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  • How do I bid?

    How do I bid?

    Participation in auctions

    Our auctions are public, under state control and supervised and certified by a Bernese notary public. By your participation you accept our Terms and Conditions for Buyers.

    First-time bidders
    or bidders who were inactive during the past two years

    Please complete the first time bidder registration form if you would like to take part in our auctions for the first time or did not actively bid at our auctions in the past two years. A copy of an officially recognised identity card must be enclosed with the form. We must receive the signed form and enclosures by regular post or e-mail at the latest 48 hours before the auction.

    Personal bids

    Bidders who attend the auction in person have to identify themselves in good time before the auction by showing an official identity document and drawing a bidder number. For this purpose, they must fill in a floor participation form or bring it with them already filled in.

    You can enter the auction room at any time. You can only participate, however, if you have a valid bidder number.

    Seats have to be booked for the main auction on Friday afternoon. Please register early by phone or e-mail.

    Absentee Bidding

    Bidders who wish to make an absentee can submit written or telephone bids. These can be entered directly via myKORNFELD or via bid form sent by regular post or e-mail to Galerie Kornfeld Auktionen AG.

    Telephone bids

    Bidders who wish to submit a telephone bid must send the telephone bid form to us by regular post or e-mail. We must receive phone bids at the latest by 6 p.m. on the day before the auction. The bid must be signed and must contain sufficient information about the artworks and their catalogue numbers. Please provide the phone number where you can be reached during the auction on the form. During the auction you will be called by an employee of our auction house who will bid at the auction for you. The phone conversation will be recorded for the purposes of documentation and evidence.

    We thank you for understanding that telephone bids for catalogue numbers with an estimate of less than CHF 5,000 usually cannot be considered.

    The approximate time at which bidders will be called for the individual catalogue numbers is given in our online catalogue at the detailed view of the individual catalogue number.

    Written bids

    Bidders who wish to submit a written bid must send the written bid form to us by regular post or e-mail. Galerie Kornfeld must receive bids at the latest by 6 p.m. on the day before the auction. The bid must be signed and must contain sufficient information about the artworks and their catalogue numbers. Please enter the maximum bid amount in CHF on the form. At the auction your bid will only be increased by the bid steps needed to make sure that you remain the highest bidder.

    If several written bids are received for the same maximum bid and this amount is not outbid at the auction, the first bid received by us will be the winner.

    Live-Bidding

    Bidders who wish to place their bids online must register for «Live Bidding» in good time. Once they have been activated, they can bid electronically in the live room auction. Bids are possible up to the personal bidding limit, which can be increased on request before the auction. Galerie Kornfeld reserves the right to refuse registration requests for «Live Bidding» or requests to increase the bidding limit without stating the reasons. By participating in «Live Bidding», the bidder accepts the terms and conditions for buyers of the Kornfeld Gallery.
    The live auctions will be broadcast via live stream. Please note that there may be a slight time delay in image transmission.

    Representation by a third party

    You can authorize someone you trust to bid on your behalf by giving them power of attorney.

    Bidders are personally liable for their bids, even when they indicate when receiving a bidder number or making a bid that they are acting on behalf of a third party.

    Estimate, bid increments, hammer

    In the auction bidding opens at 20% or 40% below the estimate. Bids are usually increased by increments of 10%. A lot is hammered to the highest bidder.

    Buyer’s premium

    In addition to the hammer price, the Buyer shall pay a premium (buyer’s premium) on each auction lot, calculated as follows:
    a. on a hammer price up to and including CHF 500,000: 25%
    b. on a hammer price over CHF 500,000: 25% on the first CHF 500,000 and 20% on the difference up to the hammer price
    c. on a hammer price over CHF 1,000,000: 25% on the first 500,000, 20% on CHF 500,001 to CHF 1,000,000 and 15% on the difference up to the hammer price

    Swiss value added tax may also be due under the statutory provisions and rules of the Federal Tax Administration.

    KORNFELD
    Excellence and Expertise since 1864
    GALERIE KORNFELD AUKTIONEN AG • Laupenstrasse 41, Postfach, 3008 Bern / Switzerland • Tel +41 31 381 4673 • galerie@kornfeld.ch
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