Fine Art, Antiques & Objects Debut Auction

REGISTRATION: Thank you for your interest in our auction. By registering, placing an absentee bid, or participating live (online, phone, or in person, you (the Bidder/Buyer) explicitly agree to be legally bound by the following terms, conditions, and rules of Wilson’s Fine Art (WFA). Bidders must fully register before any bids will be accepted. Valid identification, financial references, and verified credit card information are required. WFA reserves the absolute right to refuse registration or deny bidding privileges to any prospective bidder at any time, for any reason, without liability. Every bidder is considered the primary responsible party unless we have a prior written agreement stating you are acting on behalf of a specific client.
RESERVE AUCTIONS: Unless expressly advertised as an ABSOLUTE AUCTION or AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE every auction conducted by WFA shall be deemed a Reserve Auction. The seller reserves the right to bid, place reserves, or reject offers consistent with applicable law. Confidential reserves will never exceed the low pre-sale estimate, and WFA may bid on behalf of the seller or consignor up to that amount. The auctioneer manages the flow of the auction and may adjust bidding increments, combine or divide lots, or withdraw an item before the hammer falls.
BUYER’S PREMIUM (BP): A Buyer’s Premium of 25% of the successful hammer price will be added to each lot sold. This premium is a component part of the total purchase price and is payable by the winning bidder. For example: if the Hammer Price is $100.00, and the BP is (25%): $25.00, then the Total Before Sales Tax would be $125.00.
CONDITION OF PROPERTY: All property is sold strictly AS IS, WHERE IS, with all natural wear and imperfections. Please bid with confidence knowing that while WFA exercises great care in researching, cataloguing, photographing, describing, and reporting the condition and authenticity of all merchandise, WFA makes no warranties or guarantees regarding authenticity, attribution, provenance, age, origin, quality, condition, completeness, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or operation. The absence of a condition report for an item does not signify the condition of said item. Bidders are strongly advised to examine photos, schedule an auction preview, and request condition reports or additional photos prior to bidding. Anything visible in catalogue images or remarked in condition reports are considered fully disclosed. By placing a bid, the bidder acknowledges that they have either personally, whether in person or virtually, inspected the property or voluntarily waived their opportunity to do so and are relying solely upon their own judgment.
CATALOGUING & ADVERTISING: Catalogue descriptions, photographs, measurements, weights, color, pre-sale estimates, advertising information, as well as any and all merchandise specifications expressed and disseminated by WFA are all believed to have been obtained through best efforts, honest determination, and sources deemed reliable. However, they are provided solely as approximations for identification purposes and are not warranties or representations of fact. WFA assumes no liability for typographical errors, omissions, photography variations, or advertising inaccuracies.
BIDDING: The auctioneer has sole and absolute discretion to determine the successful bidder in the event of a tie or dispute, reject disparaging bids, advance bidding increments arbitrarily, combine or divide lots, or withdraw any lot prior to the fall of the hammer. In any dispute between bidders, the auctioneer’s record of sale is absolute and conclusive. Absentee (proxy) bids are accepted solely as a convenience to customers. WFA assumes no liability for missed, dropped, delayed, or unexecuted bids due to internet lag, software bugs, hardware failure, or human error. Floor bids may be prioritized due to streaming lag time. The Auctioneer reserves the right to continue, suspend, delay, or reschedule the auction if necessary.
TAXES: All purchases are subject to applicable state and local sales tax (e.g., Florida State Sales Tax) unless a valid, current Tax Exempt / Resale Certificate is provided prior to billing. In compliance with interstate commerce laws, out-of-state online buyers may be auto-charged sales tax by the bidding platform contingent on a verified resale certificate on file. International buyers are solely responsible for all customs duties, VAT, and brokerage fees.
PAYMENT: For all internet bidding platforms, the winning bidder authorizes WFA to process payment for the full purchase price, applicable Buyer’s Premium, sales tax, shipping charges (when applicable), and any other authorized fees using the payment method provided during registration. Official invoices will be issued 24-48 hours following the auction. Payment is due in full within 3 business days of the auction end. If payment or alternate arrangements are not finalized within 3 calendar days, the credit card on file with the bidding platform will be automatically charged. Acceptable forms of payment include Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, US Money Orders, Cashier’s Check, and Bank Wire Transfer. Credit card payments will not be accepted for transactions exceeding $1000. Any domestic invoices exceeding $2000 require payment via Cashier’s Check or Bank Wire Transfer. All international transactions exceeding $1000 must be completed via Bank Wire Transfer. Transactions completed through online bidding platforms may be subject to an additional 3-5% processing and/or bidding fee. If an invoice is unpaid after 30 days from the date of the auction, the delinquent bidder will be issued an Unpaid Invoice Strike on the bidding platforms and the sale of the property will be terminated unless the buyer has contacted WFA directly and communicated acceptable extenuating circumstances; the determination of said circumstances as acceptable is at the sole discretion of WFA. No items will be released, packed, or delivered to shippers until payment in full has cleared our financial institutions.
