FAQ

The Sterling Auction's showroom is connected to Barry's Jewellers, located at 701 Guelph Line, Burlington, Ontario.

Absolutely. Our showroom at 701 Guelph Line would be happy to show you both auction and buy now items. Please contact us to schedule an appointment.

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Sterling Auctions accepts cheque, Paypal, credit card and bank transfers. Please make all cheques payable to Sterling Auctions Inc.

• We employ Fedex as our primary national and international shippers. For select items that require special postage (such as paintings) we will advise the purchaser on other third-party specialists.
• If you are local, you are welcome to come by our Guelph Line space to retrieve your item(s).

• Buyers may return purchased items for any reason within fourteen (14) days of receiving the item, provided the item is returned in the same condition in which it was sold. Once the item is received and inspected by our team, a refund of the hammer price and buyer's premium will be issued to the original method of payment. Shipping and handling fees are non-refundable unless otherwise determined by Sterling Auctions.
• Sterling Auctions guarantees the authenticity of the items we sell. If, within six (6) months of the auction date, a purchased item is proven to be inauthentic or materially misrepresented, the buyer may request a return for a full refund of the hammer price and buyer's premium. Determination of authenticity must be supported by qualified expert documentation and will be reviewed by our specialists.
• Please review our Terms & Conditions for more information.

Sterling Auctions is happy to bundle multiple items from a single auction to be shipped together. We are unfortunately unable to hold items longer than a period of 3 months. Please contact us to make hold arrangements.

A layaway plan can be started for items over $500 USD. An initial 30% of the whole payment is due upon creation of the layaway. The remaining amount must be paid within three months. Please contact us to discuss or begin a layaway plan.

• Our simple evaluation process begins with submitting photos and any additional information through our "Sell with Sterling" (link) form.
• If you prefer not to sell your artifacts at auction and prefer a more discrete method, we can also sell your item via private treaty. Please contact customer service today.

• To begin the consignment process, we require clear colour photos of the front, back, and any marks (signatures, stamps, damages) on the artifacts.
• Additional information including the history of the item and provenance is an asset.

• Please visit our department page (linked) to explore our specialities. Of course, you are more than welcome to provide images of your artifacts for us to evaluate to the best of our abilities.
• Our "Coming Soon" catalogues are always welcoming new consignments.

No, Sterling is a secondary market which engages with galleries, dealers or previous owners of work that has already been sold at least once.

Respectfully, Sterling Auctions does not accept primary art, firearms, taxidermy, Ivory items, First Nations artifacts, and other items deemed illegal or are prohibited within Canada.

No, you are under no obligation to sell with Sterling following your evaluation.

Consignment lots must have a minimum value of $300 CAD to undergo the auction process on Sterling. For more information, please contact customer service.

Sterling specialists are in tune with current market trends and provide an estimate based upon previous sales, market conditions, as well as an in-depth knowledge of the demand for specific artifacts and genres.

Please allow for at least 7 business days for our experts to carefully review the images and information provided. During this period, a specialist may contact you for additional images or details. Once completed, a representative will reach out to you with a thorough evaluation.

Absolutely. Our showroom is located at 701 Guelph Line and our onsite experts are happy to review your items. Please call to schedule an appointment.

In order to accurately research and photograph your items, they must be expertly curated at our Burlington location. To ensure the items remain in the same condition as described in its listing, and to facilitate prompt customer inquiries, we must retain the item during the auction period.

Our themed auctions take place regularly following a period of procurement per department. Prior to consigning your items, you will be informed of the estimated auction date.

Following submission of payment from the buyer, consignors will be paid approximately 30 business days after the allotted inspection period.

Sterling offers our consignors auction settlement in cash, cheque, paypal or bank transfer.

If your item does not sell in auction, a customer service representative will contact you with additional options.

Shipping and any potential cross border transport fees are the responsibility of the consignor. A representative will contact you with additional information regarding shipping and freight options.

Our dedicated consignment team will be in consistent contact with you, from the initial review, to shipping details, auction dates, and finally payment processing. While email is the primary method, we're happy to give you a call!

The current and all upcoming auctions are presented on the homepage as well as detailed on the relevant department section.

Absolutely. Please contact a customer service representative with a lot number and catalogue title and our photography studio will handle the request.

All items shown online are in United States Dollars (USD) due to our global clientele. You are welcome to use the currency converter to view other global currencies.

Sterling Auction strives to present an upcoming sale every 4 months, specially curating unique pieces to appeal to our global clientele.

Our standard auction period is three weeks, however this may be extended depending on catalog length. Auction closing dates are available on department pages as well as on each auction information page.

No, you do not need to be logged in to view auctions. However, you must have a verified account if you wish to participate.

• Sterling Auctions requires all auction participants to submit an image of a government issued photo ID or a recent utility bill to confirm their name and address.
• Please submit this information via your account page.

• In accordance with the "Know Your Client" requirements, Sterling Auctions must obtain valid ID from clients.
• Verification is required to ensure that auctions are not fouled. This protects both our bidders and our consignors.

• Your maximum bid is the highest amount you are willing to pay for the artifact in auction. Your maximum amount will only be used to the extent required to secure you the highest bid.
• For Example: If the current bid is $500 and you enter a maximum bid of $600, the system will place the next minimum bid of $501 for you. If another bidder places a maximum bid of $550, the system will automatically increase your bid to $551, keeping you in the lead. The bidding will continue this way until your $600 maximum is reached or another bidder places a higher bid.
• You may increase your max bid at any time.

• A Buyer's Premium is an auction industry standard fee comprising 24% of the hammer price for all lots. This fee covers the research, photography and services provided by Sterling Auctions.
• The Buyer's Premium is only applicable to auction lots. There is no Buyer's Premium on Buy Now lots.

Each bid is a minimum of $1 USD. Bids must be in whole dollars and are not permitted to include cents. Please do not include commas or decimals.

To ensure each artifact reaches its peak price, our auction system runs on a soft close system. This means when a bid is placed within the last two minutes of the auction, an additional 60 seconds is added to the clock. This ensures a fair but competitive auction.

No. All bids placed in a timed event are a binding contract and cannot be removed or reduced. Please review your bid amount prior to submitting.

• Following the auction close, you will be automatically emailed as to whether you were the successful bidder or not.
• The Lot will also show in the "My Auctions" portion of your account.