Click on a question below to find your answer.

If you cannot find your answer please email enquiry@tennants-ltd.co.uk or call (0)1969 623780.

 

Selling at Tennants

 

 

Buying at Tennants

 

 

 

 

  • 1. What kind of sales are held at Tennants?
  • Last year we held over sixty sales which included:

 

Non Catalogued Sales
Our non-catalogued sales are held at least three times a month and are not catalogued. Prospective buyers can view the sale the day before from 9.00am until 7.00pm. Additionally there is viewing on the morning of the sale from 8.00am until 9.30am. General Sales commence at 9.30am, unless otherwise advertised.
These interesting and varied sales comprise approximately 750 lots and include

  • Antique, Victorian and 20th Century Furniture
  • Oil Paintings, Watercolours and Prints
  • Ceramics and Glass
  • Silver and Plated Ware
  • Watches, Objects of Vertu and Jewellery
  • Clocks and Barometers
  • Collectors Items
  • Rugs and Carpets
  • 20th Century Interior Decorating Items
  • General Books
  • Garden Furniture and Outside Effects
  • Linen and Soft Furnishings and much, much more


Jeremy Pattison, Oonagh Drage, Sarah White and Diane Sinnott are responsible for the production of these General Sales. Please contact them on 01969 623780 if you wish to enter single items to entire estates for sale or send us an email to saleroom@tennants-ltd.co.uk.

 

Catalogue Sales
Important two-day fine art and antique Catalogue Sales are held three times a year in the Spring (April), the Summer (July) and the Autumn (November). They comprise a wide range of items including:

  • Glass
  • English and Continental Ceramics
  • Oriental Ceramics and Works of Art
  • Silver and Plated Wares
  • Watches, Objects of Vertu and Jewellery
  • Oil Paintings, Watercolours and Prints
  • Bronzes and Works of Art
  • Clocks and Barometers
  • Rugs and Carpets
  • Antique and Later Furniture
  • Vintage and Classic Motorcycles and Cars (Summer Sale)

 

Colour illustrated catalogues are produced for these sales. They can be purchased for £25.00 (inc. p&p) or are available on subscription for £55.00. For information on subscriptions click here
Rodney Tennant, Adam Schoon or Nigel Smith would be delighted to discuss the entry of items for these sales, or send an enquiry from this website cataloguesale@tennants-ltd.co.uk

 

Collector's Sales
  • Specialist sections are held within the General Sales throughout the year to accommodate the following areas of collecting:
  • Decorative Arts and Modern Design
  • Textiles and Quilts
  • Dolls and Teddy Bears
  • Samplers and Needlework Pictures
  • Fishing Tackle and Sporting Memorabilia
  • Cameras
  • Scientific & Musical Instruments
  • Toys and Comics
  • Militaria
  • Beswick & Border Fine Arts
  • General Collectors including Advertising Items, Railwayana, etc.

 

Stamps, Postcards, Cigarette cards and Ephemera Sales
(Three times a year) Spring, Summer and Autumn.

Coins, Tokens, Medallions and Banknotes Sales
(Three times a year) Spring, Summer and Autumn.

Books, maps and printed material Sales
(Three times a year) Spring, Summer and Autumn.

 

  • 2. What do Tennants charge for selling items?
  • Here are Tennants charges & payments:


Payment
Clients will be paid out 14 working days after a Non-Catalogued Sale and no later than 28 working days after a Catalogue, Book or Stamp Sale.

Our charges are as follows:

Commission
15% of the hammer price on each lot up to and including £3000 and 10% on the balance thereafter in all sales. A minimum of £10.00 per lot is charge whether an item is sold or unsold.

Loss and Damage Warranty
All items left for sale are covered against the risk of fire, burglary and water damage subject to our standard policy terms and conditions. For this a charge of 1.5% per £100 (minimum £1.00p) is made.

Withdrawal
The fee for withdrawing items prior to the sale is 7.5% of either our estimated value or the reserve.

Unsold Items
In the event that a lot does not sell, it can usually be reoffered in a future sale. However, a charge of £10.00 is levied on all unsold lots.

Electrical Goods
By law electrical items entered for sale have to be tested to comply with current Trading Standards legislation. The fee for this is £5 per item.

Illustrations
Items photographed for our catalogues are charged at a rate from £10 for each illustration. Charges are agreed with the client in advance.

Haulage
Our vans are able to collect items for sale from anywhere in the British Isles. The charge for this is £45 per hour. We would be happy to provide you with a quotation dependant on other collections in your area on the same day.

Advertising
Weekly advertisements are carried in the regional and local newspapers. Regular advertisements are also placed in the Antiques Trade Gazette and other auction and antiques related publications. We make no charge for this service unless otherwise specifically agreed.

All charges are deducted from the proceeds of the sale - we make it simple for you The Client.

All the above charges are subject to VAT at the current rate

 

  • 3. How much is my item worth?
  • You can get your items valued at Tennants:

Visit the Valuations page for more information

 

 

  • 4. How do I buy at Tennants?
  • Details below:

 

Condition Reports & Digital Images
Condition reports can usually be produced by our specialists on items up to 24 hours prior to the commencement of a sale. Please note Terms & Conditions Item 2 for further details. Digital images can be provided on any item in a sale and emailed free of charge. Link to condition report and digital image enquiry form

Bidding
Bids can be made in person, by leaving a commission bid on line, with a member of staff, or by telephone. (Commission Bidding form)
In person Prospective buyers are required to register at Reception. You will be asked to provide your name, address and telephone number, and will then be given a bidding number. This numbered bidding system ensures confidentiality.

