A Mile Closer to the Stars

How to Buy Art

Your bid, written or at auction, is an agreement to buy the piece for that price. Bids are final - you don't get to change your mind and take them back.

In order to bid, you must register at the art show and get a bidder number. This mainly consists of us checking that we have your correct contact information.

Pieces you buy may be picked after the auction. If you need to pick up your art before this, or cannot pick up your art before 2:00 pm Sunday, see the Art Show staff.

Pieces in the Print Shop are simply sold for the price marked on them. You can take them with you immediately.

Pieces in the Art Show may have two prices, Minimum Bid and Quick Sale. Pieces which have "NFS" on their bid sheets are Not For Sale. Pieces with a quick-sale price may be bought outright for that price if no one has bid on the piece (but we ask you to leave it on display until the auction, so others can see it and envy you). If there is no quick-sale price on the bid sheet, you can't buy it via quick-sale.

Quick Sale is pre-emptive. A piece with a written bid can no longer be sold by quick-sale. Just as Quick Sale prevents other bids, other bids prevent quick sale. A quick-sale price is generally more than the minimum bid, but may be less than the piece would sell for if it went to auction. To buy via quick-sale, bring the bid-sheet to the Art Show desk and pay for the piece.

If you would rather try to pay less than the quick-sale price, or if you cannot buy the piece via quick-sale (no quick-sale price or someone has already bid on it), bidding follows the rules below:

1. Your bid, written or voice, is a promise to buy the piece at the bid price. All bids are final. Bids must be whole dollar amounts. Just fill in your badge number, name, and the amount you are offering.
2. The first bid on a piece must be at least the minimum bid, but may be more. Each following bid must be a whole dollar amount greater than the previous bid.
3. If there are less than 5 (number tentative) written bids on a piece, it goes to the highest bidder at that price. Five or more written bids send a piece to the voice auction. If there are no voice bids at the auction, the piece goes to the highest written bid.

If you cannot attend the auction but want to bid for a piece, ask the Art Show staff to proxy bid for you. We can also pack work you bought, or even ship it for you (but you pay postage).

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