Opening Sale: Fine Art, Jewelry & Decor Arts

1.All items are sold as is, where is, with all faults. There are no warranties or representations of merchantability, of fitness, nor of any other kind, express or implied. All items are available for your examination prior to bidding. Your bidding will signify that you have examined the items as fully as you desire, or that you have chosen not to examine them. Written and oral descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, materials or any other feature of items being sold. The absence of a condition report does not imply an object is free of defects. All items may have normal signs of age and wear commensurate with their age; these issues will likely not be mentioned in the condition report. Please contact us BEFORE the auction with any condition questions. Questions about condition will not be answered after purchase. Condition reports are provided as a courtesy, and we are NOT responsible for any errors or omissions. Our goal is to provide prospective bidders with accurate and detailed information. We recommend prospective bidders examine all items in which they have an interest. If you require absolute certainty in all areas of authenticity, and the results of your evaluation leave uncertainty in your mind, we recommend you not bid on the item in question. We do not give refunds. All sales are final. No statement written or oral made by the auctioneer shall be deemed a warranty or assumption of liability by Whitestone Fine Arts Gallery, Inc. or by any seller represented by Whitestone Fine Arts Gallery, Inc..
2.Bidding will begin at a price appropriate in the auctioneer's discretion. The auctioneer always reserves the right to withdraw a lot for any reason he deems appropriate. At the auctioneer's discretion, no bid of less than one half the low estimate will be accepted from any source: phone bidding, absentee bidding, internet bidding, or bidding in the gallery. All lots in this catalog are offered subject to a reserve, which is the confidential minimum hammer price at which a lot will be sold. In executing a reserve, the auctioneer has the right to bid on behalf of the Consignor, whether by opening bidding or continuing bidding in response to other bidders until reaching the reserve. If the reserve is not met, the Auctioneer has the right to withdraw the item from the sale.
3. Once we declare that an item is sold, we cannot reopen the bidding. It is the bidder's responsibility to get our attention prior to our saying 'sold'. We reserve the right to reject any bids deemed inappropriate or to withdraw any item(s) for lack of appropriate bids. If an item is withdrawn from the auction it will be offered again only at the auctioneer's discretion.
4. Payment must be made by bank transfer or credit card (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or American Express). We reserve the right to require bank transfers for large purchases. Buyers not known to us who wish to pay by credit card must provide a current letter of credit from their bank guaranteeing funds for that account. We reserve the right to not issue a buyer's number or to withhold merchandise if appropriate credit has not been established. First-time buyers will be required to pay by bank transfer or credit card. Please note that we impose a surcharge on the transaction amount for all credit card payments, which is not greater than our cost of acceptance. (Live.Payments)
"If you have a card on file with LiveAuctioneers, it will be automatically charged 72 hours after you receive your invoice."
5.Payment is expected at time of purchase. Payment for successful absentee, phone bids and online bids are required within five business days of the auction. Bidding on an item indicates the client's acceptance of our Terms of Sale. Your signature on our Bid Form or acceptance of these terms through any online bidding platform constitutes permission to charge successful bids to credit cards if payment is not received within five days of the auction. Furthermore, items can be sold to a third party without your consent if payment is not received within 7 business days of the auction.
6.We are pleased to offer absentee and phone bidding for prospective bidders who cannot be present at the auction. Please complete the Absentee Bid and/or Phone Reservation form. Absentee bids are executed competitively and confidentially. All reservations for phone bidding are held in the strictest confidence and must be received by 5 pm the day before the auction. No additional phone bids can be accepted on the day of the auction including additions when speaking with a staff person on the phone. Leaving an absentee or phone bid on a lot indicates your willingness to open the bidding at the starting bid and gives the auctioneer the authority to open the bidding at that level. If an item has an opening bid of $1000.00 or greater, Whitestone Fine Arts Gallery, Inc. will have the right to charge your card a deposit up to the full starting bid for all absentee/phone bidders. This amount will be refunded in the event that the item is won by another bidder. Furthermore, Whitestone Fine Arts Gallery, Inc. shall have the right to withdraw any item at any time for any reason and to default any sale in the event of an error or dispute.
7.In the case of identical absentee bids, the bid received first will prevail. Bids left on Live Auctioneers are not executed until the item is offered in the live auction and the order in which they are received is not a factor. We sell 20-30 lots per hour. Please refer to the bidding increments.
8.In our experience, cellular phones are not always dependable, and we recommend phone bidding reservations be made on land lines. We make every effort to honor all absentee and phone bid reservations, but we are not liable for any losses incurred as a result of failure to execute absentee bids or failed phone reservations. Submitting absentee bids or bidding by phone does not imply an extension of credit. Please see numbers 4 and 5 above.
9. If your bid is successful, we can connect you with our preferred shipping partner to assist with packing and delivery. PLEASE NOTE THAT SHIPPING AND PICKUP COORDINATION IS PROCESSED WITHIN SEVEN (7) BUSINESS DAYS AFTER THE AUCTION ENDS, PROVIDED THAT FULL PAYMENT HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND THE BUYER'S WRITTEN RELEASE IS ON FILE. We will not be responsible for the acts or omissions of carriers or packers, whether or not they were recommended by us. Property will not be released to the shipper without the buyer's written consent and until payment has been made in full. Packing and handling of purchased lots by us is at the entire risk of the purchaser, and we will have no liability for any loss or damage to such items. Buyer pays packaging and shipping cost.
