Our Policies

Consigments
We accept consignments at our discretion. Two prominent considerations are as follows. Foremost, we must believe that items we contract to sell have a reasonable opportunity to realize an acceptable return in the sale for which they are consigned.. We will not accept consignments that ,in our opinion, do not meet that criterion. Secondly, we intend to maintain a sense of thematic unity and a level of quality specific to each sale. Because our gallery events will feature areas of specialty we may recommend that an item be consigned for a future sale when similar items will be offered. Different merchandise sells at different prices in different venues. Finding the right sales strategy is an art of the trade. If we cannot accommodate your needs, we will offer insight into other auction sales or marketing methods that might better serve your interests. All inquiries concerning consignments are welcome. We will meet with you to consider and evaluate options whenever it is appropriate and convenient to you. All consultations concerning consignments are free of charge.

Reserves
We accept consignments subject to the owner's right of confirmation. This option is offered on a limited basis and only when we feel that the reserve price has a reasonable probability of being met. We are in the business of selling. We have no desire to engage bidders in fruitless effort or waste our time and our client's money listing items that are unlikely to fall under the hammer. A no sale fee of 5% of the reserve price will be charged on owner confirmation items that do not realize the minimum price.

Absentee Bids
As part of our effort to provide maximum access to the bidding process, We accept absentee bids. All absentee bids are executed competitively by a member of our staff. If you are the high bidder, you will receive an item at the hammer price even though your maximum absentee bid may have been higher. In the case of two or more absentee bids with the same maximum, the first one received is given preference When the last in-house bid is the same as the maximum absentee bid, the live bid prevails. All information concerning absentee bids is maintained in full confidence until revealed through live bidding. Please contact us with any questions you may have concerning this process or to place an absentee bid.

Phone Bids
We will accommodate live phone bidding whenever possible. Please contact us in advance to make arrangements and discuss procedures.

Payment
Cash, institutional checks, personal checks drawn on a Pennsylvania bank, and Master Card and Visa debit/charge cards are all accepted as valid forms of payment. Travelers checks and money orders are accepted as long as all conditions that pertain to the specific instrument are met. For buyers unknown to us, out of state checks must be accompanied by a bank letter of guarantee or a bank letter of credit dated for the day of sale and designated as applying specifically to that Renaissance Auction Group event.

Sales Tax
The Pennsylvania State and Local Sales Tax of 6% will be collected per Pa. Department of Revenue regulations. If you have a valid tax resale number on file with us no tax will be charged. The resale certification form is good for one year from the day it is proffered. We ask you to help us keep your resale information current. There is no sales tax applied at on-site estate auctions in Pennsylvania. Items shipped out of state are exempt as well. In a business liquidqation, items not normally sold in the course of daily business are not taxed. Those that were sold as such are subject to the sales tax. We appreciate your assistance in complying with the Pennsylvania sales tax laws.

Shipping
We will ship any item, other than furniture, anywhere in the world. A handling fee commensurate with the packaging needs will be charged in addition to the cost of shipping and insurance. All costs can be estimated in advance as long as your request is received in time for us to secure the necessary information. We suggest that you contact us a minimum of 48 to 72 hours before a sale to insure that we have time to address estimated cost requests. We will coordinate with any transit company of your choice in order to facilitate the shipment of furniture. We will not be responsible for any arrangements other than confirming a pick-up schedule. All crating, insurance and delivery considerations are the responsibility of the client and/or the transit company. We have been packing and shipping antiques, collectibles and fine art for 25 years. All due care is taken to insure that an item arrives safely. However, we cannot be responsible after the package is delivered to the shipper. Adequate insurance is a necessity. We will secure such coverage on behalf of the client at their expense. Should an insurance claim be filed for any reason, we will supply any supporting documents upon request. All other actions necessary for settling the claim are the responsibility of the buyer.