TIPS ON BUYING AT AUCTION by ERIC KNOWLES

Buying antiques and collectables at auction can often be an extremely rewarding experience and once you're smitten with auction fever there is no ready cure. If you’ve never attended an auction before here are a few words of advice.

First of all you need to find your auction, which would probably entail checking with your local newspaper, or the nationals for the London and larger County salerooms. Probably the most concise weekly listings are to be found in the premier trade newspaper The Antiques Trade Gazette available by subscription or at www.antiquestradegazette.co.uk and most of the bigger outfits have their own websites.

Having located a potential venue it’s always worthwhile taking the trouble to phone ahead to establish that the auction is still going ahead and if so the item that may have caught your attention in the ad is still included and not withdrawn.

Next it's a matter of getting an exact address and asking if they have any parking facilities and if not where they can recommend you park. This all might appear to be basic stuff but so essential if you want to avoid driving around hunting a parking space especially on sale day when the minutes can tick away nearer and nearer the lot that you are keen to bid for and you run the chance of missing the chance to place your bid.

Viewing usually takes place a couple of days before saleday and once you've arrived its as well to purchase a catalogue and then carefully examine those items which you are considering bidding for to ensure you are fully aware of their condition, absence of any mention of faults or restoration in the catalogue doesn’t ensure a piece is perfect. It's a case of buyer beware.

On auction day you also need to establish what rate of "buyers premium" is levied on the hammer price, this can vary from 10 to 20% with VAT payable on this element. So with 10% premium a £100 bid means you would pay £111.75.

Before bidding you will need to register your name and address before being given a bidding number.

If you are unable to attend the sale the auction house can offer to bid on your behalf as a free service or allow you to make a telephone bid.

If successful it is always prudent to take away your goods as soon as payment has cleared.