Q. I am having trouble signing in to my online account. What do I do?
A. Try resetting your password. If that does not work, please contact us.

Q. What information do you need from me to bid?
A. All bidders must register before the start of the auction. Registration requires full name, mailing/billing address, phone number and a valid e-mail and online bidders must provide a credit card. On-site bidders at our live auction are also required to provide a valid form of government issued identification. If you do not have an e-mail address you may still register, however there will be a slight delay in receiving any winning invoices.

Q. What forms of bidding do you offer?
A.

• Live Bidding: As of the present, our auctions of June 11 & 12, 2022 and November 19 & 20, 2022 will include the option for live on-site bidding open to the public at our new location at 80 Raymond Rd, Candia, New Hampshire 03034.

• Absentee Bidding: Bid and register on our absentee/online bidding platform at Schmitt Horan Online. Schmitt Horan Online allows you to place bids easily while browsing our catalog and to log in at your convenience to monitor or adjust your bids. Absentee bidding can also be done by filling out our Online Absentee Bidding Form or by scanning and e-mailing, faxing or mailing our Printable Absentee Bidding Form (pdf). Absentee bids are executed the day of the auction by a trained bidding agent of Schmitt Horan & Co. Please contact Schmitt Horan to ensure that bids that have been e-mailed, faxed or mailed have been received before the date of the auction. Schmitt Horan & Co. shall not be held liable for for a failure to execute absentee bids.

• Phone Bidding: Phone bidding is available for most items. If it is not available, we shall make every effort to assist you with alternate forms of bidding. In order to phone bid you please call the office at (603) 432-2237 or send an e-mail to bids(at)schmitt-horan.com listing what lots you are interested in phone bidding on and the best contact number to reach you on the day of the auction. You may also use the forms available at the links shown above. Please write "phone" where it asks for the amount you want to bid and be sure to put your primary phone number in the cell phone slot. Phone bids must be arranged at least 72 hours prior to the auction.
  
• Online Bidding: Live online bidding is offered through our own platform available at Schmitt Horan Online. There are no extra fees for using our in-house live bidding platform. You can also bid live online through Bidsquare, Invaluable or LiveAuctioneers. Bidsquare, Invaluable and LiveAuctioneers charge a 28% Buyer's Premium for use of their platform.

Q. What is a Discovery Sale and how do I participate?
A. A Discovery Sale is a special event for live attendees only, with no phone bidding, absentee bidding nor internet bidding.
Bidders must personally attend to bid or have made arrangements with a third-party who is in attendance to bid. Discovery Sale special events are designed to encourage live attendance and have a traditional and exciting atmosphere.

Q. An item sold for my maximum bid but I am not the winner. How does that happen?
A. Bidding during a live auction is competitive and complex. The auctioneer may call on several different bidding types to advance the bidding including live persons, telephone bidders, live online bidders, absentee bidders by mail, etc. In a complex process like this, the influence of randomness can sometimes be impossible to avoid.

For example, suppose you leave a $1000 bid on a watch and the clerk bidding on your behalf opens your bid at $550 and bids up to $950 as bidding alternates between the clerk and the floor. An audience member responds at that point by bidding $1000, which equals your maximum submitted bid so your bid cannot be advanced, yet you do not possess control of the bid. To help avoid this we offer a "Plus One" feature when leaving absentee bids. However, despite the added security of "Plus One", in a competitive complex auction environment sometimes this problem is unavoidable.

Q. I was bidding live online and an item sold for my maximum bid but I am not the winner. How does that happen?
A. For the convenience of our customers, our bidding services include FOUR different online platforms, all of which during the live auction are simultaneously competing against one another. These platforms include our own proprietary platform Schmitt Horan Online, Bidsquare, Invaluable and LiveAuctioneers. Under these conditions, the auctioneer is oftentimes presented simultaneously with serveral bids at equivalent amounts.

Your bid may not have been recognized because the equivalent bid was already present and recognized on another platform. This is done objectively, but with some random variation. Under these conditions an item can be sold at one's top bid to another platform. However, if you were bidding in real time your platform should have indicated to you that your top bid was not adequate to control the bid and an additional bid was necessary. The various platforms may temporarily indicate that the bid was under your control at the lower amount, but this is irrelevant once the platform asks you for a higher bid. That means you NO LONGER control the bid. You MUST at that point accept the higher bid to remain competitive or forfeit your control of the item.

