Rules

Authenticity

Any item with (SWAU) in the title is either from one of our witnessed signings or has been examined in person by SWAU Authentication, and is affixed with our tamper proof hologram. All third party items sold through the SWAU Auction have passed SWAU Authentication and are guaranteed for life. If an authenticity concern ever arises, SWAU will purchase the item back for the original sale price. The SWAU authentication team will authenticate every piece sold at auction, and has sole discretion on whether an item will be offered. Unlike many other auctions, the presence of a third party certificate of authenticity does not guarantee an item will be offered.

A full SWAU Letter of Authenticity is also available for every item sold at auction for a discounted rate, since these items have already been pre-screened for authenticity. If you would like to order one, a popup window will come up offering it as an add-on as you check out. If you have any questions about authentication, you can email authentication@swau.com.

Registration and Bidding

All bidders are required to register in order to bid online. New bidders may be required to provide credit card information in advance of bidding, at the discretion of SWAU. Bidding begins immediately upon the start of the auction, and takes place entirely on the SWAU Auction website. Phone, email, and in-person bidding is not available.

Bidding Increments
Minimum bidding increments scale with the current bid price of the auction, bids entered below the increment will not be accepted.

Proxy Bidding
All bidders have the ability to place a proxy bid, which is a maximum bid above the current bid amount. The system will automatically bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid according to the bidding increment rules. For example: If the item is at $100 and you place a $300 bid, the system will bid up to $300 if anyone else places a bid in that range. If no one else were to bid, you would win the item at $100. If someone bid say $200, you would win the item at $225. If someone placed a bid of $325, you would lose that item.

NOTE: Your proxy bid needs to be 2x the current bidding increment, otherwise the system will take it as a straight bid. For example: Lets say the item is $100 and the bidding increment at that range is $25, if you place a bid of $125 it will be accepted as a straight bid and immediately bid up to $125. If you were to place a bid of $150, which is 2x the $25 bidding increment, your bid will remain at $100 unless someone else bids in which case the system will bid up to $150 on your behalf. 

Below are the bidding increments:

- From $0 to $50 the bidding increment is $1

- From $50 to $100 the bidding increment is $10

- From $100 to $500 the bidding increment is $25

- From $500 to $1,000 the bidding increment is $50

- From $1,000 to $2,000 the bidding increment is $100

- From $2,000 to $5,000 the bidding increment is $250

- From $5,000 to $10,000 the bidding increment is $500

- From $10,000 to $20,000 the bidding increment is $1,000

- From $20,000 to $50,000 the bidding increment is $2,500

- From $50,000 to $100,000 the bidding increment is $5,000

If you have any problems please email us and we will fix it, provided you do so with time to spare before the auction ends. We can refund if you make a straight bid in error, but winning the item is final and cannot be undone.

Buyer’s Premium
All winning bids will be subject to a buyer’s premium of 20% regardless of payment method.

Extended Bidding
Bids placed in the last five (5) minutes of the auction will extend the auction for that item by 5 additional minutes. This process will continue until there are no more bids placed in the last 5 minutes.

Auction Reserves
Auctions may include a reserve requested by the consignor, if bidding does not reach the reserve price, the item will not sell. Proxy bids placed on lots with reserves will automatically bid up to the reserve. 

Shipping
Shipping costs factor in the item being sent well protected with signature required and full insurance on the item. For an 8x10 sent in the United States you can expect it to be $25 and for international around $80. Please factor shipping costs in before bidding.

Currency
All bids are in USD, but international customers have the option to convert their payment to their currency at checkout if they win the item.

Grading

Payment

Payment for all winning bids is due within seven (7) days from the close of the auction or your winning bid will be forfeited and you will be suspended from all future auctions & private signings with us. Available payment methods will vary depending on the final sale price of an item, but typically include PayPal, Credit Card and wire transfer. We're sorry, but gift cards and promo codes are only valid on the Signings / Inventory side of SWAU and cannot be used on the Auction side.

Non-Payment Liability
In cases of non-payment, SWAU's election to void an auction sale does not relieve the bidder from their obligation to pay SWAU all fees due (seller's and buyer's premium) on the lot(s) won by the bidder. The unpaid balance will bear interest at the highest rate permitted by law from the date of the invoice until paid. If SWAU refers any invoice to an attorney for collection, the buyer agrees to pay attorney's fees, and all collection costs incurred by SWAU. If SWAU assigns collection to its in-house legal staff, such attorney's time expended on the matter shall be compensated at a rate comparable to the hourly rate of independent attorneys.

Final Terms and Questions

All SWAU Auction sales are final and returns are not accepted, with the exception of authenticity concerns outlined in the first section. If you have any questions please contact auction@swau.com prior to placing any bids. Your participation in SWAU Auction constitutes your acceptance of the above rules as well as SWAU’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.