Auction Guidelines – RAA&M Annual Art Auction 2024
CONDITIONS OF SALE – PLEASE READ
The RAA&M Annual Art Auction will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2024 and will be conducted live online only. The auction preview exhibition will be available at the RAA&M to view the artwork in person. Bidding will be available live online via LiveAuctioneers (with advance registration) or by submitting an absentee bid directly with the RAA&M in advance. Please see our Auction General Information page for more information.
Special Terms and Conditions for Online Bidders:
To become an approved online bidder, you must be registered no later than 2:00 PM EST (11:00 AM PST) on Friday, May 3, 2024 (24 hours prior to the auction). The buyer’s premium for online bidders is 25%.
All payments for online bidders will be processed with LivePayments through the LiveAuctioneers platform. If you are a successful online bidder, payment is required via LivePayments and you will receive an invoice through LiveAuctioneers after the auction. Payments can be made with a credit card or a bank transfer by clicking PAY NOW on your invoice. If you have a tax-exempt certificate, please upload it to your LiveAuctioneers profile in advance. If your invoice has not been paid within 72 hours, the payment will be automatically charged to the credit card that you have on file with LiveAuctioneers.
After your invoice is paid, artwork may be picked up in person at the Rockport Art Association & Museum BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. You will be given the option to choose shipping or pick-up when you pay your LiveAuctioneers invoice. For online bidders (internet marketplace-based sales), tax is calculated by the location where the buyer takes possession of an item (either at the buyer’s shipping address or our pick-up location at RAA&M). You will be contacted following the auction regarding your pick-up or shipping arrangements. The buyer is responsible for all shipping and packaging costs. All items are subject to the required applicable sales tax. Massachusetts sales tax is currently 6.25%. Rockport Art Association & Museum does not provide in-house shipping, but we will assist you with making arrangements through our local shipper.
General Terms and Conditions:
1. For the RAA&M Annual Art Auction on Saturday, May 4, 2024, bidding will be available live online via LiveAuctioneers.com (with advance registration) or by submitting an in-house absentee bid directly with the RAA&M in advance. The purchase price for all property sold shall include the hammer price, plus a buyer's premium: 20% for in-house absentee bid sales, and 25% for online bidders. All items are subject to the required applicable sales tax, unless the buyer has a valid tax-exempt certificate. Massachusetts sales tax is currently 6.25%.
2. Payment must be made at the end of the auction, and all items must be removed. The RAA&M reserves the right to hold objects until payments are cleared.
3. The buyer assumes complete responsibility for items at the fall of the hammer.
4. All items are sold “AS IS” and all sales are final. It is the responsibility of prospective bidders to examine lots and decide their level of interest. Neither the auctioneer, nor the consignors, nor the RAA&M are responsible for the accuracy of any printed or verbal descriptions. Please note that when estimating the value of these works the auction committee did not remove the artwork from its frame.
5. Absentee Bids may be submitted directly with RAA&M prior to the auction, and will be executed by the RAA&M. To leave an in-house absentee bid, you must complete the required form and return the signed form to the RAA&M by mail, email, or in person by 4:00 PM on Friday, May 3, 2024. The bid amount that you indicate on your absentee bid form is your maximum bid. We will use only those funds necessary to purchase the lot, unless you instruct us to start the bidding with your maximum bid. You may also leave a bid for "PLUS 1," authorizing us to go one increment beyond your absentee bid, if the amount of your bid is equal to the last bid from the floor. You must specify this on your absentee bid form. Successful in-house absentee bids require payment by credit card, provided to the RAA&M in advance, with a buyer's premium of 20%. The Absentee Bid Form may be downloaded from our website auction page. If we receive identical bids, the bid received first will prevail. Please note: WE DO NOT ACCEPT PHONE BIDS.
6. The auctioneer reserves the right to reject an opening bid.
7. Some of the lots in this sale are offered subject to a reserve or minimum selling price. The reserve is a confidential minimum price agreed upon by the consignor and the Rockport Art Association & Museum, below which the lot will not be sold. The reserve will be set at or below the low end of the estimated range. Whether or not a lot is subject to a reserve, the auctioneer may reject any bid or raise not commensurate with the value of such lot.
8. Items may be withdrawn at any time prior to the offering of each lot.
9. The auctioneer has the sole right to settle disputed bids and to decide whether or not to re-offer the lot.
10. The record of sale kept by the Rockport Art Association & Museum will be taken as final in the event of any dispute.
11. All measurements given refer to the actual canvas, board, image size, or in the case of graphics, plate size only. All measurements are in inches.
12. All works are framed and signed, unless otherwise noted. (At the time of cataloging, a work of art may have been photographed prior to being framed.)
13. The Rockport Art Association & Museum is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this catalog. Artwork should be previewed in advance.
14. All items are subject to the required applicable sales tax. Massachusetts sales tax is currently 6.25%. The buyer is responsible for all shipping and packaging costs.
Additional information for successful in-house absentee bidders:
Successful in-house absentee bids require payment by credit card, provided to the RAA&M in advance, with a buyer's premium of 20%. Your payment will be processed directly by Rockport Art Association & Museum. After your bill is paid, artwork may be picked up in person at the Rockport Art Association & Museum BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. All items are subject to the required applicable sales tax. Massachusetts sales tax is currently 6.25%. You will be contacted following the auction regarding your pick-up or shipping arrangements. The buyer is responsible for all shipping and packaging costs. Rockport Art Association & Museum does not provide in-house shipping, but we will assist you with making arrangements through our local shipper.
Auction Bid Increments
Price: ($0 – $500) / Bid Increment: $25
Price: ($500 – $1,000) / Bid Increment: $50
Price: ($1,000 – $2,000) / Bid Increment: $100
Price: ($2,000 – $5,000) / Bid Increment: $250
Price: ($5,000 – $10,000) / Bid Increment: $500
Price: ($10,000 – $20,000) / Bid Increment: $1,000
Price: ($20,000 – $50,000) / Bid Increment: $2,000
Artwork Description Notes
Prices Realized: The selling price for each work of art is posted to the online catalog after the auction and includes the hammer price and buyer's premium.
Estimates: Catalog descriptions for each auction lot include an estimate range that was placed during the Auction Committee's review of the artwork.
Artist Signatures: If artwork is unsigned, the artist will be listed in the catalog as an attribution (Attrib. to). If artwork is unsigned, but has an official estate stamp, it will not be listed as an attribution.
Artwork Condition Terms & Definitions*:
EXCELLENT – Works of art in excellent condition are free of scratches, paint loss and major cracking. For work on paper: there should be no scratches, foxing or water damage. For sculpture: work is free of dents, cracks, losses, erosion and pitting. Artwork is not examined out of the frame.
VERY GOOD – Works of art in very good condition may have minor abrasions, slight scratches, minor cracking, minor repairs, slight foxing or a small amount of surface dirt. For sculpture: work may have slight dents, cracks, losses, erosion or pitting. Artwork is not examined out of the frame.
GOOD – Works of art in good condition may have repairs, small tears, cracking in paint or finish, foxing, paint loss, and/or other damage that in some cases has been professionally restored. For sculpture: work may have dents, cracks, losses, erosion and/or pitting. Artwork is not examined out of the frame.
* Information provided by the Rockport Art Association & Museum (RAA&M) pertaining to the condition of any artwork is for the buyer to use or interpret as he or she sees fit. It is in no way a guarantee, nor should it be considered an expert opinion. All artwork is sold “as is” and prospective buyers are strongly encouraged to personally view and evaluate the condition of the property offered for sale.