Q. What is the 'Plus One' option option on the absentee bid forms?
A. Plus One" is a courtesy offered to our absentee bidders. It is a bid that allows the auction clerk executing absentee bids the flexibility to bid one increment above the absentee bidder's maximum submitted bid. This prevents a member of the audience or any other bidder from buying the item(s) of interest for the same amount as the absentee bidder's maximum submitted bid.

For example, suppose you leave a $1000 bid on a watch and our clerk opens your bid at $550 and bids up to $950 as bidding alternates between the clerk and the floor. An audience member responds at that point by bidding $1000, which equals your maximum submitted bid. Unfortunately, your bid cannot be advanced because it would exceed your maximum bid limit, yet you do not possess control of the bid at your maximum. That belongs to the audience member partly as a result of the random nature of incremental bidding.

The "Plus One" option authorizes the clerk executing your bid on your behalf the opportunity to bid $1100 and win the watch back from the audience member. In the worst case scenario, the competition will either have to bid $1100 or $1200 to possess control of the bidding and you will not lose the item at the level of your maximum submitted bid.

Q. How much should I bid?
A. Your bid should be the highest amount you are willing to pay for an item. Also keep in mind that, on top of the successful amount for the hammer price, the buyer will pay a Buyer's Premium of 20%.

Our staff will attempt to execute your bid competitively, or in other words, at the lowest possible amount. We may open bidding for an absentee bidder at a level of approximately 50% of their maximum bid or less. Once the bid is open, we do not advance an absentee bidder's bid unless competition from other bidders necessitates it.

Any shipping costs are also the buyer's responsibility. Please keep in mind our Bidding Increments. If your bid is not aligned with our bidding increments we have the authority to round down to the next lowest bid increment or contact you to adjust your bid.

Q. What is the latest I can leave an absentee or phone bid?
A. This depends on the method of absentee bidding you are using. If you are registering and bidding on our absentee/online bidding platform at Schmitt Horan Online you may leave or increase bids up until the moment an item crosses the block. If you are registering and bidding by fax, e-mail or phone you must have your bids submitted no later than 48 hours before the start of the auction.

Q. What time will my lot be offered for sale?
A. It is nearly impossible to know the exact minute when a specific item will be offered during the course of the auction. Generally, our auctioneers sell approximately 60 to 120 lots per hour, but this may vary depending on several factors. Unless one is leaving an absentee bid, which does not require a bidder to participate in real time, all phone, live online and phone bidders should block out several hours to ensure he or she is available to participate in real time. Upon request, we can offer general guidance regarding an approximate 2 hour window when it is most likely your item of interest should be sold.

Q. What are the bidding increments?
A. Bidding increments are values the auctioneer adheres to while advancing the bidding. They can be found at Bid Increments. The auctioneer will make every effort to adhere strictly to these increments during all auctions, both live and online-only. However, Schmitt Horan & Co. shall not be held liable in the event that the auctioneer fails to do so.

Q. How can I get condition reports or more information on lots that interest me?
A. We are very well known for our extensive descriptions and condition reports. Please carefully look at all of the information provided in our online catalog. If at that point you are not able to find the information you are looking for please e-mail us with specific QUESTIONs at bids(at)schmitt-horan.com. This gives our experts the opportunity to locate the item and fulfill your request. We are able to accommodate most requests but cannot guarantee that additional information will be made available.

Q. How can I preview the lots in person before the auction?
A. Preview will be available by appointment before each auction as well as the day of the sale for Traditional Live Auctions. For preview requests, prior to auction day, appointments can be made by calling (603) 432-2237 or e-mailing bids(at)schmitt-horan.com.

Q. How do I alter or cancel a bid?
A.

• Live Auctions:
  If you have registered on Schmitt Horan Online you may not alter or cancel an absentee bids before the live auction begins. If you have registered on Bidsquare, Invaluable or LiveAuctioneers, you must contact Bidsquare, Invaluable or LiveAuctioneers directly to alter or cancel your bid. If you have submitted your bids by e-mail, fax or phone please call (603) 432-2237 or e-mail bids(at)schmitt-horan.com to alter or cancel your bid. Please confirm that we have received your request.

