GENERAL AUCTION CONDITIONS


By the submission of bids, the following Auction Conditions of the Auctioneer are recognised and accepted:
 
  1. The auction is voluntary and held in public in the name of the auctioneer
on his own behalf for his own account against immediate payment in Euro.
Foreign currency and cheques are accepted at the daily exchange rate of
the German Federal Reserve. Trading and exchange are not allowed in the
auction rooms.

2. Bidding increments are published in the actual Auction Manual and
are from 5 to 10% of the starting price or the actual submitted bid price
respectively. The lot is sold to the highest bidder after threefold call. The
Auctioneer reserves the right to bar persons from the auction at his sole
discretion,
to refuse knocking a lot down or to withdraw, pool, recombine
or divide lots, to call lots once more in case of equivocality or misunderstandings
or to knock a lot down subject to consignor’s approval. Bids below
the starting price with a knockdown subject to consignor’s approval are
binding for the bidder for a period of four weeks but are non-binding for
the auctioneer. In case of even bids the chronological order of their receipt
is applicable; in case of simultaneous receipt of even bids the auctioneer
decides by drawing lots.

3. Bids transmitted to the auctioneer (in written form) will be treated with
confidence and will only be used to top the other previous bid. However
the auctioneer cannot take responsibility for this procedure. Lots without
a particular starting price require a minimum bid of 20,- Euro and will be
knocked down to the highest bid.

4. Telephone bidders must offer at least the starting price and submit a written
confirmation thereafter. In the event of unavailability of the bidder on
the phone the minimum bidding price is valid. The auctioneer is not responsible
for the setting up and/or persistence of the telephone connection.

5. The auctioneer receives a premium of 23.8% of the hammer price from
the buyer plus 2.00 Euro per purchased lot. For all lots which are marked
with • behind the lot number Value Added Tax (VAT) will be added to the
hammer price and to the buyers premium. Lots without marking are sold
under the margin system (§25a UStG); there will be no turnover tax statement.
Lots marked with + are sold under the margin system as well but
additional
expenses for importing the items in the amount of 7% of the
hammer price are charged (= Import Expenses, which are part of the total
sales price ). If shipment is requested by the buyer or becomes necessary,
costs for postage, packing and insurance plus VAT will be charged separately.
For purchases from abroad, which will be exported to a third country
(non-EU), VAT will not be invoiced after receiving an evidence of exportation.
Duty and/or other charges related to importing the purchases into
the country of destination are on buyer‘s account.

6. The purchase contract between the auctioneer and the buyer is closed
on the knockdown of the lot. Based on this contract the buyer is obliged to
accept and pay for the goods at the point of sale. In case of bidding for a
third party, the bidder is liable as a principal as well as the third party. At the
moment of knockdown all risks concerning loss or damage of a purchased
lot is the responsibility of the buyer. The ownership of the auctioned goods
will only be transferred to the buyer when full payment has been effected.
Bidders making written bids will in general receive a prepayment invoice,
which is due for immediate payment. Only if the invoice has fully been paid,
the buyer has the right to claim ownership of the purchased lots.

7. If it is agreed, that the auctioneer will ship the purchased lots, and they
are not or not completely received within ten weeks after the end of the
auction (in case of prepayment: after the payment of the goods) latest, the
buyer has to inform the auctioneer in writing about this incident for purposes
of investigation.

8. Outstanding debits, which have not been paid 14 days latest after the
auction and/or receipt of the invoice, will be subject to a default charge of
2%. Furthermore 1% interest per month will be charged unless the buyer
can provide evidence that only a lower or no damage has been caused.
Furthermore it is in the auctioneer’s sole discretion whether he insists on
performance or on compensation due to non-fulfillment after a set period.
Compensation will be calculated after the lots have been sold directly or
on another auction to a third party. In this case the defaulter has to compensate
the loss of the auctioneer resulting from a lower sales price and
additional costs. The defaulter is not entitled to additional proceeds earned
by the auctioneer when selling the lots to a third party.

9. The objects for auction may be viewed and inspected prior to the auction.
They will be auctioned in the condition as they are at the time of auction.
The catalogue descriptions were made in all conscience and do not
warrant any characteristics. The buyer cannot hold the auctioneer liable for
any faults provided that the auctioneer has not infringed his duty to take
care. Collections, batches etc. are excluded from any complaint, apart from
that the auctioneer is obliged to hold the consignor liable for any complaint,
which is made by the buyer within a period of 4 weeks after the auction,
within a limitation period of one year. Complaints concerning a lot must be
sent to the auctioneer together with the original auction lot card. The lot
must be presented in its unchanged condition. This applies to the removal
of hinges, submersion in water as well as chemical treatment. Only the
application of sign information by a member of an acknowledged auditor
association will not be regarded as tampering. In the event of complaints
the auctioneer can demand a written expertise of an acknowledged auditor.
If the buyer intends to get an expertise, he will inform the auctioneer about
it prior to the auction. The period for complaint will be prolonged respectively.
However, this does not inflict the right of the auctioneer to be timely
paid. Any appraisal fees will be charged to the buyer, if the result matches
the lot description or if he acquires the lot in spite of dissent opinion. Any
faults, which are obvious at the time of photography, are excluded from the
right of complaint. If faults of a lot are described in the auction catalogue,
this lot will not be rejected and returned by the buyer because of further
smaller faults. In the event of a successful claiming of the consignor the
auctioneer refunds the paid purchase price and buyer’s premium; the buyer
is not entitled to further claims. The auctioneer has the right to refer the
buyer with all of his complaints to the consignor.
By bidding on lots, which were already signed or certified by acknowledged
auditors, the buyer accepts these approval marks or certificates as decisive.
If bids are placed with reservation of an appraisal of another auditor, the
bidder will inform the auctioneer about this reservation when placing his
bid.
Descriptions such as „Pracht“, „Kabinett“, „Luxus“ etc. are a subjective
opinion
of the auctioneer and under no circumstance a statement in regard
to warranted characteristics. Lots which bear the description „feinst“ or
„fein“ may possibly have small faults. Objects having a value which is defined
by their postmark are excluded from complaint of any other defects.

10. Only single lots can be shipped for viewing. They must be returned to
the auctioneer within 24 hours, in doing so our mode of dispatch must be
utilized. Any risks and costs are for the account of the requesting party. If
these lots are not present in the auction house on the day of the auction,
they will be knocked down in favour of the requesting party one increment
above the highest bidding price but at least for the starting price.

11. We collect, store, and utilize your personal data as far and as long it is
necessary in connection with the execution of the business relationship.

12. Place of fulfilment is Hamburg. Place of jurisdiction for the
full trading is Hamburg. Only German Law shall apply. The UN Treaty
For Contracts Concerning International Goods Sales (CISG) and the right
of rescission for consumers according German Distance Selling Act are not
applicable. Changes of these General Auction Conditions are only valid in
written form.

13. Should one or more of the conditions above or a part of them become
invalid, the validity of the other conditions will remain unchanged. The
invalid
conditions shall be replaced by valid conditions, which conform to
their economic purpose.

14. The conditions above shall also apply to after sale and private treaty.

(This translation of the „Allgemeine Versteigerungsbedingungen“ is provided
for information only; the German text is to be taken as authoritative)