wann offers an international clientele of buyers and sellers approximately 40 auctions each year. Our sales contain a broad range of material--from museum-quality works to attractive and historically interesting items accessible to beginning collectors. The property we sell is consigned by clients all over the world--individuals, libraries, schools, museums, and dealers. Our buyers are equally diverse. Most of our auctions comprise material consigned by many different owners; we also offer entire private collections.

Our auction schedule is announced three months in advance. The schedule is posted on this website and is published in our newsletter, The Trumpet, available free of charge on request.

Every item is described in a catalogue that is published about a month before the auction, providing ample opportunity to review the offerings. Catalogues may be purchased individually, or by subscription. You can order them by telephone, mail, fax, or e-mail. You can also view our catalogues online on this website.

Items are exhibited in our galleries for several days before each auction. We encourage prospective buyers, scholars, collectors, dealers, decorators, and students to visit the preview exhibition. If you are unable to see the items in person, you can call our experts for a condition report, or to discuss any aspect of the sale.

Our auctions are open to the public. We encourage people new to the auction process to attend sales even if they don't intend to bid. For those who wish to buy, our staff are trained to assist inexperienced participants, as well as intermediate and advanced collectors.

The bidding process is easy. Simply register to receive a numbered bid card, and raise the card to signal your bid. If you cannot attend the sale, you may place bids in advance via telephone, fax, mail, or e-mail, and our staff will bid on your behalf. You can also make advance arrangements to bid by telephone during the auction.

If your bid is successful, you will receive an invoice after the auction. As indicated in our terms and conditions of sale, each buyer pays the "hammer price" plus a "buyer's premium" as defined in paragraph 7 of our terms and conditions.

New York City sales tax is applied to all purchases picked up or delivered within New York State, unless the buyer provides a properly completed New York State Resale Certificate evidencing possession of a valid New York State Resale Number or, for non-New York buyers, the equivalent resale authorization from another locale. Purchases shipped outside New York State are not subject to sales tax.

For immediate delivery of purchases, payment must be made by cash, cashier's check, or certified check drawn on a U.S. bank. If payment is made by personal check, your purchases will be held until the check has cleared.

Arranging to ship your purchases is easy at Swann: our services include a complete in-house packing and shipping department to assist you. Of course, packing and shipping costs depend on the size and weight of your purchases, the method of shipment, and the destination.

About a week after the auction, we publish a list of prices realized. These are sent to everyone who purchased the catalogue, and are posted on this website.

If you would like to consign material for auction at Swann, we will be pleased to consider your fine items in our areas of specialization: rare and antiquarian books, autographs and manuscripts, maps, photographs, prints and drawings, and vintage posters. Sellers are charged a commission, which varies depending on the value of the items being sold. For more information, and a sample copy of our contract, please contact the Swann department that handles the kind of items you wish to sell, or submit a general inquiry by clicking here.