Selling at Auction
From first valuation to money in your bank — here is exactly how selling with us works, and what it costs, with nothing hidden along the way.
How to Sell at Auction with Confidence
Whether you are selling a single item, a private collection, or the contents of an entire house, The Auction House North Shields strives to make the auction process as clear and straightforward as possible. From the initial valuation to receiving payment, our experienced team will guide you through every step and answer any questions you may have.
Never sold at auction before? You’re in good company — we welcome first-time sellers and are happy to guide you through the process. There are four steps: valuation, consignment, auction day and payment. Here’s how each one works.
Unsure if your items are right for auction? Give us a call for a quick chat. If they seem suitable, you can bring them in for a final assessment.
Step 1 — Get a free valuation
Every consignment starts with a free, no-obligation valuation from our specialists, who will give you a realistic auction estimate. You can send us photos, call in at the saleroom, or book a confidential home visit anywhere in the North East — full details of all three options are on our valuations page.
It’s also worth checking our upcoming auctions, so you know which auction your items could be entered into.
Step 2 — Consigning your items
Once you’re happy with the estimate, you can leave your items with us there and then, arrange to deliver them to the saleroom, or book our in-house collection service — the hourly rate is listed in the fee schedule below.
We’ll issue a receipt for you to sign, confirming our terms and conditions and authorising us to sell on your behalf. The receipt carries a unique vendor reference number — quote it in all correspondence with us and everything moves faster.
We’ll always advise you on lot grouping, potential reserves, and auction strategy, but you can also leave these decisions to our experts.
One practical note: any electrical items must pass a Portable Appliance Test (PAT) before they can be sold — the per-item charge is in the fee schedule below.
Step 3 — Auction day
You’re very welcome to come and watch your lots go under the hammer — there’s nothing quite like it. Space in the room is limited, so priority seating goes to buyers; see our seating policy for the details. If you’d rather follow from home, every sale runs live on our online bidding platform.
Step 4 — After the auction
Sale results
You can request your sale results 48 hours after the auction has finished. We’ll email you a statement showing each lot number, its description, the hammer price, and any deductions such as commission and fees.
Payment
Payment is made by bank transfer within 10 working days of the sale, provided the buyer’s funds have cleared — so make sure you give us your bank details when consigning. As auctioneers we act as agents: we cannot pay out until the buyer has paid us, and if a buyer fails to pay, we are not liable for the amount due.
Unsold lots
If a lot doesn’t sell, we’ll let you know by email or phone. You can choose to have it re-offered in a future auction at a reduced reserve, or collect it — unsold lots are stored free for 7 working days, after which a daily storage charge applies (see the fee schedule below). Lots offered with no reserve and left unsold must be collected.
Seller’s commission & charges
No hidden extras — here is everything we charge sellers, in one place.
Commission is deducted from the hammer price, and the lot fee applies to every lot entered, whether it sells or not. The remaining seller charges are:
| Charge | Rate |
|---|---|
| Withdrawn lots (after consignment) | 20% of the lower estimate or reserve, plus any costs incurred |
| Uncollected unsold lots | £5 per item per day after 7 working days |
| Electrical (PAT) testing | £5 per item — we reserve the right to dispose of unsafe equipment without prior consent |
| In-house transport | £65 per hour (minimum £65), including travel time, packing, unpacking, loading and unloading |
Full details, including our VAT position, are on our Auction Fees page, and the binding version of every figure lives in our Terms & Conditions. Contact us if you need any clarification — we’d rather explain a fee twice than surprise you once.
Talk to us
Ready to sell, or just weighing it up? Start with a free valuation, or get in touch and we’ll talk it through.
North Shields, Tyne & Wear, NE30 1EG 0191 429 1773 Max Sinclair — 07496 172 866 Matthew Watts — 07871 506 720 info@theauctionhousenorthshields.co.uk