How do I actually place a bid in one of your auctions?

In person. If you come to our live auction, you’ll have a chance to look over the lots before we start. Each bidder is given a card with a bidder number. When you see an item you want to bid on, simply hold your card or hand up so that the auctioneer can see it. As the bidding continues, the auctioneer announces the current price and asks if anyone is willing to raise the bid to the next increment. Don’t worry! We watch closely to see who is bidding so that all interested bidders stay in the running. And we speak clearly and plainly, so you’ll be able to easily follow the bidding.

Once the bidding is complete, we announce the bidder number and the "hammer" (this term comes from the traditional use of a gavel by early auctioneers), or final, price. And NO, we won’t mistake your scratching your head as a bid!

Telephone. You can arrange in advance for us to call you when a particular lot comes up for sale. We can estimate the time we will be calling (we usually sell 100 lots per hour), but to be sure, you should plan to be at the number you give us at least a half hour before the estimated time. We will make every attempt to reach you at the number you provide, but there is nothing we can do if your phone has a caller block, if the number is incorrect, if the line is busy, or if there is no answer.

When we reach you, a member of our staff will relay the asking price as the bidding proceeds, and you can tell us whether or not you want to stay in. If you are the winner, you will be informed at the time the hammer price is determined.

Email, US Mail, or Fax. However you send in your bid, tell us the maximum amount you are willing to pay. A member of our staff will execute your bid for you when that lot goes up for sale. If the bidding is competitive, we will keep you in the running until your maximum is reached. If you are the successful bidder for an item that does not reach your maximum, we will NOT charge you the full amount.

Internet. We work exclusively with eBay live auctions so you can view and bid each item in real time along with the bidders attending our live auction. This technology continues to develop and Cowan’s is on the cutting edge.

How will I get my items if I am the successful bidder?

If you are at the auction, you will be given the item as soon as the bidding as complete. You must pay for it before you leave. If you are a successful telephone or Internet bidder, you will also know you’ve won at the time bidding is complete. Successful bidders who participate by email, US mail, and fax (along with telephone and Internet bidders) will receive an invoice via US mail.

Your invoice will include shipping, handling, and insurance charges; your item will be shipped at the time you payment is received.

How do I go about selling something in one of your auctions?

That’s easy! Feel free to give us a call (513-871-1670) or email us at info@historicamericana.com with any questions you have. We try to respond immediately, although it may take a day or two.

How do I protect my merchandise from selling too cheaply?

In the auction industry, a "reserve" is a confidential price below which an item will not be sold - a minimum price that must be reached in order for that item to sell. This form of protection is a well-established practice in our business. Reserves are generally established through negotiations between the seller and the auctioneer.

It’s our experience, however, that consignors usually realize the best price when bidders are free to establish value. As a result, most of the items offered in our auctions are offered without a reserve. But we are always happy to discuss a reserve price for your merchandise.

How much do you charge for selling consigned property?

It depends. Our fee, or commission, is a percentage of the "hammer" price - the final bid an item achieves on the day of the auction. As the bid price climbs, our commission falls. By and large, the more valuable the item, the less we charge. Commissions generally range from 10% to 20% of the hammer price of each lot; each commission is negotiated at the time your consignor contract is written. We’re always happy to discuss our terms!