How to Buy

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 (in person only), Mastercard/ Visa/American Express/Discover (in person or online), Paypal or wire transfer. Payment for Metro Online Auction invoices must be received by 4 pm the Monday following the sale, and, if not, the associated online bidding account will be suspended until payment is received and all purchases have been picked up. Payment for Capital Collections Auction invoices must be made by the Friday following the sale.  Contact Christine Messing for more information.

Purchases can be picked up weekdays from 9 am to 4 pm only, and must be paid in full prior to pick up. Metro Online Auction (Tuesday sale) purchases are available for pick up beginning Wednesday at 9 am. All purchases should be paid for and removed by Monday (4 business days) following a Metro Online Auction and by Friday (5 business days) following a Capital Collections auction.

If items are not picked up by the Monday after a Metro Online Auction or do not have firm shipping arrangements in place, the associated bidding account will be suspended until all purchases have been picked up, and a $5 storage fee per lot, per business day may be applied at Weschler’s discretion. If paid items are not picked up within ten (10) days of a Metro Online Auction, 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. 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].

Bids are accepted in bidding increments 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+                              Auctioneer’s Discretion

You can request a condition report directly from the online catalogue lot page of the item you are interested in by clicking on ‘Request more information’; otherwise contact a department specialist or call our office at 202-628-1281.

Absentee bidding is only offered for our Capital Collections Auctions. An absentee bid is left by a bidder who cannot attend a live auction. The bid represents the maximum amount the bidder is willing to pay for a particular lot (before buyer’s premium and applicable sales tax are added). 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 left on their Absentee Bid Form. If there are no competing bids, the lot may be passed, and offered again in a future auction. The Absentee Bid Form is available online and at the office. For further information, contact Linda Niehaus at 202-628-1281.

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.