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:

• a government issued form of photo identification (plastic card element of a driving licence, or passport)
• proof of address such as a bank statement or utility bill, dated within the last 3 months

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.

Room Bidding:

On the day of the auction come to our Cash Office to register to bid and obtain your bidding number.

Telephone Bidding:

You can arrange to be contacted by telephone to bid during the auction.

• Telephone lines must be booked by 4.30pm the day before the auction.
• Phone the fine art team on +44 (0)1743 450700 or email [email protected]
• All bidders will be asked for two forms of identification including a form of photo ID (such as driving license or passport) and proof of address (such as utility bill or bank statement dated within the last 3 months)

Commission Bidding: 

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.

• Bids must be placed by 4.30pm the day before the auction.

Leave your bids by one of the following options:

• Click here to create a client account and leave bids via our online catalogue 
• Phone the bidding office or email your bids to [email protected]
• All bidders will be asked for two forms of identification including a form of photo ID (such as driving license or passport) and proof of address (such as utility bill or bank statement dated within the last 3 months)

Online Bidding:

Register to bid live with HallsLive.  You can bid live online, following the sale as it happens with streamed video and audio.

• First Click here to register and create a client account.  Read our 'How to Bid Live' guide on how to do this here
• From 9.30am on the day of the auction sign in and go to the auction catalogue then click on the ‘Bid Live’ link button.
• You will be taken straight through to the live bidding page and are ready to bid!
• If you bid and register directly with HallsLive we will only charge 3% commission plus VAT on top of our buyer's premium of 24% + VAT

You can also bid live with the-saleroom.com and Easy Live Auction.

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:

• a government issued form of photo identification (plastic card element of a driving licence, or passport)
• proof of address such as a bank statement or utility bill, dated within the last 3 months

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:

• The Estimate or Price Guide is an indicator of the sums similar items have sold for in the past.
• Timed auctions take place without an auctioneer calling the sale. You can bid at any time during the defined time period by entering a maximum bid which is the highest amount you're willing to pay for the lot.
• To request details of the condition of a lot click on 'Ask a question' once you have clicked on the lot.
•  Please note that we are unable to post commission bids on your behalf in a timed auction.
• We will automatically bid on your behalf only as much as necessary to ensure that you meet the reserve price or that you remain in the lead; up to your maximum bid.
• We will notify you if another bidder places a bid that is higher than your maximum bid. Your maximum bid is kept confidential until it is exceeded by another bidder.
• If a bid is placed in the final few minutes of the defined time period, the time period will be extended by a number of minutes. The auction house can set the number of minutes for its own auctions but typically on thesaleroom.com a bid placed in the final 10 minutes of the timed auction extends the closing time by 10 minutes.
  This is to stop ‘sniping’ – a practice used by bidders on some other websites whereby they rush to place bids in the last few seconds to prevent other bidders being able to respond before the auction closes.
• The auction will 'start ending' at the end time noted on the auction details and each lot will end at the set staggered time.  This may be 20 seconds or more.  Please read the auction terms and conditions for this information.

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

‘Create my account’ 

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:

• Click on your username/name on the far right of the main menu bar (if you are not signed in this be displayed as ‘My Account’)
• Click on the option for 'My Account'
• Fill in your card details under ‘Register new card’. Once your card details are registered, you will be approved to bid live in our auctions.

Step 3: Joining the Auction - Register to bid

• To register to bid in the auction you are interested in, go to 'Auctions' from the 'Auctions' tab and click the ‘Register to bid’ button.
• Make sure you are signed into your client account and have accept the Terms and Conditions of sale.
• If you have registered a debit or credit card on your account you will be ready to bid.

Step 4: Bidding

• Go to the lot you are interested in and start leaving bids.
  On this page you can see all the lots details, the estimate and 'Ask a question' about the lot.  This is known as a condition report request.
• You will see that the lot has an 'opening bid' (this means there is a suggested starting bid) or a 'current bid' (this means this lot already has a bid left on it).
• To leave a bid, type it in the box below and click on the button 'Place bid'.
• You will be notified if your bid is accepted or if you have been 'outbid'.
• If you win your lot, you will receive an invoice from us after the auction has ended.
• Please always remember bidding is a contractual commitment to buy.

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.

Our auctioneers are highly experienced and will be looking at everyone in the room as well as their screen on the rostrum.  If they aren’t sure you are making a bid, they will ask you.  If you didn’t mean to bid or were just swatting a fly, speak up!

To avoid any confusion when bidding raise your paddle number or hand to bid.  Let the auctioneer know before the gavel comes down!

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. 

• Goods will be released once payment has cleared
• Vat is only refundable on the hammer price but is not refundable on Premium
• For your information Halls Fine Art are part of the 'margin scheme'
• Lots marked (†) have additional VAT on the hammer price
• Lots marked (ARR) may be subject to Artist's Resale Rights - see Terms & Conditions for details

Viewing our Online Catalogues:

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.

Viewing In Person:

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:

• A government issued form of photo identification (plastic card element of a driving licence, or passport)
• Proof of address such as a bank statement or utility bill, dated within the last 3 months

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.