American Marble Auction

Conditions of Sale: When the auction begins, you can view all the items being offered in our full-color catalog or at www.americanmarbles.com and bid by computer, phone, mail or fax. You can also view the marbles in our showroom, we just ask you to call ahead to make an appointment. Usual absentee auction rules apply. No items will be mailed before full payment is received. Auction closes for each lot, individually, or until there are no bids on that particular lot for 10 minutes at 7:00 p.m. Pacific. That is, if a bid is made within 10 minutes of the end of the auction, i.e. 6:50 p.m., a new clock starts for that item only and a new 10-minute clock will reset anytime another bid is entered. That not only prevents "sniping" an item but also gives everyone equal opportunity to make their best bid. An item will continue to run as long as a bid is made within that 10-minute time frame. Please remember to refresh your computer on your bidder page to have the exact time an item ends.

Return Policy: American Marble Auctions has a very liberal return policy. That is, we guarantee that any marble we sell is what we say it is. Every effort will be made to depict the marble as near to the true condition as possible. If there is any variance or discrepancy from our description, an item can be returned within three days of receipt of the marble for a full refund including postage and insurance both ways. We just ask that you please notify us before returning a marble via email or a phone call. We will not refund a marble if an invoice is paid after 21 days of receipt of invoice. Final say on returns on any item is the ultimate decision of the auctioneer. Invoices are emailed and sent out generally the day following the auction. As we will make every effort to present a marble as to its true condition, we also ask that you as a bidder make every effort to know exactly what you are bidding on. With our updated grading system, multiple full-sized color photographs, streaming video and ability to see it in person, we feel it is as much your responsibility to know what you are buying as much as it is our responsibility to present it.

Bidding: Bidding: Each item has a $10 bid to start it out however beyond that there are no minimum bids. You must enter bids according to the "Minimum Raise Amounts" shown below. You can view current bids on the internet or call anytime up to closing. Many customers will also give a "top bid"; meaning that is the limit they will go. This can always be "upped" depending on their disposition. If you have a "top bid" of $350.00, for example, and nobody else wants to pay more than $250.00, the item will go for $275.00 plus the 15% buyer's premium. We will not disclose the amount of the "top bids" or number of bidders or consignors at any time during the auction. Bids not in correct raise amounts will be rounded down. We do ask that bidders without a computer not wait until the last minute to call. We also ask that potential bidders not call in the last few minutes for descriptions or further information regarding a particular marble or marbles. Please be aware that we can only help you if time allows. Some items have the previous owners named for reasons of provenance and a better understanding of their history and are noted in the catalog and online descriptions.

Callbacks: There are NO CALLBACKS for any item in the auction.

Non-payers: Any winning bidder who does not honor their bids, that is to say, does not pay for their winning lot(s), will be disqualified from bidding in any further auctions. American Marble Auctions reserves the right to disallow anyone from bidding or participating in the auction. If you need more time to make a payment, please let us know in advance. If you need more time in paying for items you've won, we will work with you as long as we are notified in advance.

Reserves: Reserves are rare but some items do have reasonable reserves for auction within the estimated value. At no time will we divulge the reserve prices so please don't ask. American Marble Auctions Reserves the right to purchase any unsold lots or items that don't meet reserve.

Buyer's Premium: There is a 15% buyer's premium on any item you purchase. This amount will be in addition to the purchase price of an item after the hammer price. For items over $20,000, the buyer's premium is 12%.

Terms: Full payment is requested within 7 days of the receipt of the invoice. We understand people are busy so we will be relaxed about receiving payments. An 8.75% sales tax is required for California residents, unless they have a resale permit and submit a signed card. Shipping and insurance via either U.S. mail or Federal Express will be added to the total. Please let us know if special shipping conditions are needed. Everyone is invited to view the items in the auction during normal business hours with an appointment. Bids below the printed minimum will not be accepted.

Visa, MasterCard or American Express: American Marble Auctions accepts any of these credit cards for faster and easier payment at no extra cost. We also accept PayPal, and checks are not held for any period before shipping. We have honest customers.