At PBA Galleries you can place bids in a
number of ways and be assured that your bids will be used competitively
against other absentee bids and the floor bidders. The final selling price
may well be (and usually is) less than the upper limit of a winning
absentee bid. Detailed descriptions in our catalogues combined with online images for each item mean that items do
not have to be examined in person to be able to bid on them with confidence.
Approximately 70% of the books sold at PBA Galleries go to buyers who do
not see the books until they open the box in which they arrive.
Absentee bids may be placed in person, by mail, phone, fax,
e-mail. for Live Auctions.
If
bidding in person, mail, fax, email, simply fill out the form, (Please download Adobe Acrobat Reader if not already installed),
giving the item number, first word of the entry, and your top bid for each
item you wish to bid on. If desired, indicate that you want to increase
your bid by one increment in case you are tied with another bidder. Fill
out the personal information required (name, address, etc.). If you are
bidding from California and are buying for resale, indicate such and give
your resale number in the space provided, in order to avoid being charged
for sales tax. In addition, you must have a resale permit card on file
with PBA.
When bidding by telephone, have all the information required at hand
before calling. When calling, state that you wish to place absentee bids,
and give the sale number. You can then give us your name, address and
bids. Please try to place your bids at least one hour before the auction
begins (more, if possible).
For significant items, generally those estimated at $300.00 and up,
arrangements can be made to bid by telephone during the auction. The
arrangements must be made several days in advance, since our phone lines
are limited.
Sales invoices to successful bidders are sent out the day following the
auction. You may call the day after the auction, and be given the
information over the phone. If you call the day of the auction we
may not be able to provide you with the
information you desire.
If there is an item in the catalogue you wish to bid on, but are unsure
about the condition description or have other questions about it, the
staff at PBA is always happy to describe it to you in detail over the
telephone or through email.
PBA Galleries treats all bids and bidders confidentially. We will not
tell you what our top absentee bid is, nor will we reveal your bid to
others.
Some bidders, either because they have a set limit of funds available
and wish to bid on several different items, or for some other reason, may
desire to have their bid executed by a third party. There are many
reputable book dealers in the San Francisco area who can do this. These
dealers can also examine the items for you, and even give you an opinion
of value. A good place to start when searching for such a dealer is the
membership directory of the
Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America. PBA can also recommend
to you a dealer specializing in the area of your interest.
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