OUR SALEROOMS ARE NOW OPEN

We are accepting consignments, deliveries and collections for our online only timed auctions between Monday and Friday 9am to 6pm No appointment required.

Call us now on 0207 359 5707 (Option 1 for Islington, N1 2SF, Option 3 for Wiltshire, SN13 9SF) to discuss your requirements

Email to cs@criterionauctioneers.com

Send us your photographs for a valuation by email to valuations@criterionauctioneers.com

Try our NEW WhatsApp immediate acceptance decision service when a fast response is required, see the green logo on the top bar. (Available using all Smart phones, Tablets and PC's using the WhatsApp web service)

Do you need us to collect or deliver your items?

Please contact our New Shipping Department at shipping@criterionauctioneers.com

We can also now provide a Pack and Send Postage service.

BUYING

Online Timed Bidding Procedures

We strongly advise you to view the auction in person when possible.

Our sales are all based online and do not involve a live auctioneer. You will need access to the internet via a computer or Smart phone and having found what you'd like to bid on then:

Register on this website for the sale you wish to bid in from the catalogue page, click here
View the photographs of the lots and descriptions and request a condition report by email to conditions@criterionauctioneers.com, then follow the instructions to place your Maximum bid and click BID.
You can bid online LIVE when the lots start closing from 7pm by entering or increasing your maximum bid should you become the under bidder and notified by us via email that you are no longer the winning / highest bidder. We charge you a registration fee of 3.6% inc VAT should you win the lot.

Our bidding platform acts as an automated Auctioneer avoiding the need for a live Auctioneer. The bids are placed for you automatically until the last bid is made.

The following bidding options are not possible when using our timed online technology:

We cannot host timed online auctions across multiple platforms as they cannot be synchronised.
There is NO telephone bidding.
There is NO ability to leave an absentee bid as every bid must be registered by the bidder in the bidders name for data security.

The Timed online method gives you the bidder 10 minutes of your own time to make a counter bid, less pressure and total certainty and assurance when you bid with this method. The technology is not new but more recently has been improved and made more user friendly with onscreen live prompts advising you that you are the leading bidder or the under bidder. This quick bidding service avoids the need to rely on receiving an email notification (although you will be sent an email for every instruction as well) and allows the user to sit in front of the computer screen and watch the bidding take place giving you a truly live interactive connection to the auction.

This method of bidding has become our preference for all our auctions since Covid19 forced us to rethink how our business works and to make efficiencies that otherwise were impossible to consider working with a live auctioneer and the extra costs of human resource required on viewing and sale days.

Please remember when you bid on items you do so at your own risk, the Auctioneer does not warrant or undertake to verify any information about the lot unless it is miss-described.

Buyer Beware, if you place a bid and win then you are legally responsible to pay for the item even if you made the bid in error or changed your mind.

NOTE: Online bids left prior to the sale closing time can be cancelled by emailing cs@criterionauctioneers.com, please leave plenty of time to do this as we cannot guarantee to cancel a bid within the last 15 minutes leading up to the sale closing time.

Only in extreme circumstances where the item is clearly not what is written shall you have the right to return the goods and expect a refund, this must be done within seven days of the auction.

All lots are identified by their catalogued description and NOT by their photograph(s).

Please see our Terms and Conditions for further explanation and our Glossary of Painting Terms and Glossary of General Auction Terms.

Please also note, the Buyer pays a Buyers Premium of 26.4% inc VAT on top of the hammer price along with our Internet Bidding Registration Charge of 3.6% inc VAT. VAT @ 20% is applied only to the Buyers Premium and other charges, NOT to the hammer price unless stated.

Example

Hammer Price = £100

Buyers Premium = 22% + VAT = 26.4%

Our internet registration online bidding platform fee = 3% + VAT = 3.6%

Total to pay = £130.00

SELLING

Valuations Online

We understand that busy working lives and a lack of transport, not everyone is able to attend our Islington Saleroom, so we provide valuations online.

Our highly experienced valuations team cover a wide range of specialist categories. Whether you are interested in consigning items to an upcoming specialist auction, or you have another collection that you would like to consign, we are here to help.

Simply take some photographs of the items, give a brief description of them and email to us, and one of our valuers will get back to you with an estimate and whether they would be suitable for auction and how you might wish to proceed.

E-mail: valuations@criterionauctioneers.com

Vendor Charges

Our basic charges are based upon two elements:

1. a fixed entry fee of £6 (inc VAT) plus insurance cover of 2.4% (inc VAT subject to a minimum of £2.40 inc VAT) per lot per sale, and

2. a sales commission of 18% (inc VAT) of the hammer price per lot. (subject to a minimum commission of £18 inc VAT)

Entry fees and insurance are charged per sale per lot whether the lot sells or not. Commissions are only charged on sold lots.

The total charges depend upon the consignment size and how many items sell. We aim to give every vendor on average 70% of the hammer price after VAT has been applied i.e. our charges above would average out to be 30% inc VAT.

Please note: charges can vary if no items sell, your account will show a negative value when the fixed fees are applied in 1 above.

All consignments are entered in to a minimum of 2 sales back to back if they do not sell in the first sale. Unsolds from a second sale will be considered for a further sale subject to a review with the consignor.

Probate Valuations, Insurance & Family Division

Solicitors and Executors are usually required to commission an independent open market probate valuation for the chattels belonging to a deceased estate.

We undertake such valuations in accordance with Section 160 of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984.

Our wealth of experience in this field, enables us to provide a 'one stop shop' to smoothly handle, from start to finish, probate instructions for what can be a difficult process for an Executor to deal with.

Our probate service incorporates:

The initial on-site visit and compilation of an open market probate valuation.

The arrangement of carriage and clearance should it be required.

The sale of these items at our London Islington auction house in either our general weekly sale or at one of our specialist auctions, whichever is the most suitable.

Every probate valuation is conducted by our Senior Valuer with the chattels consigned for sale both catalogued and auctioned by them. They also closely oversee the collection and clearance processes.

An Executor can be assured that their affairs will be comprehensively and considerately dealt with in a professional manner, ensuring every aspect is handled smoothly and in the best interest of the Estate.

We offer very competitive fees which start at £360 inc VAT for the visit and report (for an average family house) A quotation can be made upon for larger premises prior to the valuation being conducted. Please feel free to contact us for further information.

House Clearances & Collections

Clearing a property of the contents can seem daunting, whether due to bereavement or downsizing.

Criterion are able in full house clearances.

Firstly, our removal team will professionally and respectfully remove all contents back to our saleroom. Then our expert team of valuers will go through each and every item, consigning to the most suitable sale, and disposing of the unsaleable to either charity or waste disposal.

This is a complete start to finish service where the costs are offset by the sale of the goods and the residual paid to you after our charges have been applied.

We have many years of experience in this field and you can be assured we will endeavour to secure the very best prices for your items at our auctions.