Here you will learn about the policies & services that TW Conroy employs when conducting its auctions. Please phone 315-638-6434 with any questions. If you want to receive email notices or direct mail ads about upcoming auctions, please be sure to complete the "My Account" form (located as a button link on each page's navigation header).

Terms & Conditions

All bidders must read and agree to all terms and conditions of sale before participating in an auction:

By placing a bid at a TW Conroy auction, you agree to abide by the following terms & conditions of sale:

1. A 12% Buyer's Premium is assessed on winning bids on those purchases made in-person at the auction site, or when placed via telephone to TW Conroy, or when placed over the TW Conroy web site. This premium is considered part of the purchase price.

2. A 20% Buyer's Premium is assessed on winning bids placed through icollector/ebay live auctions & is considered part of the purchase price.

3. Payment is expected from the winning bidder immediately upon receipt of the TW Conroy invoice. All accounts are payable to "TW Conroy". Payment must be made in US funds.

4. Most winning bidders are subject to a 8.25% New York sales tax unless a resale number is filed with TW Conroy prior to the auction concluding. The tax is considered part of the purchase price. Out-of-state residents who place bids over the internet or by telephone are not subject to sales tax.

5. Acceptable forms of payment for winning bids are Cash (when attending the auction in-person, only) Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, U.S. money orders and personal checks drawn on U.S. banks. If a personal check is submitted as payment, TW Conroy reserves the right to delay releasing the product until the check has cleared the bank. Also, the buyer agrees to pay TW Conroy a fee of $25 for each returned check.

6. When a lot is sold & the auctioneer acknowledges the successful bidder of a lot, the title of that lot passes to the successful bidder & the bidder, at that point assumes all risk & responsibility with regards to the lot, subject to the bidder fulfilling requirements set herein.

7. When the buyer attends an auction in-person, all property that is purchased must be removed the day of the sale unless other arrangements are made in writing & agreed to by TW Conroy. Upon conclusion of an auction, TW Conroy relinquishes all responsibility for sold lots.

8. Handling, shipping & insurance costs are in addition to the purchase price. Most shipments of "smalls" are sent Ung bids are shipped immediately upon receipt of payment, which includeS Priority mail and insurance is a requirement. Oversized & foreign shipments are subject to additional charges. All winnis the purchase price plus shipping related charges. See "Shipping & Transport" below for more details.

9. Return Guarantee: TW Conroy makes every effort to accurately represent items that it sends to auction, including size, age, restoration & authenticity. If a winning bidder received a lot that is materially different than that which was described in the web auction, TW Conroy will refund (at its own discretion) the total purchase price & shipping expenses, upon return receipt of the lot in its original condition. The lot must be returned to TW Conroy with prior approval of the firm & within 7 days of its original receipt by the winning bidder. Prospective bidders are advised to either telephone TW Conroy with inquiries or inspect the property in person before bidding, in order to arrive at one's own determination regarding condition, size, restoration, age & authenticity.

10. Photographs of lots on the web may have had size modifications or may have been trimmed to exclude framing, matting, and wide blank margins for display purposes.

11. Estimated selling prices, when they are offered, are for your guidance only. Actual selling prices may be higher or lower than the estimated values.

12. All Federal Firearms laws are strictly enforced. Some guns may be shipped to an FFL dealer (buyer's responsibility). New York State residents are required to pick up items at a TW Conroy designated gun dealer, unless the gun was manufactured prior to 1898 or the buyer does not take available ammunition in the trade.

13. Some of the lots offered in a sale may be offered subject to a "reserve," unless the auction is specifically advertised as "unreserved." The reserve is a confidential price between the consignor and TW Conroy below which the item will not be sold. In most cases the reserve will be set at a price well below the estimated value of a piece and is designed to offer the consignor some level of security. The reserve is never set higher than the estimated value of an item.

14. All bidding is done in a competitive manor. The winning bid will always be one bidding increment over the second highest bid. For participants in ebay live auctions, the minimum acceptable bid for any lot is 50% of the low estimate given in the item description.

