Participate in the auction in person, online, by telephone, or absentee bid.
In-Person Bidding
Join the excitement in the auction salesroom at our Houston Galleries at 6116 Skyline Drive. You can register during the preview exhibition the week before or the day of the auction at the Registration window in the building lobby.
The auction begins with the first lot and the auctioneer will open each lot in order – starting the bidding at either where advance bidding has already reached or a bit below the reserve price. Competing bids in the room, on the telephone, and online then increase by bid increments (see below for bid increment chart) until only one high bid remains. Our auctioneers give you sufficient time to make your next bid and will acknowledge that you have the leading bid.
The winning bidder is noted by the auctioneer and if the reserve price is not met, the auctioneer will “pass” the lot. Unsold lots may be available for purchase after the auction.
Online Bidding
Bidding is available live during the auction through the internet. Our auctions allow bidding through various online platforms such as Invaluable.com and LiveAuctioneers.com.
All it takes is a simple registration on the platform of your choice and then you can either leave advance bids or register to bid during the auction. The online bidding follows the action in the auction salesroom in real-time. Your online bids compete with other bidders in the room and on the telephone. But bid quickly, as variable internet speeds can slow down the auction and we don’t want you to miss winning your lot!
An important note: the Online Buyer’s Premium is different than when you bid with Simpson Galleries directly.
Telephone Bidding
You can register to be on the telephone with one of our representatives so that you can bid live during the auction. They will call you a few lots before your lot(s) are coming up and will let you know when your lot is open for bidding and how the bidding progresses. When they ask for your interest in raising the bid, please clearly answer “yes” or “no” very quickly so they can offer your bid to the auctioneer.
Requests for telephone bidding must be made at least 24 hours in advance. We may request a secondary telephone number so we are sure to contact you.
Absentee Bidding
If you aren’t available on the auction day to bid in person, online, or by telephone, then you can leave an absentee bid with Simpson Galleries directly. You present the maximum amount you are willing to bid and our auctioneer will execute your bid as it competes with other bidders during the auction. If the competition ends before your maximum bid amount, you will win the lot for just that amount. Please refer to the bid increment table below to ensure that your bids are at the appropriate increment for the level of bidding. If your bid is off increment it will be rounded down to the nearest increment.
Bid Increments
| Bid Amount | Increment |
| Up to $500 | $25 |
| $500 to $1,000 | $50 |
| $1,000 to $2,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 to $5,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 to $10,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 to $20,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 to $50,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 to $100,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 to $200,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 to $500,000 | $25,000 |
| $500,000 to $1,000,000 | $50,000 |
| Over $1,000,000 | $100,000 |
Buyer’s Premium
| Bidding Method | Buyer’s Premium |
| In-Person, In-House Absentee, Telephone | 22% |
| Online at Simpson Galleries | 24% |
| Third-Party Online Bidding Platforms: Invaluable, LiveAuctioneers | 27% |
Online buyer’s premium is inclusive of an additional fee charged by the online auction facilitator.
