Rules / FAQs

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 & SWAU Authentication Hologram Sticker are 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 either one or both, a popup window will come up offering them as an add-on as you check out. If ordered together, LOA & Hologram Sticker numbers will not have the same number as they are cataloged in different databases. Hologram stickers ordered will be attached to the back of photos, no exceptions. 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. Bidders must have a valid email address or their bids / wins will be cancelled. 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. 

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.

 

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 starting around $60. Please factor shipping costs in before bidding. 
INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS: The shipping is calculated based on weight and service, but if you are seeing an unusually high shipping charge of over $100 for this is likely an error on UPS or ShipStation's end. Please pay for the item, shoot us an email, and we'll be happy to refund the excess charge to reflect it at starting around $60. The ultimate cost will depend on the total amount of items, size, and weight of your purchase.

 

Grading

Below is the collectibles grading scale we use:
NM: Near mint.
EX/NM
EX: Some minor defects.
VG+ / EX
VG+: Moderate defects, but presents well.
VG / VG+
VG: Significant defects.
GD / VG
GD: Lots of wear and problems.
By default, we never call anything Mint. While we have decades of experience, grading can be subjective. Please reach out before bidding if you have any specific questions.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my SWAU points or discount code for an auction purchase?

 - Points & discount codes are only valid on the signings / inventory side of SWAU.

Can I combine my auction win with an item you are sending me from a signing?

 - Unfortunately no, the signings & auction parts of SWAU run out of two completely different locations so they cannot be combined.

I only got the item and not the Letter of Authenticity I purchased, where is it?

 - The authentication side of SWAU is also run out of a different location, so LOAs are sent out separately as they take a little extra time to make.

Why is it taking longer than usual to ship my item that I ordered with an Authentication add-on?

 - If you are international and order an LOA, we have to wait for the LOAs to arrive to us in bulk before we send out individual overseas orders.

 - If you ordered an item with the SWAU hologram, it takes some extra processing time to add that on.

 - If you ordered a Funko and asked that it Encapsulated & Graded, that needs to be sent to a different location to be done. It will be sent directly to you from SWAU Authentication separate from any non-encapsulated items you may have ordered.

Why isn't the SWAU hologram number showing in your database yet?

 - Please allow some processing time for those to be added into the system. Everything should be uploaded within a few weeks to a month of the auction's end. If it hasn't after that time, please send us an email at auction@swau.com

Why isn't the Beckett / JSA / PSA number showing in their database?

 - We don't know! We can't speak for those third party authentication companies so you should direct any questions like that to them.

I'd like to consign in your auction, how do I do that?

 - Great, we'd love to help you sell your collection. Send over pictures and a list of signers of what you have to auction@swau.com and we'll get you started! If you have too many photos to send in an email, let us know and we can make a Google Drive folder just for you where you can drop in as many photos as you'd like.

Help! My item was damaged in transit. 

 - Not to worry, all items are fully insured. We will handle the situation.

What are your business hours? 

 - Generally weekdays from around noon to 7pm. We can rebound consignment inquiries pretty much anytime, but customer service requests will be answered in that time frame. 

I'm a little uneasy sending my valuables through the mail. Is there a drop off option available?

 - Yes, we can arrange a pickup spot for you to drop off your items in the NJ / NYC area but there is no overseas drop off available. 

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.