California Estates featuring Rare Books

Our estate auctions are conducted online through LiveAuctioneers. All bidding is online or by absentee bidding.

Fairfield Auction is an established regional auction house with over $65,000,000 in sales over the past 20 years. We value the trust put in us by both buyers and sellers.

Bids accepted at the Liveauctioneers bidding console may or may not be accepted by the auctioneer. THE FINAL BID FOR EACH ITEM SHALL BE ACCEPTED AT THE SOLE DISCRETION OF THE AUCTIONEER. The actual buyer and final bid shall be as recorded by the auctioneer, even if different from that recorded on the LiveAuctioneers system. By registering for this auction bidder agrees that Fairfield Auction shall be held harmless for any and all damages as a result of a clerking error on LiveAuctioneers. Absentee bids left directly with the gallery may take precedence.

CONDITION REPORTS
1. All condition reports are to the best of our ability BUT ARE NOT GUARANTEED. THE ABSENCE OF A CONDITION REPORT DOES NOT IMPLY THE LOT IS WITHOUT DEFECTS. Though all description and commentary are believed to be correct, neither Auctioneer nor Consignor makes any warranties or representations of any kind with respect to merchandise with the exception of the catalog description which shall be honored with respect to age and origin and authorship of artworks, and only to the extent that any such errors in the catalog description materially affect the value of such item. Any refunds made based on condition problems will be made when the problem is deemed very significant AND reported within 14 days of sale- NO EXCEPTIONS. ALL REQUESTS FOR IMAGES AND CONDITION REPORTS SHOULD BE MADE AT LEAST 48 HOURS AHEAD OF SALE. We have provided condition reports for the vast majority of lots. If you require further information please make a specific request by email and we will respond by updating the LIVEAUCTIONEERS condition report- so please check there for your response. Requests that are too general won't be answered when a condition report is already online. Requests for "more images" without specific requests won't be honored. We generally provide only overall condition reports on group lots. Framed artworks are not inspected out of the frame unless so indicated. Works on paper may have issues not visible if they haven't been inspected out of frame. We are not able to make page counts on books- condition for books is overall and only based on a quick inspection. We are not qualified to make full condition reports on certain specialized items, such as musical instruments, vehicles or mechanical antiques so those reports will be cursory. Buyer shall not rely on the Auctioneer, employees, or advertisements in any part, and must rely only on the catalog description and his own inspection and opinion of all items. Some items may contain hazardous materials such as mercury (barometers) or lead. CATALOG DESCRIPTIONS MAY BE REVISED UP TO THE TIME OF SALE.

Our description of a lot as EXCELLENT means we found no damage or unusual wear- it does not mean flawless. A description of VERY GOOD indicates showing general normal wear from use- but no major defects. GOOD is something with considerable wear from use, but still presentable. FAIR is a highly worn and used object showing numerous defects. POOR is a "place holder" object that has serious condition issues.

Warranty is limited to AGE, GENERAL ORIGIN, AND AUTHORSHIP OF ARTWORKS. Additional description reflects our best opinion. All sizes and other measurements are approximate. ANTIQUITIES CARRY NO WARRANTY as to age. Gemstones have not been lab tested unless stated as such. Any and all claims made to Fairfield Auction or consignor regarding age, authenticity, origin, rarity, provenance, size, or other aspects of description must be made within 14 days of the auction date and in writing. IF ITEM IS BEING SHIPPED, IT IS THE BUYERS RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE RECEIPT OF ITEM IN TIME TO ACT ON WARRANTY SHOULD THERE BE AN ISSUE. Our warranty is limited to the selling price and to errors that are substantial to value and not already apparent in images provided. Claims must be made against the final catalog as revised by any addendum or auctioneer announcements. Claims may not be made against advertisements, website descriptions, or the preliminary catalog offered on our website. Items described as "possibly", "probably", "manner of", "style of" or "attributed to" are not guaranteed, but represent our best opinion. No guarantees are made as to condition.

2. The Auctioneer is acting as agent only and is not responsible for acts of its principals. If any dispute arises, the Auctioneer's word is final.

3. Where the Consignor is indebted to or has a monetary guarantee from Fairfield Auction, and in certain other instances, Auctioneer may have an interest in the offered lots and the proceeds there from other than its commissions, and may bid therefore to protect its own interests. Auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw any lots from the sale or cancel a sale at the Auctioneer's discretion at any time until payment is accepted from buyer. BUYER AGREES TO HOLD AUCTIONEER HARMLESS FOR WITHDRAWAL OR CANCELLATION OF SALE. The Auctioneer reserves the right to reject any bid or eject any person from the premises.

5. Loading and packing materials are the responsibility of the buyer. Fairfield Auction may offer assistance, Fairfield Auction and its employees shall not be held liable for any damages or accidents that may result from handling, lifting, moving, loading and packing of purchases.

6. PAYMENT:
Sales tax will be collected on all purchases unless the bidder has a resale license on file through LiveAuctioneers prior to invoicing.
PAYING IN PERSON:
We accept approved checks or cash. 9% California sales tax applies. Visa and MasterCard are accepted through LIVEAUCTIONEERS ONLY (NO EXCEPTIONS) A convenience fee is added to all credit card purchases.
MAILING ADDRESS FOR PAYMENT (within the USA):
Fairfield Auction, P.O. Box 1372, Felton, California 95018. WE DO NOT ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS OVER THE PHONE, but you can pay by credit card through LiveAuctioneers with a service charge by them. We can also provide bank wiring instructions if you would like to expedite shipping.
PAYMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS:
Payment is due either through LIVEAUCTIONEERS AUTOPAY or by bank wire. We will provide you with the bank wiring instructions when your invoice is emailed to you.
Payment must be paid in full within 9 days of the auction, otherwise Auctioneer may resell merchandise at public or private sale and retain 20% deposit as liquidated damages. Auctioneer may, at his discretion, hold purchases until check clears.

7. A buyer's premium of 27% is added to the price knocked down by the Auctioneer for LiveAuctioneers bidders. If you are the successful bidder on a lot at $100, your invoice will include a buyer's premium of $27 for a total of $127. Sales tax is applied as directed by the state of California.

ABSENTEE /ONLINE BIDS
Fairfield Auction shall not be held responsible or liable for bids that are missed or otherwise not executed. Auctioneer accepts bids at his/her discretion. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE DOES A LIVEAUCTIONNERS BID LEFT ONLINE TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER ANY OTHER BID.

STORAGE
10. Removal shall be at the expense, liability and risk of the purchaser. All arrangements for removal must be at convenience of Fairfield Auction. We can suggest names and phone numbers of appropriate firms to assist with delivery. If arrangements can't be made within 20 days of sale, items may be removed and stored at the expense and risk of the buyer. After 20 days, a storage fee of $50 per lot plus $5 per day thereafter shall be charged. After 90 days, items shall be deemed abandoned. Auctioneer shall apply any deposit or payment to loss, damages, and expenses incurred in the storage and resale of goods not paid for in full or removed in the time specified and shall retain any balance as liquidated damages. All items sold AS IS, WHERE IS. ALL SALES FINAL.

We may offer shipping on some smaller items, otherwise, shipping will be by a third party. If we can offer shipping we will include that offer with your invoice.


NOTE: Sales tax applies if your shipper does not have a Motor Carrier number and cannot provide Fairfield Auction with a Bill of Lading. This includes the company, www.uship.com. In this instance, the buyer will be required to pay California sales tax of 9% before the property is released to the shipper.