FAQ

When is your next auction?

Our auctions in Bremen and Berlin are held every 8-10 weeks. On request, we will be happy to add you to our newsletter distribution list and inform you about our upcoming auctions.

When is your preview?

In the week before the auction – usually Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. – all objects intended for the auction are exhibited in our premises and can be examined by everyone interested. By appointment, a preview is also possible outside the preview times.

What are you auctioning off?

At our auctions, we sell up to 16,000 paintings, works on paper, porcelain, glass, silver, jewelry, jewels, clocks, bronzes, sculptures, selected furniture and collectibles from all eras each year.

What are your opening hours?

We are open Mon – Fri, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. or by appointment. For consignments please make an appointment on Tuesdays and Fridays. Please note: Our house is always closed on Tuesday before the auction and on Sunday and Monday after the auction.

How do I deliver to you?

In the run-up to a potential delivery, there is always an estimate of what price an object can currently realize on the auction market. Whether an object is suitable for an auction is decided by our experts, who are happy to show you all the pieces – including those that you may consider worthless. Our experts assess your objects free of charge and without obligation and tell you whether an auction for the pieces makes sense and under what conditions they can be auctioned. You can either come by personally with the objects after a short notice, or you can send us photos by email to info@bolland-marotz.de or by post. If you have a large number of properties, our employees will come to you by appointment. In order to guarantee adequate processing and proper inclusion in the catalog, all objects must be delivered at least 8 weeks before the auction.

How many objects can I have at your auction?

In contrast to many other auction houses, we not only select the highlights for an auction, but also resolve entire estates and collections on request. We can also make appointments for the estimation of large objects, estates and collections at your location on request.

I have to dissolve an entire household …..

In cooperation with our experienced partners, we also carry out “swept-clean” apartment and house dissolutions. We auction the objects that are interesting for an auction and the housekeeper keeps the pieces as remuneration for which an auction is less promising. Ideally, you will receive money from the auction and have no costs for clearing the household.

When should I post?

Consignments are always possible after a short notice. Our auctions in Bremen and Berlin take place every 8-10 weeks. In order to process the objects professionally for our catalogs, we need a lead time of approx. 8 weeks before the auction date. We are happy to store your objects in our rooms free of charge until the next auction.

How long does the auction last and how do I know when an object is called?

Our public auction takes place in one day. It starts at 10 a.m., the end is open. The auctioneer calls up the objects in the order specified in the catalog. As a rule, the auctioneer auctions 80 to 100 lots an hour. Since an auction is not predictable and depends on bidding skirmishes, which can also develop between the bidders via the various bidding channels (hall bidders, telephone bidders, live bidders via the Internet), the call-up time for a specific object cannot be determined in advance.

Why am I not yet activated as a live bidder?

We will check and activate all registrations as soon as possible. We kindly ask you to register and register as a live bidder at least 24 hours before the start of the auction, because it may take 24 hours for your registration or registration to be transferred to our system via the respective live bidding platform. As soon as you are activated, you will receive an automatic notification. After successful activation, it can take up to an hour until it has arrived in the system of the respective live bidding platform and you can bid. Please note, therefore, that we can no longer guarantee timely activation less than 24 hours before the auction, as we cannot directly influence the processing on the live bidding platforms.

How do I know that I have been awarded a contract?

You will receive an invoice from us in the first days after the auction, from which you can see your surcharges. We are happy to give you information about your surcharges by phone.

How do I know if a piece has been sold?

After the auction, a list of results will be published on our homepage, from which you can see the surcharges. As a consignor, we will send you a statement 4 – 6 weeks after the auction and subject to payment by the buyer, which shows you which objects were auctioned at what price. We would also be happy to give you information on the outcome of the auction by telephone.

When do I get the billing?

You will receive a settlement 4-6 weeks after the auction and subject to payment by the buyer. You can receive the payment in cash, by bank transfer or by crossed check.

What happens if a delivered item was not sold at the auction?

The objects not auctioned can be sold in the post-sale, which begins after the auction and runs for about 4 weeks, at the agreed limit. On request, we can offer unsold objects that you do not want to get back again in an auction at a reduced limit, for example in our Berlin auction house Historia. You will not incur any additional costs. Of course, you can also pick up unsold objects from your consignment.

Do I as a consignor incur costs for unsold objects?

If there is no surcharge, there are no costs for you. The costs for cataloging, advertising, storage and insurance of the objects up to the auction in our rooms are included in the commission and are borne by us if they are not sold. After the end of the post-sale, i.e. within 2 months after the auction, we ask the consignor to pick up any unsold objects after a short notice. Otherwise we have to charge storage fees due to limited storage capacity.

When do I have to pick up auctioned objects?

We ask for collection within 14 days after the auction. Otherwise we have to charge storage fees due to limited storage capacity. All auctioned art objects can also be picked up during the auction after payment. If you pick up later, we ask for a short message in advance to avoid waiting times. If your objects are to be picked up by another person, we ask for a power of attorney issued by you.

How can I pay?

You can choose from the payment methods cash, bank transfer, EC card payment, credit card payment (for a fee) or – if you have also submitted something to our auction – by offsetting against your posting. If you are well known to us, you can also pay by check. We ask you to pay your invoice within 14 days.

Why do I have to pay VAT?

We charge 19% VAT on our premium or the commission and the shipping costs and not on the (v-) auctioned object: This means that we tax our service provided in Germany. A refund of VAT is possible for foreign customers who are art dealers and have an EU tax number that they can tell us: In this case we issue the invoice without VAT. For non-EU customers, VAT can only be reimbursed for dealers. If we have the company address and tax number, we can issue the invoice without VAT.