How to Buy

We invite you to join us in the auction tradition. Let us help you discover and acquire one–of–a–kind heirlooms, fine art, period furniture, decorative arts and rugs, as well as quality reproduction furniture and collectibles. Whether you want to start a collection or expand an existing one, our family of appraisers and specialists is here to help.

View Upcoming Auction Calendar

Before the Auction

Visit the Exhibition

You are strongly encouraged to attend the exhibition and closely examine all lots of interest to you. The exhibition for the weekly Metro Online Auctions (Tuesday) take place every Friday from 11am to 2pm and Monday, from 9am to 4pm.  Weschler’s will gladly assist you in providing condition reports upon request. Contact us at [email protected] for more information.

Browse e-Catalogues

The lot listings and catalogues for all of our auctions are available on our website.  Browse our weekly Metro Online Timed Auction listing and our Capital Collections Auctions all online. Downloadable pdf versions of our Capital Collections Auction catalogue are typically available online three weeks prior to the sale. Visit our upcoming auctions calendar for the latest!

Download a PDF

A downloadable pdf catalogue for our Capital Collections Auctions are typically available on our website three weeks prior to the auction.

Register to Bid

Register to bid online here or click the login tab to create a Weschler’s account. Bidders are approved based on bidding and payment history. We ask that new bidders complete the online registration 24 hours in advance. Pending bidders should contact Christine by phone at 202-628-1281 or by email to check bidding status. Bidding is also available through Invaluable and Auctionzip.

Bidding during the Auction

In the Room

Bid in person to experience the live excitement of an auction first hand.

Online

Participate in real time using our online bidding platform.

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After the Auction

If you are the successful bidder, prompt payment is required. All purchases are subject to a buyer’s premium (a percentage of the hammer price) and sales tax (if applicable). The following forms of payment are accepted: cash, check (with prior approval), Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Paypal or wire transfer. Contact Christine Messing for more information.

Items are available for pick up once payment has been received. All purchases should be paid for and removed within one week (7 days) post-sale from a Capital Collections auction and three (3) days post-sale from a Metro Online Timed auction. If items are not picked up by the following Monday after a Metro Online Timed auction or do not have firm shipping arrangements in place, then a $5 storage fee per lot, per business day will be charged. If paid items are not picked up within ten (10) days of the sale, Weschler’s has the right to resell as abandoned property.

Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer. If you need to arrange for shipping, please consult our list of recommended shippers or visit the Auction Forms page. Weschler’s assumes no responsibility for error or omission by any third-party/shipper. Please inform our office as to which third-party/shipping company to release your purchase to (if applicable) by emailing [email protected].

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Bid increments for our auctions are as follows:

$1-$99                                    $5 increments

$100-$499                            $25 increments

$500-$999                            $50 increments

$1,000-$1,999                      $100 increments

$2,000-$4,999                     $200 increments

$5,000-$9,999                     $500 increments

$10,000-$24,999                 $1,000 increments

$25,000-$49,999                 $2,500 increments

$50,000-$99,999                 $5,000 increments

$100,000-$199,999             $10,000 increments

$200,000-$499,999            $25,000 increments

$500,000 +                            $50,000 increments

 

Telephone bidding is only offered for our Capital Collections Auctions. During the auction, a member of Weschler’s staff will call you from the auction floor to bid on your behalf for the desired lot. To make arrangements for a telephone bid, complete the absentee bid form, including the telephone number(s) where you can be reached on the day of the auction. As a guide, Weschler’s auctions proceed at a rate of approximately eighty lots per hour. We will attempt to call you several lots in advance of your lot. While we do our best to reach you during the auction, we cannot be held responsible for bad connections or missed or dropped phone calls. Contact Linda Niehaus for more information or to arrange a telephone bid.

At this time, absentee bids are only available for our Capital Collections Auction. An absentee bid is a bid that is executed on behalf of a bidder during a live auction. The bid represents the maximum amount the bidder is willing to pay for a particular lot. There must be a competing bid to authenticate the bid, therefore, the bidding does not automatically start with the top limit of an absentee bid. A bidder can consequently win the lot for less than the top limit of their bid. Absentee Bidders may place bids using the absentee bid form, or by contacting Linda Niehaus at 202-628-1281.