+44 (0)1428 653727 sales@johnnicholsons.com

As soon as the auctioneer has handed over the sales record from the rostrum – which they will do at regular intervals throughout the sale – and passed it to the office, payment will be processed via your online registration.

You will receive confirmation of payment and, together with the catalogue description and any condition report you may have applied for prior to the sale, this is an important document as it forms part of the item’s history or provenance, showing that title has passed to you and what condition the item was in when you purchased it.

One of the reasons that this is important is that, unlike buying from a shop or in a retail situation, at auction there is no automatic right of return on goods once you have bought them. Once the hammer comes down, as long as the item is sold as described, it becomes the property of the successful bidder.

This is another reason why inspecting the item carefully before the auction is so important. Auction houses understand this, which is why online images and condition reports are now so clear and detailed.

Don’t forget to file the paperwork safely as it can be of enormous help should you ever wish to sell the item on. A clear provenance not only makes an object easier to sell on, it can, in certain circumstances, even add to its value.

Once payment has cleared, there should also no bar to you removing your purchase from the saleroom, provided you do not disrupt the ongoing sale in the process. So before bidding on something large or delicate, think about how it is going to be delivered to you if you succeed in buying it. Check out the cost of delivery too.

Once you take possession of the goods, you will be responsible for their safe transport.