Condition Reports

We will provide a condition report and/or image for potential buyers unable to attend the saleroom in person. This gives details of wear and damage but a written report is no substitute for viewing the object in person, something we strongly advise everyone to do. The report is our opinion ... Read More of the condition of a piece. We can provide this service up until 3.30pm on the day before a sale and requests can be made via email or telephone. As this is a courtesy provided to our clients, we limit the number of condition reports/images to five per person so we can help as many as possible in the time available. Read Less

If you are intending to bid on an item, the first thing you need to do when you arrive is register at the Auction Office in order to collect a bidding number. This should be done either before the start of the sale or in good time before the item you are interested in comes up for sale... Read More
Once the sale is in progress, to bid on an item you clearly hold up your bidding number in clear view of the auctioneer. If you are successful you winning number will be announced by the auctioneer.
Once you have finished bidding for items, make your way back to the Auction Office to pay for your items. Read Less

Henry Adams will be pleased to execute bids on your behalf if you are unable to attend the sale in person. Buyers are advised to check on the day of the sale to see if they are the successful bidder... Read More
All bids must be received by 10am on Sale Day otherwise the bids may not be placed. A commission bid form can be completed on our website.
Alternatively, you can contact us about a commission bid on a specific item by using the form on the lot details page.
Please, we cannot stress enough how important it is to email us your bids in good time! Lots of people send emails presuming they arrive instantly and in many cases, this simply does not happen due to a number of reasons (spam filters, problems with email servers at 'both ends' etc.) and we receive bids too late. To avoid this, we encourage you to email your bids to us the day BEFORE a sale.
We always email back a 'confirmation of receipt' so if you do not receive one, you must presume we have not received your bid!
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If you are unable to attend, we will be pleased to facilitate telephone bids on those lots with a minimum published estimate of £500. Since lines are limited, please make arrangements for this service well in advance. Telephone bids are accepted on a ‘first come first served basis’.

Buyers are reminded that a premium of 20% plus VAT is payable on the hammer price for lots in our sales. We accept the following methods of payment:

Goods cannot be removed by buyers until they have paid in full. A charge is made for goods still remaining uncollected 10 days after the sale.
If you are unable to collect goods in person we recommend Mailboxes collection, packing and delivery service. They can be contacted .. Read More on 01243 788221. We do not operate a post and packing service ourselves. Read Less

Lot numbers Each item to be auctioned carries a number to identify it.
Estimate This is an approximate guide to the price that a lot is expected to realise.
Reserve This is an amount pre-agreed with the vendor that bidding must reach in order to sell. The item will not be sold for less than this amount, .. Read More subject to a 10% auctioneers' discretion. Reserves are not made public by Henry Adams.
Note: Henry Adams do not place reserves on items we deem to be worth less than £100.
Commission Bid You can leave your bids with us and we will endeavour to buy for you, as cheaply as possible. The bidding does not start at the amount you left it will start well below, subject to other bids that may have been received.
Telephone Bid A limited number of telephone lines are available if you are not able to come to the saleroom but still wish to bid in person. Telephone lines are only available for lots with a published estimate of at least £500.
Hammer Price This is the price that the lot is sold for at auction. In addition to this price, the buyer will have to pay a 'buyer's premium' charge of 20% plus VAT.
Artist's Resale Rights (ARR) Since 2006 the Right has only been paid to living artists. However, from 1 January 2012 the right extended to include sales of works by artists who have died within the last 70 years (following the existing term of copyright). Artist’s heirs and beneficiaries will be entitled to a resale royalty of 4% of the hammer price when any artwork is sold for €1000 (approx £830 depending on the exchange rate) or more. Purchasers of such works will be required to pay the 4% Resale Right when settling their account with us for the item purchased which is then submitted to the Artists Collecting Society who administer the payments to heirs and beneficiaries.
Buyer's Premium All purchases are subject to a buyer's premium charge of 20% plus VAT. Read Less