Frequently Asked Questions

When you are the winning bidder of a lot at auction, GoodBid will send you an invoice containing information about your purchase and instructions on how to pay.

If it has been longer than 5 business days since the sale has ended and you have not received an invoice, please contact us.

All estimates, bids and invoices are in US dollars (USD).

We accept major credit cards and wire transfers. Invoices over $2,500 USD must be paid by wire transfer. We do not accept cash or cheques.

To register to bid through our website, we place a $1 charge on your card to confirm it is valid.

The buyer’s premium is an amount added to the hammer price and paid as part of the total purchase price. At GoodBid, the buyer’s premium is 20% of the hammer price. For buyers in Canada, applicable sales taxes (GST/HST) are added to the invoice. Shipping is quoted and charged separately by the shipper.

GoodBid does not pack or ship in-house. After payment, winning bidders are referred to our shipping partner, PakShip, which provides a quote for packing, shipping and transit insurance and handles delivery.

If you would prefer to use your own shipper, tell us in writing and we will arrange release to them once payment has cleared. We do not offer local pickup at this time.

Yes, within limits. If, within 30 days of the sale, a lot’s heading or description proves materially wrong about who made it, whose signature it bears, or what the item is, we will refund the full purchase price, including buyer’s premium and taxes, once the lot is returned in the same condition.

To claim, write to us within the 30 days with a written opinion from a recognised independent authority acceptable to us. We pay reasonable return shipping and insurance by a method we approve in advance.

The guarantee is for the original buyer only, does not cover condition, and does not apply where we used a qualified term such as “bears signature”, “attributed to”, “after” or “reproduction”.

Full terms are in section 4(r) of our Terms and Conditions.

Outside the authenticity guarantee, all sales are final. We describe condition as accurately as we can, but condition statements are our opinion, not a warranty. Please review the photographs and description carefully, and ask for more information before bidding if you need it.

We use standard cataloguing terms, and we choose them carefully:

• “By [artist]” means that, in our opinion, the work is by the artist.
• “Attributed to” means probably by the artist, but with less certainty.
• “After [artist]” means a copy of a known work, by another hand.
• “Bears signature” means a signature is present, but we have not confirmed it is the artist’s, and we do not represent the work as theirs.

Labels, stamps, certificates and grading slabs are described as physical features and, unless we say otherwise, have not been verified. We never put appraisal or retail values in our titles. Our estimates are based on examination of the item and recent auction results for comparable pieces.

Yes. Email inquiries@goodbidauctions.com with the lot number. Please ask at least 48 hours before the lot closes so we have time to respond.

Each lot is given a low and high estimate, based on our examination of the item and recent auction records for comparable pieces. An estimate is a guide to likely selling price, not a guarantee or an appraisal.

The winning bid for a lot. It does not include the buyer’s premium, taxes or shipping.

A reserve is a confidential minimum price agreed with the consignor, below which a lot will not be sold. At GoodBid, only lots with a low estimate of $200 USD or more may carry a reserve.

An individual object, or group of objects, offered for sale as a single unit.

Start with a complimentary Auction Review. Send clear photographs of your item (the whole object, any signatures, labels or marks, and any damage) and a short description through our Auction Review form, by WhatsApp, or by email to inquiries@goodbidauctions.com. We’ll give you a preliminary opinion on whether auction suits it. This is not a formal appraisal. If we agree to offer the item, you’ll receive a written consignment agreement to sign before anything is shipped, dropped off or collected. We collect accepted items from estates and move manager clients across the GTA at no charge. Other consignors arrange and pay for shipping to GoodBid.

Our commission and any applicable fees are discussed with you before you consign and are set out in your written consignment agreement, which you review and sign before anything is shipped, dropped off or collected. There is no charge for photography or cataloguing, and GoodBid insures consigned property while it is in our care.

We will contact you with our recommendation, which may include re-offering the item in a later sale. If it will no longer be offered, the consignor is responsible for arranging and paying for its return.

Proceeds, net of commission and any fees, are paid in US dollars by bank transfer within 30 days after the sale, once we have received payment from the buyer. Each payment comes with a settlement statement listing every lot, its hammer price and all deductions. GoodBid covers the bank transfer fees.