Information for Buyers

Rippon Boswell & Co. GmbH sell at auction in accordance with the terms and conditions printed on the last pages of the catalogue. These terms of business are deemed to be recognised by submission of bids verbally, via telephone or in writing as well as by personal participation in an auction.

Auction participation:

  1. If you wish to place a bid in person you will need a bidding card on which you should note your valid address with telephone and, if available, fax number or e-mail address. We will then issue you with your bidding number. On request, we would be happy to reserve a seat for you in connection with a bidding card.
  2. New clients must register and produce bank references before they can take part in an auction.
  3. Written bids should reach us the day before the auction.
  4. In the case of objects with an estimate of at least 1,000 Euros you can participate in the auction via telephone. Registration for this must be received the day before the auction at the latest.
  5. Advance viewing:
    Auction lots can be viewed in advance at the times specified. We would urgently recommend all interested parties to take advantage of this opportunity for personal inspection and examination of objects. No photograph or description can replace the individual dialogue with the object. Our experts are available for consultation during the advance viewing on request.

Catalogue:

  1. Our experts exercise the greatest care in cataloguing objects. Questions of dating and attribution are often discussed in a controversial way in the case of antique carpets and textiles, so relevant statements should be taken as an expression of opinion.
  2. The dimensions quoted are approximate. Length is given before width, measurement is always carried out in warp direction. Where objects are not rectangular, measurements refer to the longest sections.
  3. The literature references cited are intended to facilitate the comparison of objects. They are selective and make no claim as to comprehensiveness.
  4. As far as this is known at the time of preparing the catalogue, any previous publication of a particular object in the secondary literature will be cited.

Illustrations:
For our catalogue auctions we only accept objects that we consider collectable, but we are unable – for technical reasons – to illustrate every single lot in the catalogue. However, all lots are illustrated in the on-line catalogue produced in parallel with the printed catalogue.

Condition:
Rippon Boswell exclusively sells old and antique objects at auction. The latter may exhibit traces of age, wear and tear, restorations, repairs etc. Owing to space constraints, only a summary of the condition can be given in the catalogue, and it is also inevitably subjective. Additional information can be obtained from our experts upon specific inquiry.

Collection and despatch:
Objects sold must be collected during our business hours (Monday to Friday, 10 to 18 hours) within a period of three weeks after the auction. It is advisable to make an appointment in advance. Should despatch/onward shipment be required, this can take place only after payment in full has been received and in accordance with the buyer’s instructions and at his/her risk. 

Storage costs:
For items that are not collected, storage costs of 2.00 Euros per day and per item are charged from the fourth calendar week following the date of the auction. 

Open-market sales:
From the third working day after the auction, unsold objects or objects that did not receive sufficiently high bids can be viewed after prior arrangement of a time and be purchased at the reserve price, plus premium and VAT. 

Provisional knock-downs:
If an object is knocked down subject to proviso, bidders remain bound to their bid for a period of six weeks. However, in the consignor’s interests, should a higher subsequent bid be made by a new bidder, the auctioneer can knock the object down to the latter without having to notify the original bidder.