First Time Bidders

Bidding at a Clars auction is easy and fun. Whether you are interested in fine arts, furniture and decorative arts, Asian arts, jewelry, silver, gold, automobiles, wine or special collections, just follow the following steps:

  1. Mark Your Calendar!

    2. Clars auctions are generally held every four weeks. In addition, we occasionally hold special auctions. The auction schedule can be found in the lower left corner of our website under Upcoming Auctions.


  2. Preview items

    3. Clars is open for preview the day before the auction from 1PM to 5PM, or by appointment the week before the auction. If you cannot make our open preview, please contact us to schedule a visit.


  3. Evaluate items

    4. If you are interested in a particular piece and desire more information, ask for a Specialist to assist you or email [email protected]. Estimates printed in the catalog refer to the range at which similar items generally sell at auction. Bidding usually begins at half the low estimate, unless multiple higher absentee bids have been received. We are able to provide detailed condition reports for most items upon request. Most things sell significantly below the prices normally set in a retail store.


  4. Set a Limit

    5. Decide in advance roughly what your spending limit is on the item. “If it sells for $1,200 or less, I’ll buy it. If it sells for more than $1,200, I don’t want it.” You don’t have a lot of time during the auction of that item to debate how much to spend. Be sure to account for the buyer’s premium and other costs that may apply to you such as sales tax, online buyer’s premium, and shipping and handling.


  5. Attend the Auction and Bid

    6. We generally start at lot #1 or lot #4000 in Saturday’s Intermediate Auction and sell the lots (items) in consecutive order at roughly 130-250 lots per hour. On Sunday’s Gallery Auction, we begin at lot #2000 or lot #6000 and sell at about 80-120 lots per hour. In the front of the catalog is an approximate estimate of what time the lots will come up for auction. If you are unable to be here when you lot comes up, we offer absentee bidding, online bidding and phone bidding (for bids $500 and up).


  6. Understand the Conditions of Sale

    7. The Conditions of Sale are the Rules and Regulations that govern each auction. You can find the Conditions of Sale on the front cover of each auction catalog or Click Here to view Conditions Of Sale (please read them carefully).

    If you do not have a purchase history with Clars, you may be required to leave a valid credit card number and a refundable deposit to bid. Please note that we do NOT accept International credit cards for any payments.


  7. Pick Up / Shipping Purchased Items

  8. Do’s and Don’ts

    9. Do – Be sure the Auctioneer sees you
    Do – Read and understand the conditions of Sale
    Do – Remember to bring your own boxes and packing material