In order to sign up to bid on any Helm Auction, Inc. OR “Auction Company” catalog, the bidder, who will be referred to as “Buyer” must agree to below stated terms and conditions.
At the fall of the auctioneer's hammer, the highest bidder shall be deemed to have purchased the offered lot and assumes full risk and responsibility for the article. Neither consignor nor Auction Company is thereafter responsible for loss or any damage to the article by fire, theft, or breakage. Every attempt has been made to catalog all items accurately to include descriptions. Auction Company does not guarantee correctness of descriptions, approximate ages, materials, tribal designations, signatures, hallmarks, amount of repair or restoration. Please review the pictures carefully as we are selling items as is. Highest bidder is deemed to be the buyer. If a dispute arises between two or more bidders, the auctioneer shall have sole and final decision to determine the successful bidder or to immediately re-offer and resell the article in dispute. Buyer’s premium is 20% for all bidders, online, phone, absentee or in attendance. All sales are final and returns are not permitted. All of the items offered are on consignment and are sold as is.
The values given are estimates only. Items may sell for more or less. None of the items are new and all have some acceptable amount of wear. Please look at all pictures and read descriptions, items have some amount of acceptable wear, scratches, nicks, missing stitches, etc. Pictures in frames have not been examined outside the frame.
All items sell as is – where is with all faults and with no warranty of any type expressed or implied as to the merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose of any goods offered in this sale. All sales are made on an as is – where is with all faults basis. No bids can be withdrawn after the auction for any reason. Bids will only be retracted pre-auction, provided the Buyer requests bid cancellation in writing no less than 1 hour before auction start time by emailing admin@helmauction.com. Buyer agrees to stated terms as well as all other terms set forth below, can be amended or revised only in writing, signed by the auctioneer or staff of Auction Company. Buyer also agrees that any oral representation made by the auctioneer shall not modify these "as is – where is with all faults" terms. Buyer understands that any description given in the catalog or written on the item(s) is not guaranteed, and Buyer will rely entirely on their own inspection. All information and descriptions contained in advertising this sale are believed correct, but no responsibility is assumed by Auction Company, or Consignor for any errors or omissions.
Shipping charges are per lot. Shipping costs are indicated in the description area of the catalog. These shipping charges are estimates and are only for the United States. Shipping charges include contract labor of packing, packing materials, insurance, signature delivery/confirmation and postage. Bidders from Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico may incur further charges depending on the size and weight of the parcel, please inquire ahead of time. Foreign bidders are advised to inquire about shipping certain items before bidding to avoid surprises. Shipping will be computed (ie. Combined shipping and/or insurance fees) on an individual basis after the auction ends. Please do not pay before we compute your shipping charges. NOTE: You may also hire your own shipping agent to handle your shipping for you. Please contact Helm Auction before or after the auction ends to arrange for your agent to pick up your items.
Sensitive items such as frames with glass, pottery and other ceramics, as well as bulky items such as baskets will require double-boxing for safe transport during shipping. Auction Company attempts to fairly estimate shipping charges for these sensitive items in the lot’s description.
Auction Company will discuss shipping and Customs documents with foreign buyers for outside the U.S. for specific shipping instructions to include Customs declaration forms. Charges are for handling, packing materials, insurance and shipping fees. Items will be shipped primarily via FedEx and the United States Postal Service. If you want them shipped another way, you must pay the additional charges. FedEx will not deliver to Post Office boxes, thus if your only method of receiving a shipment is via Post Office box, we will be limited in shipping via USPS only, which may or may not be more expensive than FedEx.
We are now estimating shipping charges per lot to include signature delivery/confirmation. If you wish to save on shipping by not purchasing insurance and/or signature, you must email admin@helmauction.com stating your request. Paintings with glass cannot be insured. All items that are insurable will be insured. In the event of damage during shipping, claims must be filed promptly within 3 days of receiving your items. If items are damaged, please keep all packing materials and boxes, re-simulating the package’s state as received, documenting the damage by extensively photographing and contacting Auction Company for further instructions. Without pictures of the damage and the packing materials, claims cannot be processed. Auction Company will file the claims. Helm Auction will explain what other information will be needed for filing claims. Claims will not be settled until shipping company has completed investigation. The investigation may involve actual presentation to the shipping service. Oversize items that need wooden crates will be charged for additional shipping charges. We will combine shipping if more than one item is purchased.
Buyers who do not wish to file claims on their damaged items will not receive a credit or reduction in price for their purchases. Insurance is purchased for all shipments in order to cover any possible damages item(s) might incur during freight.
YOUR BID IS A CONTRACT. Place the bid only if you are serious about paying for the item. If you are the successful winner, you have entered into a legally binding contract to purchase the item. It is suggested that you contact the seller to resolve any issues before bidding. All items sell as is – where is with all faults and with no warranty of any type expressed or implied as to the merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose of any goods offered in this sale. Buyer agrees that these terms as well as all other terms set forth below, can be amended or revised only in writing, signed by the auctioneer. Buyer also agrees that any oral representation made by the auctioneer shall not modify these "as is – where is with all faults" terms. Buyer understands that any description given in the catalog or written on the item(s) is not guaranteed, and Buyer will rely entirely on their own inspection. All information and descriptions contained in advertising this sale are believed correct, but no responsibility is assumed by Auction Company, or consignor for any errors or omissions.
After auction completes, Auction Company will submit your invoice via email. Please be patient as we try to get the most accurate shipping price for your invoice. Once you receive the invoice, you will have 7-10 days to submit payment. Payments can be submitting via PayPal by clicking on the invoice, or sending funds to hhauction@cox.net. For large dollar amount payments over $1500.00, we may need to require a bank or wire transfer. This will be determined on an individual basis and your invoice will reflect these details.
Please wait for the invoice which you should receive within days of auction completion. For expedited receipt of your auction goods, secured/cashier’s checks will be accepted or direct transfer between banks. If you send a personal check, we will not ship your items until the funds clear. If you decide to mail a check, please let us know. All checks need to be mailed to 772 Jamacha Road, No. 303, El Cajon, California 92019. Please make checks payable to Helm Auction, Inc. or Craig Helm. You can pay via PayPal by submitting payment to hhauction@cox.net. We are not processing credit cards; credit cards can be used through PayPal.
Sales tax will be added at 9% for all California sales. If you have a resale number, we need you to fax us a copy to (619) 749-2626. We will not remove sales tax without physical proof of a current resale license for the state of California.
General Item Info: Buyer's Premium is 20%. All sales are final. There are no returns. Note: All prehistoric pottery and artifacts were taken from private land legally, without breaking any state or federal laws.