Bid without being in the room
Leave a maximum or ask us to call you. Send it online, by text or by email, and get a confirmation in seconds. No printing, no fax.
Three ways to send your bids
Online form
Pick the sale, add lot numbers and your maximums, verify once and sign. About two minutes.
Start a bid sheetText us
Text the lot numbers and amounts. We reply with your bid sheet to confirm and sign from your phone.
See how it worksEmail us
Reply to any sale email with your lots, or attach a photo of a paper form. It becomes a bid sheet for you to confirm.
See how it works
- 1Your bids
- 2About you
- 3Verify
- 4Review and sign
Your lots
Your maximums total $0. With the 24% buyer's premium that is up to $0. Pay by cash or check and take 2% off.
The auctioneer may open at half the printed low estimate. Bids between increments round down to the nearest increment. A tie with the room goes to the bidder in the room.
Bid by text or email
Write it the way you'd say it. We read the lots and amounts, build your bid sheet and send it back for one tap to confirm and sign.
McInnis Auctioneers
Auction text line
Topsfield Nov 20: lot 12 up to $300, and please call me for lot 45
Got it. Lot 12: up to $300. Lot 45: phone bid. Tap to confirm and sign: mcinnisauctions.com/b/AB-2612
Signed
Confirmed, bid sheet AB-2612. We'll call you before lot 45 and text a reminder at 9 AM on Nov 19.
To: McInnis Auctioneers
Subject: Re: Topsfield on-site auction, Nov 20
Hi John, please bid for me: lot 12 up to $300, lot 30 up to $150. Call me for lot 45.
paper-bid-form.jpg
Automatic reply, seconds later
We read your email and built bid sheet AB-2613 for Topsfield, Nov 20:
- Lot 12: up to $300
- Lot 30: up to $150
- Lot 45: phone bid
Behind the counter: one queue for every bid
Web, text and email bids all land in the same list, already checked. Staff stop retyping faxes and start the sale with the auctioneer's book printed and the call list ready.
Topsfield, Nov 20: absentee and phone bids
Sample data14
Bid sheets
37
Lots with bids
6
Phone bids
1
Needs follow-up
| Sheet | Bidder | Came in by | Lots | Top bid | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB-2611 | Sample bidder A | Web | 4 | $1,200 | Card held |
| AB-2612 | Sample bidder B | Text | 1 | $300 | Ready |
| AB-2613 | Sample bidder C | 6 | $2,450 | Needs credit reference | |
| AB-2614 | Sample bidder D | Web | 2 | Phone | Phone bid |
| AB-2615 | Sample bidder E | Text | 3 | $875 | Card held |
What runs on its own
- Instant confirmationEvery sheet gets a text and email copy with an edit link.
- Increment checkOdd amounts are flagged and rounded down to the auctioneer's increment.
- Noon cutoffPhone bids lock automatically at noon the day before the sale.
- Day-before reminderBidders get a 9 AM text to review or change their bids.
- Auctioneer's bookOne click prints every absentee maximum, sorted by lot, for the podium.
- Phone bid call listStaff get the call order by lot, with both numbers and backup bids.
- Results and invoicesWinners get a text with their invoice and a link to pay after the sale.
Terms for absentee and phone bidders
The short version. Each sale's full Terms of Sale are printed in the catalog, posted in the gallery and online.
Buyer's premium
A 24% buyer's premium applies to absentee and phone bidders, with a 2% discount for paying by cash or check. Bidders in the room pay 24% with a 4% cash or check discount. Online bidding through a partner such as LiveAuctioneers pays 24% with no discount.
How your bid is executed
Placing an absentee or phone bid lets the auctioneer open the lot at half the printed low estimate. Bids between increments are rounded down to the nearest increment. If your maximum ties with a bidder in the room, the bidder in the room wins. The auctioneer's call is final.
Phone bid deadline
Phone bids must be in by 12 noon the day before the auction. No new phone bids are taken on auction day. We recommend leaving a backup bid in case the call drops.
Payment
Cash, check, wire transfer (fee applies) or credit card (with limit). Invoices over $5,000 and all international bidders pay by wire. New clients are asked for a credit reference. Items are released once everything is paid, and checks may be held until they clear.
Pickup and shipping
Shipping is the buyer's responsibility, and storage fees may apply if it isn't arranged in time. For off-site sales, single items brought back to Amesbury carry a $25 transport fee; larger and multiple lots vary. Shippers we recommend: The UPS Store, 603-474-2420, or Parcel Room, 603-431-4205.
As is, where is
All sales are final and sold as is, where is, with all faults. Tax applies where required. Dealers buying for resale must provide a certificate.