Buy at auctions

What can you buy at an auction ?


All the movables, new or second-hand, are likely to be sold by an auctioneer : furniture and works of art (sculptures, jewellery, paintings), professional equipement, vehicles (personal vehicles, antique cars, commercial vehicles,...)

How can I find the objects and the auctions in which I am interested?


We advise you to register at our newsletter, which you will recieve one to two times a month. To this end, you can go in the tab « Newsletter » and choose the categories that interest you.

How can I see and examine the objects ?


A public exposition generally takes place on Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm before the auction, and from 11 am to 12 pm on the morning of the sale.
This permits you to be aware of the states of the objects and examine them.
The auctioneer, the experts, the clerks and other collaborators are at your disposal in order to inform you, to advise you and give the valuations of the objects that interest you.
You can also ask for complementary information or other details about the object by sending an email to contact@lefloch-drouot.fr or calling the following number : 01 46 02 20 15.

How does an auction proceed ?


Auctions are organized by licensed auctioneers or by ???(opérateurs de ventes volontaires) and are public.

Everyone has the right to attend an auction as a spectator.
Every adult person, responsible and solvent, can make a bid and buy an item.
The buyer must have acknowledged the conditions of sale. They are always displayed where the sale takes place, and they are intended to supplement the general conditions of business.

They are indicating the special points for a definite sale :

Each batch is presented according to its description, in the order of their numbers in the catalogue. After the announciation of its starting price by the actioneer or by the expert of the auction, the bidding is open.

How can I outbid during an auction ?


You have several possiblitites :
  • Outbid in the room :
You are in the room during the sale. To take part in the sale, a clear sign (you can hold up your hand) is enough to inform the auctioneer that you wish to outbid. In this case, the amount of the bid is at the sole discretion of the auctioneer. If you want to make a precise bid, it is recommanded to announce it out loud, but the auctioneer can refuse it.
  • Outbid by telephone :
You outbid is live by telephone. You will be asked a written document, your ID and your bank details (RIB). This service is free and requires the auctioneer’s approval.

You can give us a purchase order : you can determine a maximum bid for the batches that interest you. A collaborator will act on your behalf, in order to try to buy the batche(s) for the lowest price and he will not exceed the maximal amount given by the bidder.

To ask for an overbid by telephone or for purchase orders (written), you have to either fill in a specific document during the exposition before the auction, or send a purchase order by email to contact@lefloch-drouot.fr or by fax to 01 46 02 20 15.
  • Outbid live
If the auction permits it, you can outbid live on the website DrouotLive.
You can attend the auction via your computer. At every moment and with a simple click, you can outbid the batches you are interested in.
Watch out! In order to participate in the live auction, it is necessary to sign in on the website www.drouotlive.com  before the auction begins or this picture
 


Awarded!


If you are the last bidder - this means the person that has given the highest bid-, you will be awarded the object. But if the level of the auctions is too low or if the reservation price fixed by the salesman (under which he does not want the object to be sold) is not reached, the batch will be removed from the list.
The word “awarded” pronounced by the auctioneer, accompanied with a hammer hit that closes the auctions, formalizes the end of the selling contract and the property transfer.

The tender costs and paying methods


If he gets an object, the buyer will have to pay the amount of his last bid and to this must be added the proportional tender costs.
As part of the volunteer auctions, these costs are 27% inclusive of all taxes.
As part of the judicial sales, the legal costs are 14,352% inclusive of all taxes.
These costs are always specified in the conditions of sale and are announced publicly before the auction.

The means of payment are specified in the conditions of sale.
Generally speaking, every mean of payment is accepted (bank cheque, cash, credit transfer or credit card).
In accordance to the articles L. 112-6 of the monetary and financial code, and D. 112-3 of the decree 2010-662 from the 16th of June 2010, the cash payment is not allowed for the objects or batches over 3000€, taxes and costs included, for the French nationals and the professionals as part of their activity.

How can I get my acquisition back after the auction?


The objects are generally stored at the office in Saint-Cloud. You must discuss the transports and the sendings directly with the collaborators, who can put you in touch with professionals.

The small batches can be transferred to Paris (30, Avenue Théophile Gautier – 16e arrondissement) or sended by Colissimo or with a recorded delivery. In this case, the costs and the packaging fees (from 30€) are at the expense of the buyer.