15. The TW Conroy auctioneer has sole discretion over what bids are accepted and in what order. It is not unusual for an item to receive floor bids, absentee bids, telephone bids and internet bids. In the case of a tie for high bid, it is the auctioneer's decision on which bid to recognize. And the auctioneer's decision is final.

16. TW Conroy shall determine who is the successful high bidder. In the case of a disputed bid, TW Conroy shall have the sole discretion of allowing the transaction to stand without change, to withdraw the lot for sale, or to re-open the bidding on that lot.

17. TW Conroy reserves the right to reject any bid without stating a reason, and TW Conroy reserves the right to withdraw any item from the sale at any time without stating a reason.

18. If the buyer fails to meet any applicable conditions set forth in this "Terms & Conditions of Sale" statement, or breaches any New York State or Federal laws, TW Conroy will hold the buyer responsible for the entire purchase price of the item, along with all other expenses incurred as a result of such a breach, including legal expenses. TW Conroy reserves the right to, at its discretion: a) cancel the transaction while retaining, as part of liquidation damages, any and all payments made by the buyer, or b) re-sell the property at public auction without reserve, and the buyer in breech shall be responsible for any deficiencies that result as well as all normal commissions due to TW Conroy, including expenses.

19. In no event will TW Conroy's liability to a buyer exceed the actual purchase price of a lot, plus shipping expenses.

Absentee Bids

TW Conroy permits absentee bids (or left bids) on items, when a bidder cannot attend an auction in person. As a rule, no absentee bid will be accepted on a given item for less than $100. This is due to the overhead required to receive information and execute the bid.

All absentee bids are executed "competitively", meaning that if you leave a bid of $500 and the bidding from others stops at $450, then you get the item for $475 or the next bid increment (usually $25, but for some items $10. Bidding on an item will always start with the live bidding audience, unless there are multiple absentee bids for the same item. In this case, bidding starts with the second highest absentee bid.

If you are a winning bidder, TW Conroy notifies with you within 2 business days or sooner. At that time, final arrangements will be made for payment and shipping.

To place Absentee Bids, call 315-638-6434. Be prepared with lot numbers and brief descriptions. Also, please be prepared to give the representative some personal information, including a major credit card account number. The latter is requested as a security precaution, only. You may elect to pay for a purchase by another means.

Absentee bid requests are accepted up until 9 p.m. the day before the auction. Submissions after 6 p.m. on weekdays or any time on weekends should be placed at the following phone number: 315.689.3342 or faxed to 315.638.7039.

Phone Bids

When a bidder cannot attend an auction, but wishes to participate "live", then TW Conroy may permit a bid by telephone. This privilege is generally extended to those bidding on items valued at $500 or more.

On the day of the auction, you will be contacted by TW Conroy about 5 minutes before the item goes to the auction block. In many cases, TW Conroy will tell you what time that is well in advance of the auction. Be prepared to be decisive with bid amounts, as you are participating in a live auction. The representative will provide you with a running commentary of the bidding and ask if you are "in" or "out."

Should you be successful, payment will be discussed at that time or within 2 business days of the auction conclusion. Shipping arrangement will be discussed as well.

To place Absentee Bids, call 315-638-6434. Be prepared with lot numbers and brief descriptions. Also, please be prepared to give the representative some personal information, including a major credit card account number. The latter is requested as a security precaution, only. You may elect to pay for a purchase by another means.

Telephone bids requests are accepted up until 9 p.m. the day before the auction. Submissions after 6 p.m. on weekdays or any time on weekends should be placed at the following phone number: 315.689.3342 or faxed to 315.638.7039.

Payment Options

The following payment options are typically available, but always inquire when participating in a given auction:

• Cash
• Check (bank letter of credit or prior approval may be requested, at TW Conroy's discretion)
• Visa
• MasterCard
• American Express
• Discover Card

Seat Reservations

This is a good thing to do! TW Conroy places name tags on seats, so that you have a prime location to sit when you arrive at the auction. Often, we can accommodate your desire to sit in a specific row, on a center or end aisle, etc. Please call 2-7 days in advance of the auction to ensure best seating. 315-638-6434

Estimates

On occasion, TW Conroy provides an estimated price range for what a given item may ultimately sell. This is simply an educated guess, based upon past sales of similar items and knowledge of the current market prices for such goods.

