HOW TO BID

In Person

Bid in person during Live Premier auctions at Cowan’s Cincinnati or Cleveland salesrooms.

During the auction, the auctioneer will announce each lot number and requested bidding increment. To bid, raise your paddle for recognition from the auctioneer. The auctioneer will announce the winning bidder number at the close of the lot.

TO REGISTER: Register at any live auction or preview event. Please bring a photo ID to register, at which time you will receive a paddle and bidding number.

By Telephone

Bid by telephone with a Cowan’s representative, who is present at the Live Premier or Discovery Online auction to relay bids to the auctioneer on your behalf.

A representative will call you 5-7 lots in advance and will bid live on your behalf. As the bidding proceeds, your representative will tell you the amount you must bid to stay in the running. Simply say “yes” or “no.”

We sell 80-100 lots per hour, but plan to be at your phone ½ hour before the estimated time your lot will be sold. Please understand we cannot reach you if your phone has a caller block, the number is incorrect, the line is busy or there is no answer.

TO REGISTER: Call (513) 871-1670, email bids@cowans.com or click the “Bid by Phone” button next to any lot.

You may also Download a Bidder Form (pdf). Completed forms can be emailed to bids@cowans.com or faxed to 513-871-8670. Phone bids should be placed at least 24 hours in advance of the start of the auction.

Absentee

A method of bidding for those who cannot or do not wish to attend an auction in person. The bidder specifies their maximum bid in advance of the auction. The auctioneer will bid on behalf of the absentee bidder against any competition, starting at the lowest possible selling price, and continuing in the defined increments, up to the bidder’s maximum specified bid.

Absentee bids are recorded with the time and date of arrival. In the case of a tie, the earliest absentee bidder wins. In the event of a tie bid between an absentee and floor bidder, the item will go to the floor bidder.

TO REGISTER: Call (513) 871-1670 x234, email bids@cowans.com or bid online. Absentee Bids can be left on cowans.com under the desired lot by entering your maximum bid in the box provided and clicking “Bid”.

You may also Download a Bidder Form (pdf). Completed forms can be emailed to bids@cowans.com or faxed to 513-871-8670. Bids should be placed at least 24 hours in advance of the start of the auction.

Live Online

All Live Premier auctions are also offered live online. In addition, Cowan’s offers Online Discovery auctions, which are available exclusively online. Discovery auctions follow the same format as a live salesroom (premier) auction, with the auction beginning at Lot #1 and proceeding sequentially through each lot as they are sold. Cowan’s online discovery auctions are available for bidding through Cowan’s Live, Bidsquare and select other third-party platforms.

Third party buyer’s premiums and terms of sale may differ slightly from bidding directly with Cowan’s Auctions. Please check the auction page for more information.

TO REGISTER: Click the icon(s) located on cowans.com under the desired lot’s “Internet Bidding” section. For Cowan’s Live, simply log into your My Cowan’s account, enter a valid credit card number, and accept the terms and conditions. Once all three steps have been completed, you can begin bidding immediately.

For third-party bidding platforms like Bidsquare, you must register to bid on their site and then allow time for Cowan’s to accept your registration. We try to confirm bidder requests as quickly as possible, but it’s best to allow up to 24 hours prior to the start of the auction for approval.

Timed Online Auctions

Offered exclusively online, these auctions take place over the course of multiple days with a running clock on each lot letting bidders know how much time is left to bid. The lot is awarded to the bidder who has the highest bid on the item when the clock strikes zero. Timed online auctions are offered via Cowans.com and/or Bidsquare.com.

TO REGISTER: Create an account at cowans.com or www.bidsquare.com and place bids on your desired lots.

You will be notified via email or text if we post new information, if someone tops your maximum bid or if you are the winning bidder.