FAQ
Selling
Just call us, e-mail us or use the online form or WhatsApp to send us the information and pictures of the items you wish to sell. We will then promptly get back to you with a suggestion on how to proceed.
If your item is suitable for auction, we will be happy to offer a personal consultation at one of our Expert Days, a home visit or an appointment for appraisal here at Rapp Auctions.
In principle, we will recommend selling your treasures through our international auctions. In some cases, we will accept items for direct sale.
If you are considering selling your collector’s items, we recommend that you take advantage of the excellent market conditions at our international auctions.
- Worldwide connections: For more than 50 years, we have been maintaining excellent relations with collectors, dealers, investors, institutions and private customers all over the world.
- Outstanding selection: In the course of more than 50 years, we have sold collections and individual pieces worth more than half a billion Swiss francs in total.
- Online and hall auctions: By offering auctions both in our auction hall and online via live stream, we are able to reach a maximum of potential buyers.
- Excellent returns: Our choice selection makes for excellent prices. We’ve held the turnover record of 33 million Swiss francs for a stamp auction for decades now.
- Quality of service: We foster business relationships built on trust by offering top quality, both in terms of services for our customers and selection.
- Credit rating, security, independence: We are a fully independent, owner-managed family business with enough equity to secure your items.
- Personal commitment: We, that is Peter Rapp, Marianne Rapp Ohmann and team personally look after each and every customer, tailored to their individual needs.
- Tradition: We have been a leading auction house with unwavering success over the past 50 years.
Once they have inspected your items, our experts from the respective department will be delighted to make a free, initial appraisal, based on their longstanding experience and market knowledge. The type of art object, its provenance, specialty and condition all play a role here.
Please understand that we will only offer appraisals to potential sellers, i.e. if you intend to sell your treasures through us.
Individual items listed in the auction catalogue generally come with a careful appraisal which is based on our 50 years’ experience in the market. The range of estimated value shown in the auction catalogue is merely intended for orientation. Experience has shown that the actual sales price is usually around the upper limit or above the stated price range.
Larger items (collections, accumulations, lots) are given a starting price, which is intentionally low to entice interest. Top prices can only be achieved if as many bidders as possible take part in the auction, entering into a “bidding war” for the auction lot. We will confidentially inform you of the actual price expectation or our internal (conservative) value estimate before the auction. The achieved price is generally around near the top, or above, this price range.
Each consignment is unique and will be given our undivided attention. Our consignment fee covers the all-inclusive commission for preparing the item for auction and marketing your treasure, plus a pro-rata insurance fee to protect your consignment against risk or damage. The all-inclusive-commission will be based on various factors such as scope, complexity and value of your consignment, and will ultimately be agreed in the consignment contract.
To ensure that your treasures are processed carefully and added to our items for auction, we recommend making the consignment rather early, no later than 6 weeks before the auction begins. Ideally, this will enable us to initiate targeted marketing measures, which positively affect the outcome of the auction.
Our experts examine your consigned objects in detail and take care of the auction preparation of your pieces. We carefully do the lot descriptions, set the starting and estimate prices and take professional photographs for the auction catalogue.
We will always keep you informed in writing. After the processing, you will receive the consignment note, in which you can find all the details of your consignment. About four weeks before the auction, you will receive the lot number notification as well as the auction catalogue and, of course, a personal invitation to the Rapp Auction.
Generally, we are able to sell more than 95 % of all auction lots. If – despite all of our efforts – your consignment does not find a buyer, a contribution towards expenses of CHF 120.00 per lot, which does not cover the costs, will be incurred and the object will be returned to you. After consultation, we can include the lot in the next auction.
The proceeds will be paid out within 4 to 6 weeks after the auction has ended. Please let us know if you have any requests concerning the pay-out of your proceeds.
General
If you are considering selling your collector’s items, we recommend that you take advantage of the excellent market conditions at our international auctions.
- Worldwide connections: For more than 50 years, we have been maintaining excellent relations with collectors, dealers, investors, institutions and private customers all over the world.
- Outstanding selection: In the course of more than 50 years, we have sold collections and individual pieces worth more than half a billion Swiss francs in total.
- Online and hall auctions: By offering auctions both in our auction hall and online via live stream, we are able to reach a maximum of potential buyers.
- Excellent returns: Our choice selection makes for excellent prices. We’ve held the turnover record of 33 million Swiss francs for a stamp auction for decades now.
- Quality of service: We foster business relationships built on trust by offering top quality, both in terms of services for our customers and selection.
- Credit rating, security, independence: We are a fully independent, owner-managed family business with enough equity to secure your items.
- Personal commitment: We, that is Peter Rapp, Marianne Rapp Ohmann and team personally look after each and every customer, tailored to their individual needs.
- Tradition: We have been a leading auction house with unwavering success over the past 50 years.
We offer various options to help you purchase the items of your dreams.
Auctions: We regularly hold both in-person and online auctions. Items and collections are sold publicly, or just online over the internet, to the highest bidder.
Shop Now: All items can be purchased at a set price from our online shop.
You have the possibility to follow all our auctions online on your computer, tablet or cell phone via livestream. Just click on the button “follow the auction as a guest ” in the auction calendar of our website as soon as the auction starts. Please note that as a guest you have no bidding function.
