account and rectify any issues for you.
Yes, of course. We try to make sure our marketing is relevant and not too frequent, but the last thing we would wish is for unwanted mail to land in your inbox. Every marketing email we send has an 'unsubscribe' link at the bottom. All you need to do is click this and follow the on-screen instructions to stop receiving the emails.
