Buying

Live Auction

There are several ways to participate and bid in an auction:

In person:
Bidding in person offers a unique experience. Register in advance by contacting the Buyer Relations Department at bid@aguttes.com. Bring a valid photo ID and proof of address to collect a paddle before the start of the auction. When your desired lot is announced, it’s time to start bidding. Bidding usually begins below the lower estimate and progresses in increments of up to 10%, at the auctioneer’s discretion. Raise your paddle to signal that you wish to place a bid.

Live Online:
Our online bidding platform for live sales, as well as our partner platforms (Drouot, Interenchères, Invaluable, EpaiLive, etc.), allow you to watch and bid in real time from your computer or mobile device, wherever you are in the world. Go to the sale page and click on the “Bid” button. Create or log into your account, register for the sale, then click to join and bid in the online auction room.
Our platform also allows you to follow the sale remotely without placing any bids.

By telephone:
If you prefer to bid by phone, we can call you directly from the saleroom and bid on your behalf with the auctioneer. To do this, create or log into your account on aguttes.com, go to the sale page, and click on the “Bid by phone” button to submit your request for one or more lots.
If we are unable to reach you during the sale, we also recommend leaving an absentee bid.

Absentee bid:
If you cannot attend an auction, you may place an absentee bid in advance. The auctioneer will bid on your behalf for the lot. If your bid exceeds the reserve price, the auctioneer will try to win the lot for you at the lowest possible price.
An absentee bid takes precedence over an in-room or telephone bid of the same amount.
To place an absentee bid, create or log into your account, find the lot you wish to bid on, click “Place a bid,” and enter your maximum bid amount.

Buyer Relations:
📩 bid@aguttes.com

Financial references & deposit:
For certain auctions, you may be asked to provide a financial reference and/or a deposit as a condition for being allowed to bid.

We recommend registering at least 24 hours before any Live auction begins. If the registration deadline has passed and you still wish to bid, please contact Customer Service (bid@aguttes.com) for assistance.

Online Auction

How to bid?

Create or log into your account on aguttes.com or go to the auction page and click on “Register.”

To place a bid, find the lot that interests you and click “Bid.” You can place either a quick bid or a maximum bid.

A quick bid allows you to place the next sequential bid on a lot in real time. Aguttes uses predetermined bidding increments, which you can find in the Terms of Sale on the auction page.

A maximum bid is the highest amount you are willing to pay for a lot. The system will continue bidding on your behalf until your maximum bid is exceeded.
If two or more bidders submit identical bids, the first bid received takes priority.
You can increase your maximum bid amount as long as the current bid remains below it.
Please note that once a bid has been placed, it cannot be canceled.

A countdown timer on each lot indicates how much time remains before bidding closes.
If a bid is placed within three minutes before the lot closes, the lot will remain open for an additional three minutes, until no further bids are received and the winning bidder is determined.

Important notice:
Before participating in an online-only auction, make sure that the device you are using to bid is set to update its clock automatically, to ensure the best possible bidding experience.

Important information regarding registration for Live or Online auctions

Our teams validate your registration after verifying your personal information.
You will then receive a confirmation email once your identity has been verified, confirming your registration for the sale.

Additional information may be requested (ID documents, banking details).
If we do not receive a response within one week, your registration will be refused.

Verification of personal information takes place during business hours: Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Any registration submitted outside of these hours or after the sale has started may be delayed or rejected.

After submitting a registration request to bid, please ensure that you have read and accepted the General Terms and Conditions of Sale for the auction.
We also invite you to carefully read the General Terms of Use.

Payment

Please note that with live auctions, payment is due within seven days of the auction. With online auctions, payment must be made immediately via the online check-out.  Aguttes does not accept third party payments from any person or organisation that is not the winning bidder.

Payment Method

We recommend settling your purchase via bank transfer or online payment by credit card. Please refer to the payment terms available in the conditions of sale for each auction or contact the buyer billing service for more information.

Buyer Billing Service: buyer@aguttes.com

Picking up your lot or arranging for a carrier: please read the terms for picking up and storing lots, available in the terms and conditions of sale.

Shipping

You can ship your item via Aguttes’ approved shippers or your own carrier or collect it in person. For online-only sales, you can request a shipping quote online. Delivery can only be made once payment has been received.

If you intend to export your purchases, you may need an export permit and/or a CITES permit (this will be indicated on your invoice).

If you have any questions about shipping, please contact the Post-Sale Coordinator indicated for each sale.

Pick-up

You can also collect your item in person. Some items are transferred to an off-site storage warehouse after the auction. Please contact your Post-Sale Coordinator to confirm your item’s location and arrange its collection at least 48 hours in advance.

Storage

We are happy to store your goods for up to 30 days after the auction. If collection or shipping arrangements are made after this date, we may charge you storage costs. For storage conditions, please refer to the terms and conditions of sale.