FINALITY OF SALE: All sales are final. Once the Auctioneer declares an item SOLD or the auctioneer’s gavel falls, title to the property immediately passes to the successful bidder, subject only to payment in full. A successful bid constitutes a legally binding and enforceable contract between the purchaser and the Auctioneer/seller. No refunds, exchanges, credits, cancellations, or chargebacks will be accepted except where required by applicable law. Terms notwithstanding, we want our clients to bid with confidence, so refunds or cancellations may be offered at the sole discretion of WFA under the following specific conditions: A buyer may request rescission within 24-48 hours of receiving the property only if the physical condition materially differs from the catalog description or written condition report. Requests based on disputed authenticity must be submitted within 15 days of the auction date. The request must be accompanied by a written statement from a recognized authority deemed agreeable by both the buyer and seller. The item must be returned immediately at the expense of the buyer and must be received in the exact same condition as when sold. Under no circumstances will shipping, packing, or handling costs be refunded. Altering the item in any way completely voids any return considerations. In the event of an acceptable return & refund request, funds will be held in escrow until the item is returned to WFA and inspected, after which the applicable refund will be transacted to the buyer from escrow, given that the returned property is in same-as-sale condition.
RELEASE OF PROPERTY: No property shall be released, removed, delivered, or shipped until the invoice of the purchaser has been paid in full using cleared funds. This policy applies equally to purchasers, agents, third-party transportation companies, and independent shipping services.
SHIPPING & PICKUP: Liability and risk of loss or damage pass immediately to the Buyer upon the fall of the auctioneer’s hammer or pronouncement of sale. The buyer is solely responsible for insuring their items immediately upon purchase. As stated, item(s) will not be released to buyer or courier until payment for item(s) has cleared our financial institutions. Packing, shipping, and transit insurance are the sole responsibility and expense of the buyer. Delays or disputes regarding shipping quotes do not extend payment deadlines. Delivery is legally completed the moment items are released to the designated shipping company of the buyer or a local packer.
Shippers must follow standard carrier regulations and will not understate values on customs forms. The inability of a shipper to deliver an item internationally due to size, weight, value, or country import restrictions does not warrant sale cancellation. Be advised that while the majority of items will be shipped from our preferred UPS business mailing address 33701, most local pickup will be from our storage facility in 33703. Contingent on cleared funds, winners and unlisted shippers must arrange appointments with WFA at least 24 hours in advance for the release of their items. Unlisted shippers must provide documentation and a manifest of items to be released.
STORAGE, HANDLING, & ABANDONMENT: All purchases must be removed from our premises at the expense of the buyer no later than 15 calendar days following the auction. Beginning on the 16th day after the auction, a combined uninsured storage fee of $10 per lot per day plus 1% of the hammer price per month will accrue as a lien against the items, whether the property is paid or unpaid. No property will be released until any outstanding debts are paid in full. Any items left uncollected for more than 75 days from the auction date will be deemed legally abandoned and will revert back to the property of WFA or the consignor without refund to the bidder/buyer. WFA reserves the right to resell abandoned items in a subsequent auction without reserve, retaining all proceeds to cover storage and administrative costs. In the event of non-payment, WFA may cancel the sale and hold the defaulting buyer liable for all lost commissions, buyer’s premium, legal costs, and future resale expenses. Delinquency will be reported to global bidding networks, resulting in the termination of platform privileges. Attempting a credit card chargeback or platform refund while retaining the merchandise is strictly prohibited. Failure to return a credited item within 30 days will be aggressively pursued under civil theft statutes, which may carry triple damages plus attorney fees.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: To the fullest extent permitted by law, WFA, its owners, employees, agents, consignors, and representatives shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or special damages arising from participation in any auction or from the purchase or use of any property sold.
GOVERNING LAW: These terms shall be governed, interpreted, and enforced in accordance with Florida state laws and all claims or disputes will be settled via arbitration within the legal jurisdiction of Pinellas County, Florida.
ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS: Registration for, attendance at, or participation in any auction constitutes acknowledgment that the bidder has read, understands, and agrees to abide by these Terms and Conditions. WFA reserves the right to modify these Terms and Conditions at any time by posting revised terms prior to the commencement of an auction. By registering or placing a bid for a current or upcoming auction with WFA, you acknowledge that the Terms and Conditions of previous auctions may differ from the current or upcoming auction, and any updated or revised Terms and Conditions published for a current or upcoming auction supersedes the Terms and Conditions of any auctions held previously.