At best, an estimate gives you an idea of what you should be prepared to spend for an item. However, it is just as likely than an item will sell for more… or less than the estimate, because it's directly related to the interests and desires of those bidding upon the item… and neither you or TW Conroy can predict that.

Condition Reports

TW Conroy makes every endeavor to accurately represent items that it puts to auction. We try to identify and report wear and damage; in most cases, any "issues" are presented in the "Auction Previews" section of this web site.

Absentee, Phone & Internet Bidders should ask for clarification, if there is any question in your mind. Those attending auctions in person have the advantage of being able to inspect items in person. Call 315-638-6434 with questions.

Product Details

When practical, TW Conroy attempts to provide complete and accurate descriptions about items in its auctions. Usually, these are presented in the "Auction Previews" section of this web site. If the pictures and descriptions do not answer your questions, please call 315-638-6434.

Property Removal

As stated in the "Terms & Conditions" of auctions, winning bidders are obligated to immediately remove their items from the auction site at the conclusion of the auction, unless other arrangements are made. TW Conroy is not responsible for items left unattended. In many cases, a supervised area at the auction site is set aside for items that have been purchased. You can direct that your purchases be placed there by a TW Conroy representative. A sales receipt will need to be shown to remove items from this area.

Shipping & Transport

There are separate costs assessed winning bidders for packaging and shipping; it is not included in the winning bid amount. Handling, Shipping & Insurance Costs are in addition to the purchase price and buyer's premium. For highly valuable, especially fragile, and over-sized items, TW Conroy defers handling to outside "professional shipping" services. Explanations and options are presented below:

"Small" Items (Less Than 30" In Any Dimension) - As a rule, TW Conroy staff will process such items, unless it is our belief that your interests are best served by a professional shipping service. TW Conroy assessed fees include actual shipping charges via U.S. Priority Mail + actual insured value for the combined amount of the purchase price and buyer's premium + handling fees. All items are shipped from zip code 13027; insurance is a requirement to protect your purchase in the event of loss or damage.

Generally, handling fees can range from $6 - $20 per customer transaction (the more "complicated" the packaging, the higher the fee) with the average cost being $10. For instance, a single item purchase of a cup and saucer would likely cost $8-$10 for handling, while a 32 piece china set might cost $16-$18. TW Conroy uses ONLY NEW, clean packaging materials, including boxes, bubble wrap, peanuts & tape. The firm does not spare any materials when packing; your items are treated with loving care. The firm is not seeking to profit on shipping related fees… just to recoup its costs for materials and labor. And remember, when you buy more at auction… the less expensive it becomes on a per item basis for shipping & handling.

"Large" Items (More Than 30" In Any Dimension) - These items, along with items that are particularly expensive and/or highly fragile, are best handled by a professional shipping service. TW Conroy often places you in contact with one of these shipping services, but it is the responsibility of the buyer to make all the arrangements with the shipper. TW Conroy does NOT collect shipping fees in such instances; this is a direct transaction between the buyer & the shipper. Also, no item can be released from the TW Conroy premises for shipment until the purchase price and buyer's premium are paid in full to TW Conroy.

Furniture, large artwork and other fragile items may require crating or extra-special handling. We recommend that you contact Crate & Freight, a Syracuse, NY processor experienced in the handling of art & antiques, at (315) 478-0055 or email ship@crateandfreight.net

For point-to-point, personal transportation of furniture and other large items within a 20 hour driving radius of Syracuse, NY, we urge you to contact Frank Guido at 315-423-9810 for a quote and timing of delivery.

Also, TW Conroy staff may be available to personally deliver large items, such as furniture & artwork, within a 50 mile radius of the auction site. A delivery fee is accessed that is based upon labor time & round-trip distance. Call Noel at 315-727-6990 for a quote.