CATALOGUE - DESCRIPTIONS - EXHIBITION
All items are open for viewing at our auction house several days before being auctioned. During these free, public viewings, our experts are at hand to answer any questions. For dates, times and places, please go to Auctions.
The items presented via the Shop Now online shop may be viewed by appointment.
The condition of all watches is described in keywords, the descriptions mean the following:
– Unworn (new, without any signs of wear)
– Mint (worn, with no, or hardly any visible signs of wear)
– Fine (light to visible signs of wear or scratches)
– Fair (clearly visible signs of wear or scratches)
– Poor (heavy signs of wear or scratches)
A permit is required to export items which are made from certain species of wildlife and are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In Switzerland, the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) requires CITES export permits to be issued and also provides the necessary means to obtain these permits. As the FSVO is the only organisation with this authority, Rapp Auctions is neither permitted nor able to issue any certificates or export licences. The buyer is solely responsible for identifying and obtaining all relevant import or export licences for the items they have purchased. The buyer is also responsible for paying all associated fees. Failure to obtain a permit, or a delay in doing so, is no justification for a refund of the purchase price or a delay in full payment for the item(s) in question. The symbol ~ indicating protected or controlled species in the catalogue is intended solely as general guidance for buyers and Rapp Auctions does not accept any liability for any errors or omissions.
BID / BUY
Bidding at one of our auctions is really easy. Simply register in writing post, by e-mail, online or in person – this is irrespective of whether you would like to bid in person or online. We generally need a copy of your official identification document for registration. In principle, we require a copy of an official ID as well as proof of address when registering, and an additional excerpt from the commercial register for companies. Please note that we may ask for a bank or third-party reference before accepting bids for particularly pricey items.
There are several ways to take part in our auctions. You can take part in our hall auctions by attending personally, or by placing your bids over the phone. You can also bid over the internet during our live stream. You may also submit your written purchase orders by post, e-mail or via our auction platform.
Our general auction conditions lay down the conditions under which Rapp Auctions and consignors agree the sale of a lot to a buyer. Please note that conditions vary between departments. Please read the conditions carefully prior to placing a bid. By registering for placing a bid or placing a bid during an auction you automatically agree to the respective conditions.
You can find the conditions for the respective subject areas with the following link:
www.rapp-auktionen.ch/en/auction-conditions/
A commission of 25% on all awards plus postage, insurance and any additional services will be added to the bid amount.
The statutory VAT rules may vary between departments. For further information, please read the general auction conditions. Do you have any questions? Our team will be happy to provide you with information.
We thank you if you pay the auction invoice by bank transfer. On site we accept payments in cash or by debit card (Maestro, Postcard). Please note that due to increasing cases of fraud we cannot accept credit card payments.
For further information on how to bid, please click on the following link:
https://www.rapp-auktionen.ch/en/bidding/ )
AFTER THE AUCTION
After the auction has ended, you will receive an automatic result email where you can see the successful bids you have obtained. In the days following the auction, you will receive the auction invoice via email.
Auction invoices will generally be dispatched by e-mail one week after the auction ends. Please check the delivery address on your invoice to ensure that your purchases are sent to the correct address. If you have any special requests concerning delivery, please let us know so that we can arrange for your request.
We take care of a proper packaging of the watches and a smooth shipping of your auction lots. Please note that for shipments outside of Switzerland we have to prepare the appropriate required shipping documents / customs papers. The following costs for the departements Jewellery, Watches and Designer Bags will be charged as a lump sum for packing, shipping and preparation of customs documents (applies to shipments leaving Switzerland):
Switzerland CHF 20.- transit time 1 – 2 days
Europe* CHF 65.- transit time 3 – 6 days
Overseas* CHF 85.- transit time 4 – 8 days
*incl. preparation of international shipping documents
Shipping costs for whiskies and wines are calculated individually at cost price.
Your package is fully insured by Auktionshaus Rapp during transport. For the full insurance coverage, Auktionshaus Rapp charges 0.5% of the auction invoice. Auction lots that have not been picked up after June 18, 2024 or for which no shipping order has been received from the buyer will be stored at the buyer’s expense. Rapp Auctioneers cannot ship lots abroad that are marked with the ~ symbol in the auction catalog. These lots can only be picked up at our auction house or sent to an address in Switzerland.
Depending on the item, its carat weight, value, number of pieces, delivery method and destination, dispatch times may vary. They also depend on the payment for the auction invoice including shipping costs having been fully paid.
The auction lots can be collected from the gallery on the ground floor of Rapp Auction House strictly on the following dates and times upon receipt of payment:
Monday, 10 June to Friday, 14 June 2024 from 1:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Tuesday, 18 June 2024 from 09:00 – 12:00 and 1:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Important note: No lots can be paid for or collected on the auction day, 8 June 2024.
The post-sale of unsold auction lots runs until Wednesday, June 26, 2024. At the post-sale, auction lots can be purchased at the starting price (lower estimated price) plus 25% buyer’s premium and any VAT as well as other service charges. Viewing of these lots is possible from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14, 2024, from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm each day in the gallery (ground floor) of the Rapp Auction House.