• Online-Only Auctions:
  If you register and bid in an online-only auction, ALL BIDS ARE FINAL and CANNOT BE CANCELED.

Q. Do items have reserves?
A. Our auctions are typically unreserved. However there may be reserves on a small number of items. For specific QUESTIONs on reserves please contact us by phone or e-mail.

Q. How will I be notified if I win?
For live and online auctions, invoices will be sent out via e-mail within three business days following the last day of the auction. Winning bidders without an e-mail address shall be notified by postal mail, which may take up to 10 business days.

Q. How long do I have to pay for my items?
A.

• Live Auctions
  Payment is due upon receipt of the invoice, and no later than 15 days from the date of the auction. Items not paid for within the 15 days from the date of the auction will be charged a 2% monthly interest rate on the balance due.
• Online-only Auctions
  Payment is due upon receipt of the invoice, and no later than 5 business days from the conclusion of the auction. Items not paid for within 10 business days from the date of the auction will be charged a 2% monthly interest rate on the balance due.

Q. Do you accept returns?
A. All sales are final. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL RETURNS BE ACCEPTED OR REFUNDS ISSUED LATER THAN 30 DAYS AFTER THE AUCTION. Returns will be considered only for items that do not conform to catalog description. If there is a problem and a refund or adjustment is requested we ask to be notified within one week of the auction and require to be notified ABSOLUTELY no later than 30 days of the auction, no exceptions. Transit damage alone is not sufficient reason to return an item. We will assist in claims against transport companies. Please be sure to make payment and arrange timely pickup of your items so that you can inspect and approve your item before the 30 day deadline.

Q. What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept all major credit cards including Mastercard, VISA, American Express, Discover and PayPal. We accept personal and business checks. Invoices paid by credit card or Paypal will be charged an additional 3% processing fee. We may ask for identification and/or references from your bank for new accounts or large check amounts. We accept cash. For amounts over $10,000 in cash you will be required to fill out IRS Form 8300. For more information see Payments and Shipping.

Q. How can I arrange for pick up or take delivery of my items?
A.

• Live Auctions
  If you are bidding absentee, by phone or online you may schedule a pickup three business days or later following the close of the auction. Pickups after auction day take place at our facility located in Candia, NH.
  
• Online-Only Auctions Participants in our online-only auctions are treated like absentee bidders for live auctions. Winning bidders may schedule a pickup three business days or later following the close of the auction.

Q. If I cannot pickup, how does shipping work?
A. These terms apply to both live auction bidders and online-only auction bidders.

• Watches, Jewelry and Smaller Items
  Oftentimes, we are able to provide in-house shipping on items of smaller size, including most watches, jewelry, coins, etc. A shipping fee may be included on your initial e-mailed invoice, which would indicate the option of in-house shipping.

• Clocks and Larger Items
  Shipping must be arranged through a third party shipper. We provide a list of recommended shippers on our website at Payments and Shipping. An Authorized Release Form must be filled out and the shipper you designate will pick your item(s) up at our warehouse and transport it or ship it to you.

Q. Can I watch the live auction remotely?
A. You can watch a live streaming of our auction on our YouTube Channel. Please note, if you are bidding by phone there is a several second delay in the video feed. Please do not have the feed running while bidding on the phone as this can result in confusion and missed bids. You can also follow the advancement of the bidding and see prices realized at Schmitt Horan Online. Registration with a valid credit card is required.

Q. My friend will be picking up after the auction. Can they pick up items that I bid on?
A. Yes, they can. However, arrangements need to be made and an Authorized Release Form filled out online or downloaded at Authorized Rlease Form (pdf) and submitted prior to the pickup. You may call (603) 432-2237 or e-mailing bids(at)schmitt-horan.com to make arrangements. Your friend will need to provide a photo identification at the time of pick up.

Q. Do you repair clocks and watches before selling them?
A. We do not, but oftentimes the item is in good running condition as it is or the consignor has recently serviced it. Please feel free to contact us and we will do our best to provide what pertinent information we have.