Buying at Auction

Dallas Auction Gallery is an established international antiques and fine art auction house known for integrity, simplicity and personal service for both the buyer and seller.

The traditional form of bidding is live, in person during the auction offering an exciting and fast paced experience. All buyers must register prior to bidding and receive a bid card which is raised to indicate a bid to the auctioneer. Once the auction starts, the lots are offered in sequential order. You will receive a printed catalogue to follow along. When your desired item is offered, be sure to make your bid obvious by raising your card and make eye contact with the auctioneer. Auctions are fast paced and you must make decisions and communicate quickly. If you are the winning bidder, the auctioneer will close the item by saying “sold,” the final hammer price and announce your bid card number.

Download a Telephone Bid Form (English)

For buyers unable to attend the auction in person, Dallas Auction Gallery offers phone bidding. You participate live on the phone with one of our trained professionals who manages phone bids around the world during each auction. Our auction professionals are fluent in English and Mandarin. Telephone bid requests must be placed at least 24 hours prior to the auction. All telephone bidders are encouraged to leave an absentee bid or safety bid in the event a call should fail. Each registered phone bidder is bound by the terms and conditions of sale. For phone bidding, please download the absentee bid form, complete and submit to info@dallasauctiongallery.com or call the main office to be set up as a phone bidder.
214-653-3900.

Download an Absentee Bid Form (English)

For buyers unable to participate in the live bidding process, Dallas Auction Gallery accepts Absentee Bids. We bid on your behalf just as if you were in the auction house, up to your pre-determined maximum bid. Dallas Auction Gallery will not use your maximum bid as a starting bid and always attempt to purchase your desired item at the lowest possible price.

You must provide a specified fixed maximum bid, we do not accept open ended “buy” bids. We execute absentee bids as a convenience for our clients, however under no circumstances will we be responsible for inadvertently failing to execute bids or for errors relating to execution of bids including technology related errors.

In the event of identical absentee bids, the earliest received will take priority. Completed and signed bid forms must be received by Dallas Auction Gallery no later than 5pm (EST) on the evening of the auction.

Dallas Auction Gallery conducts auctions live Live Auctioneers, Invaluable, Bid Spirit and in person.
PAYMENT – DOMESTIC CLIENTS: We accept bank wire transfers, cash, cashier’s checks, credit cards, and personal or company checks with proper ID. CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS ARE SUBJECT TO AN ADDITIONAL 3% CONVENIENCE FEE. For clients not attending the auction in person, we will email you an invoice the day after the auction. Payment is due within five business days. If paying by check, Dallas Auction Gallery reserves the right to hold all purchases until the check has cleared to the satisfaction of Dallas Auction Gallery and its bank. Cash payments of $10,000 or more require the completion of Federal Form 8300.

INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS – We accept credit cards and bank wire transfers. CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS ARE SUBJECT TO AN ADDITIONAL 3% CONVENIENCE FEE. We will email you an invoice the day after the auction and payment is due within five business days.

When it comes to auctions, some people find the buying process complicated. Our experienced auction specialists are available to work with you personally to ensure an experience that is clear and straight forward. We welcome you to attend an auction or two, in person before ever bidding on anything. Ask an auction specialist questions about the process and items. This will allow you to become comfortable and knowledgeable within the auction environment.

Today’s technology and global marketplace allow for buyers around the world to participate in auctions.

Dallas Auction Gallery provides several options for you to preview items prior to the auction. You can view our online catalogues two weeks prior to each sale. There is a detailed description and photographs of each lot offered in the auction.

In addition to our catalogues, Dallas Auction Gallery offers an open house preview for several days prior to each auction. Items are professionally displayed in the gallery and our auction experts are available to consult with clients. We encourage you to inspect each item of interest carefully as all items are sold “as is.” Antiques by nature, show signs of use and age, which often enhances their unique characteristics and creates their value, as in a fine patina. If you are unable to inspect the items of interest in person, please request a condition report and our experts will inspect the item for you and provide a written report of its condition.

Items available at auction are valued at “auction estimates” in a range which is based on the research of what similar items have sold at auction. They do not necessary indicate the highest amount an item will sell for. The market and bidding will determine final hammer prices.

Condition Request Form

Download a Condition Request Form

We encourage you to inspect each item of interest carefully as all items are sold “as is.” Antiques by nature, show signs of use and age, which often enhances their unique characteristics and creates their value, as in a fine patina. If you are unable to inspect the items of interest in person, please request a condition report via email (info@dallasauctiongallery.com) or telephone (214.653.3900) and our experts will inspect the item for you and provide a written report of its condition, and additional images if needed.

BID INCREMENTS

$0 – 999 -$50
$1,000 – 2,499 -$100
$2,500 – 4,999 -$250
$5,000 – 9,999 -$500
$10,000 – 24,999 -$1,000
$25,000 – 49,999 -$2,500
$50,000 – 99,999 -$5,000
$100,000 – 249,000 -$10,000
$250,000 – 499,999 -$25,000
$500,000 – 999,999 -$50,000
$1,000,00- 2,499,000 -$100,000
$2,500,000-4,999,000 -$250,000
$5,000,000 – -$500,000