Commission Bids
Can be accepted from potential buyers who are unable to attend the auction. Commission slips are available at Reception. They should be completed and handed in to Reception. Alternatively they can be faxed to the Auction Centre prior to the commencement of a sale on 01969 624281.
Via Email Bids can also be accepted via email, you will need to include your name, address and telephone number along with the date of sale, lot numbers, a brief description of the lot and your maximum price. These are to be emailed through to enquiry@tennants-ltd.co.uk prior to the commencement of sale. Commission Bidding form


Telephone Bidding
A limited number of telephone lines are available to those clients unable to attend the auction. Arrangements for this service should be made at least 24 hours before the beginning of the sale. A member of our staff will call you from the saleroom shortly before the item comes up for sale. It may not be possible to accept telephone bid applications on the day of the sale.


Commission Charges
All purchases are subject to a 15% buyers premium on each lot up to and including £50,000, and 10% on the balance of each lot over £50,000

Droit de Suite Royalty Charges

From 14 February 2006 all United Kingdom art market professionals (which includes auctioneers) are required to collect a royalty payment for all works of art that have been produced by living artists.  This payment is calculated on qualifying works of art which are sold for a hammer price more than the UK sterling equivalent of €1000 (the UK sterling equivalent will fluctuate in line with prevailing exchange rates. 

It is the responsibility of the buyer to acquaint themselves with the actual Euro to UK sterling exchange rate on the day of the sale.  The actual qualifying threshold will be calculated by the Artist’s Resale Right Service Hub based on the European Central Bank reference rate published at 2.15pm on the day of the sale, and can be found on www.dacs.org.uk.

The royalty charge will apply if the hammer price is more than the UK sterling equivalent of €1000.  The royalty charge will be added to purchase invoices, and must be paid before items can be cleared.  All royalty charges are paid to the Design and Artists Copyright Society (“ DACS”) by the auctioneers, and no handling costs or additional fees with respect to these changes will be retained by the auctioneer.

The royalty charge for qualifying items which achieve a hammer price of more than the UK sterling equivalent of €1000, but less that the UK sterling equivalent of €50,000 is 4%.  For qualifying items that sell for more than the UK sterling equivalent of €50,000 a sliding scale of royalty charges will apply.  For a complete list of the royalty charges and threshold levels please refer to www.dacs.org.uk.  There is no VAT payable on this royalty charge.


 

 

  • 5. How do I pay for items brought at Tennants?
  • There are many ways to pay for your purchases at Tennants:

 

Method of Payment
We accept the following methods of payment:

  • Cash
  • Cheque (supported by a valid guarantee card)
  • Bank draft
  • Bank transfer
  • Debit cards (Delta, Switch etc)
  • Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard etc, but not Amex or Diners Club)

 

There is a surcharge (currently 1.3%) for the use of credit cards. No charge is made for the use of debit cards. All cheques should be made payable to "Tennants". For bank transfers our details are as follows:


Barclays Bank plc
31 High Row
Darlington
DL3 7QW

Account name: Tennants of Yorkshire Antique & Fine Art Auctioneers Ltd
Account number: 30874329
Sort Code: 20-25-29

All invoices not paid within 7 days of sale are subject to an interest charge.


Collection of Goods
Goods will not be released to buyers until paid for in full. Goods left at the Auction Centre five working days after the sale will be taken into storage. If after 21 days they have not been collected a storage charge of £5.00 per lot per day plus VAT will be levied.

Our staff will be happy to answer any questions you may have.


Packing & Dispatch - Unfortunately we are not able to offer a packing and shipping service, however please find below a list of approved carriers who will be pleased to offer their packing and shipping services for items bought at Tennants Auction Centre:

* Mail Boxes Etc specialise in packing and shipping smaller items (under 30kg). They collect and will professionally pack and despatch your purchases by the most suitable and cost efficient method (to any UK or international address). International shipping a speciality.  

To arrange collection & despatch for items from Tennants please contact MBE direct on:

  

Tel: 0113 242 8715   

Fax: 0113 242 9176 

Email address: info@mbeleedscity.co.uk  

 

for larger items such as furniture:

* Brights Removals Antique & Piano Specialists,

Tel: 01969 623519

Mobiles:  0774 0794 676;  0780 3255 494

Email address: fmbright@freenet.co.uk

* The Shore Porters, contact Graham on

Tel: 01224 569569

* Robinsons Removals, contact Lynsey on

Tel: 01325 348703

Email address: lynsey.tonge@robinsons-intl.com

 

 

  • 6. Can I take part in an auction without being present in the saleroom?
  • There are up to three different ways you can bid remotely:

 

Commission Bids
Can be accepted from potential buyers who are unable to attend the auction. Commission slips are available at Reception. They should be completed and handed in to Reception. Alternatively they can be faxed to the Auction Centre prior to the commencement of a sale on 01969 624281.
Via Email Bids can also be accepted via email, you will need to include your name, address and telephone number along with the date of sale, lot numbers, a brief description of the lot and your maximum price. These are to be emailed through to enquiry@tennants-ltd.co.uk prior to the commencement of sale. Commission Bidding form


Telephone Bidding
A limited number of telephone lines are available to those clients unable to attend the auction. Arrangements for this service should be made at least 24 hours before the beginning of the sale. A member of our staff will call you from the saleroom shortly before the item comes up for sale. It may not be possible to accept telephone bid applications on the day of the sale. Whilst every effort will be made to execute telephone bidding TENNANTS cannot be held responsible for any default or neglect in connection with this service.  All such arrangements are made entirely at the prospective buyer's risk.


Live Internet Bidding
For specialist areas of collecting we have the facility to run Live Online auctions.