10. All purchases are subject to applicable Washington state sales tax unless the Washington State Resale Certificate is fully and completely filled out and received prior to the time of purchase. Resale tax numbers from other states are accepted. International buyers are responsible for tariffs, taxes, or assessments of shipped items to the buyer's country.
11. Bidding on an item indicates your understanding and acceptance of these Terms of Sale. If a purchaser breaches any of these Terms of Sale, including the obligation to pay for purchased items, Whitestone Fine Arts Gallery, Inc. may seek all remedies under the law including canceling the sale and reoffering the property without reserve.
12. A buyer's premium will be applied to the purchase price of all items in the amount of 26%.
13. Purchased items not picked up from our auction facility within thirty business days of the auction will be assessed a storage fee of $10.00 per day, per item. If your item is not picked up within 30 days, Whitestone Fine Arts Gallery, Inc. re-assumes ownership of the item and can re-sell at any time. The costs of storage, plus any other costs directly related to the item, may still be owed. This applies if payment is received within 5 business days as well.
14. Export and Permits: It is the purchaser's sole responsibility to identify and obtain any necessary export, import, firearm, endangered species or other permit for the lot. Any symbols or notices in the sale catalog reflect Whitestone Fine Arts Gallery, Inc.'s reasonable opinion at the time of cataloging and are for bidders' general guidance only; Whitestone Fine Arts Gallery, Inc. and the Consignor make no representations or warranties as to whether any lot is or is not subject to export or import restrictions or any embargoes.
15. Endangered Species: Certain property sold at auction, for example, items made of or incorporating plant or animal materials such as coral, crocodile, ivory, tortoiseshell, whalebone, etc., irrespective of age or value, may require a license or certificate prior to exportation and additional licenses or certificates upon importation to another country. Whitestone Fine Arts Gallery, Inc. suggests that international buyers check on foreign governments' wildlife import requirements prior to placing a bid. All buyers agree to comply with any and all domestic and international restrictions on the trade of endangered species as a condition of the sale. Please note that the ability to obtain an export license or certificate does not ensure the ability to obtain an import license or certificate in another country, and vice versa. It is the purchaser's responsibility to obtain any export or import licenses and/or certificates as well as any other required documentation. In the case of denial of any export or import license or of delay in the obtaining of such licenses, the purchaser is still responsible for making on-time payment of the total purchase price for the lot. Although licenses can be obtained to export some types of endangered species, other types may not be exported at all, and other types may not be resold in the United States. Whitestone Fine Arts Gallery, Inc. is not able to assist the purchaser in attempting to obtain the appropriate licenses and/or certificates, and there is no assurance that an export license or certificate can be obtained. Please check with our specialists if you are uncertain as to whether a lot is subject to these export/import license and certificate requirements, or any other restrictions on exportation.
16. Whitestone Fine Arts Gallery, Inc. makes no warranty or guarantee whatsoever regarding the jewelry, its colored stones, diamonds, other gem materials, or metals, or as to their status as natural, treated, earth mined, manmade or other. Appraisals, descriptions, photographs, are offered as a service and are not intended to be a complete analysis of the qualities and conditions of the jewelry. All identifications, information, weights, quality, cut, value and other estimates, are opinions, limited by examination and grading the mountings, the condition and cleanliness of the items. All gems, colored stones, diamonds, cultured or natural pearls, fresh water, south sea, Tahitian pearls, and other materials used in jewelry, may be enhanced by a variety of treatments. Whitestone Fine Arts Gallery, Inc. makes no warranties or guaranties that any clock or watch is in working order.
17. Online registration and bidding approval are at the sole discretion of the auction house. We recommend that online bidders register at least 3 days prior to the auction to allow sufficient time for the approval process. We cannot guarantee that new online bidders who register within 24 hours of the sale will be approved to bid. After registering, new online bidders may receive a message requesting additional information; we cannot approve any client without the requested details. For those wishing to bid on premium lots, a deposit by wire transfer may be required. Correspondence between prospective clients and the Auction House must be established directly with Whitestone Fine Arts Gallery, Inc. through phone, fax, or relevant email addresses. We do not guarantee responses to requests made through third-party messaging systems. Due to the high volume of inquiries in the 24 hours prior to the sale, we cannot guarantee a response to clients who contact us during this period. Bids placed on Live Auctioneers are not executed until the item is offered in the live auction, and the order in which bids are received does not affect the bidding process. We will make every reasonable effort to accept and process bids from online participants, but Whitestone Fine Arts Gallery, Inc. will not accept liability for missed bids due to clerking issues, operator error, equipment failure, connection delays, communication lapses, or technical malfunctions. For new users, a deposit will be required to participate or increase the bidding limit. Please note, the deposit is non-refundable unless you do not win the bid, in which case it will be directly deducted from your limit. In the event of a breach of our terms, such as refusal to pay or refund requests, the deposit will not be refunded.