conditions

MAIN AUCTION AND SILENT AUCTION

Twice a year we organize auctions which last many days in our beautifully situated location in Bern. Two categories of auctions are organized: the main auction and the silent auction.

The main auction resembles in three catalogues the very best of our lots which will be live auctioned. Any interested person can participate to these auctions and personally bid, or bid by phone or online on the platform invaluable.com. The absentees can bit with a written buyer’s order.

Our silent auction proposes a nice choice of beautifully crafted objects of lesser value. Each person can bid exclusively in writing a buyer’s order. The lot is sold to the most successful bidder.

CATALOGUES

Our richly illustrated catalogues are available in a large printed paperback form or online.

 

All the information in our catalogues is previously verified by our experts in all their conscience and knowledge. We guarantee in our auction conditions the veracity of the published data. 

ESTIMATE PRICE

Estimates published in our catalogues are indicative. They reflect the actual international market and represent the range in which Stuker might sell a lot at auction. Our estimates are based on our experience and hammer prices achieved by comparable lots during previous auctions worldwide.

RESERVE

The reserve price is the minimum price agreed upon between the seller and the auction house. The auctioneer can’t sell the lot under the reserve price.

PRESALE EXHIBITION

 

An eight-day exhibition is organized before each auction. All the lots are put on public display and can be studied during these days. Our specialists stay at your disposal to answer your questions and give you additional information. Upon your request, we can deliver you a condition report as well as additional photographs. 

AUCTION AND HAMMER PRICE

Every auction starts with a fixed price announced by the auctioneer. Usually, it starts below the low estimate. If you are interested in acquiring this lot and you are bidding, the auctioneer will raise the initial price or the previous bid in your favor. The increment is usually of 10% of the previous bid. The winning bidder is the one whose bid hasn't been surpassed after three calls from the auctioneer. The adjudication is the final buying contract between the buyer and Stuker. 

BID IN-PERSON

 

As we don’t distribute pre-numbered bid paddles, we kindly ask you to indicate with an appropriate gesture your intention to bid. 

WRITTEN BIDS OR ABSENTEE BIDS

If you can’t be present in person during auction, you can send us a written or an “absentee” bid. It must include your contact details, all details regarding the lot and its number as well as your highest bid for it. We kindly ask you to use for this purpose our “Buyers order form”. You find it on our website, at the end of our catalogue or in our premises during the presale exhibition.

Please be sure to write down your personal data (name, address and contact information), the lot number, its brief description and your highest bid (buyer’s premium is not included). During the auction, the auctioneer will bid for you, in your interest and as high as it will be necessary.

 

We accept the written bids up to 24 hours before the auction. Bids under the half of the high estimate are not accepted. 

BIDDING ONLINE 

 

You can bid online for every lot of the main auction (lots in the silent auction are excluded) through the platform www.invaluable.com. Once you’ve registered on the platform, you can follow the auction online and bid. Please register in advance as the verification can take some time. For each winning bid made through the online platform the buyer’s premium amounts to 25%. 

As a registered client, you can mark in our online catalogue the lots you are interested in. From this list, you can create an order to place a written or a phone bid. To complete this written or phone bid, you have to print and sign the form before sending it per email, fax or post. Please find more information on “Written bids” or “Phone bids”. 

PHONE BIDS

If you wish to bid by phone, please announce it in writing or by phone no later than two days before the auction day and indicate us your contact details and telephone number under which you would like to be called. We’ll call you prior the lot comes to the auction and we’ll follow your instructions. Stuker declines all responsibilities in case you don’t pick up the phone or in case of connections’ or transmissions’ problems. The hammer price doesn’t include the buyer’s premium and the VAT.

 

We only accept phone bids for lots with an estimate of CHF 500.- and above. If the high estimate of the lot in question is lower than this amount, please leave us a written bid or come and bid in person. 

ADJUDICATION OR HAMMER PRICE

It’s the price upon which the auctioneer adjudicates the sales price. It doesn’t include the buyer’s premium and the VAT. 

BUYER’S PREMIUM

The buyer’s premium is a commission that amounts to 23% of the hammer price. It’s due to each acquisition and not to a total amount. 

VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT)

The Swiss VAT amounts 8% and is due on the buyer’s premium. For all lots marked with a (*) in our catalogues the VAT applies not only to the buyer’s premium but also to the hammer price.

 

If a buyer presents the export declaration signed by the Swiss authorities and if the amount of the VAT exceeds CHF 75.-, Stuker will reimburse the VAT on the hammer price. 

UNSOLD LOTS

The auctions’ results are directly after the sale published on our website. Stuker has the right to sell unsold lots at a previously agreed price up to two weeks after the auction has taken place.

PAYMENT AND BILL

An invoice will be sent immediately after the sale. It must be paid at reception and without any deductions.

 

You can pay your purchase at the day of the auction in our premises in cash or with a debit card such as Maestro or PostFinance (payment with a credit card, such as VISA or MasterCard, are subject to a supplementary fee of 4%). Once paid, you can collect your purchases. 

COLLECTION AND TRANSPORTATION

You can collect your lots during the auction days or during the collection days (Three days after the last auction day, from 9 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm). To protect our consignors' interests, you can collect your lots only once you have paid them.

Once the collection period is over, all purchases which haven’t been collected will be transferred for storage to the company Christ Umzüge LTD. (Murtenstrasse 85, 3008 Berne) and thus at the buyer’s risks and costs. Please refer to the point 6.2 of our selling conditions.

Please inform us if you would like to export your purchases and we will help you with the necessary documents for the custom. We offer a competent advice for shipping your property worldwide. Please contact one of our teams’ members. On this matter, please refer to point 7 of our selling conditions.

 

In case of non-respect of the payment period, we will charge you 1% of the hammer price from the last collection day onwards. 

PLEASE REFER TO OUR AUCTION CONDITIONS.