What is a Condition Report

Excuse my ignorance but what is an condition report for a online auction house - and do they charge for this?

I just want more info on an item such as is it signed etc base photo .....

Help!

a pottery condition report is free and gives an opinion regarding damage and wear plus any details such as stamps or potters marks

So like additional info on request

Thanks

but ask for a pic of the base too

It is like viewing a lot in person but asking the auction house to do it on your behalf. Pictures and someones opinion can tell you most of the info you might want and for most situations this is perfectly acceptable, however, nothing can beat viewing in person, you won't usually get an opinion on the quality of the glaze/decoration, a feint hairline could be misinterpreted as crazing etc.

I've only asked three times for condition reports and all were not too successful, so I never bothered again.

The first time it came with the proviso that this was only the opinion of the member of staff that looked at it and the auction house was in no way responsible if what I was told was incorrect.

The second time it came back with all 4 items having no damage or restoration and then over the next couple of days the information on 3 of them changed to quite significant damage and restoration.

The third time I went along anyway after being told that one item had a chip, which was visible in the image, but the other was perfect. As soon as I asked to see the "perfect" piece in the saleroom the hairline crack was pointed out to me.

These were "reputable" auction houses too, so I think it's best to regard them all as being dodgy at times.

Condition reports are in the majority of cases a waste of time.  The auction houses don't stand behind them. They are as previously mentioned an opinion and the ones I have seen range from poor to out right lies. Ask for more pictures if that helps but buying at distance without holding it in your hand at any time is a lottery. If your happy to gamble on no damage and no restoration then go for it but I have sat in auctions and watched things sell online for lots of money that are pretty much worthless due to damage not easily seen in the pictures.

I remember very clearly 4 Minton tiles on a panel sell for just under £300 a couple of years back in Oxford. For that design it was a little over average price. What you could not see easily from the catalogue is that every one had been drilled and had a shiny chrome screw in the centre holding it to a wooden board As a display it could with luck make £20 but pretty much worthless otherwise. Someone was no happy at getting that I expect.

Thanks all - very helpful. I've always worried about viewing something on the Friday then bidding on Sat and finding the item with new damage after you have bought the item?

Also what happens if you buy an item at auction and get it sent by post (courier recommended by auction house) and find it with a big crack on it when it arrives, was it;

1) already damaged
2) damaged by public picking it up during viewing
3) damaged by the packer
4) damaged by the courier?

It's a minefield is it not?

22 Crawford St. wrote:Thanks all - very helpful. I've always worried about viewing something on the Friday then bidding on Sat and finding the item with new damage after you have bought the item?

Also what happens if you buy an item at auction and get it sent by post (courier recommended by auction house) and find it with a big crack on it when it arrives, was it;

1) already damaged
2) damaged by public picking it up during viewing
3) damaged by the packer
4) damaged by the courier?

It's a minefield is it not?

If you ask the selling at distance laws then you contact the seller for a refund.

If you ask the auction house then, tough, no refund you bought it and should have checked before making that commitment.

At the moment 90% of the time its buyer beware. Don't bid unless you are happy to take the risk.

Mail Boxes Etc are very careful but charge quite a lot

If it's not worth the effort of going to the auction when the auction is taking place then it really isn't worth buying. There will always be something else to spend your money on.

dantheman wrote:Mail Boxes Etc are very careful but charge quite a lot

I only had experience of Mail Boxes Etc recently and they are good and in this type of scenario they have their benefits but I was amazed at what they do.

I sold a pot to a Museum in the UK recently and said that I would post it to them at cost using Royal Mail Special Delivery Next Day by 1pm, which would have been £11. They said that they would prefer to use Mail Boxes Etc so I was happy with that, as it meant I didn't have to pack and post at my risk.

Mail Boxes Etc seems to be a franchise business where local people operate it. They contacted me and then arranged to pick up the bowl. They come along and photograph it and then took it away and packed it and then have it collected by Parcelforce from them and Parcelforce delivered it. The Parcelforce service is much more expensive than Royal Mail Special Delivery so it does explain why it costs what it does with the extra costs involved and the profit the Mail Boxes franchise clearly needs.

Asked - no reply as yet.

ANOTHER QUESTION:

When you go to auction you obviously have a hit list but how often do you end up coming away without the items you intended but with something else ..... simply as something was going cheap?

there is no such thing as cheap when you buy something you don't actually want and it's better to walk away empty handed than to carry on bidding regardless of budget

It's just human nature to buy something else if you miss out on the one you want. TBH, the number of times they've had people on the Antiques Roadshow saying 'I missed out on something at auction and bought this instead' it can pay off in the end

I noticed last week that Boldon auction house had a lot in its general sale that was described as 2 Poole vases plus a paperweight, with a low estimate. I was sure the vases were G. Sydenham so asked for a condition report and heights of vases and details of the base marks. Eventually I received a reply that stated that both vases had chips, one to the base and one to the vertical carving. The problem was that there was no comment as to the size of the chips, they could have said 1" or 1mm. Also they hadn't stated the heights and the angle that the photo had been taken meant it was difficult to work out if they were 6" or 9" high. They had changed the description of the lot to state that they were G.S. vases so there was obviously interest in them. The consequence of this condition report which was not much better than useless was that I didn't bother bidding. I realise that an auction house on Tyneside may not be Poole experts but the difference between a poor and a useful condition report could be a buyer willing to spend a fair bit over the estimate. Does anyone know what lot 4 sold for?

I know a collector of Chinese ceramics who asked for three condition reports on Chinese vases. Two can back as you'd expect but the third, and the most interesting vase in the sale, came back with a single line 'Not worth bothering with' (or words to that effect). Needless to say he was very intrigued

In answer to my own question from yesterday I see that the Poole lot sold for £280, I've no idea if that is a fair price or too much/little due to reasons above. I notice that photos of the bases were added to the listing but that must have been after Tuesday morning when they emailed me and as I was away with poor internet it was a commission bid or nothing.

I often wonder about how badly sellers are served by auction houses and have never sold through one as they seem very poor value for money in general

The point is that if an auction house wants to benefit from a massive increase in potential bidders by 'going online' then it has to offer those bidders a suitable level of service in return.

at the moment ebay offer more than the auction houses for half the costs

But most of the best stuff on Ebay has been bought by the Ebay seller at a standard auction!
The reality is if you are looking for the best types of item in your particular field,then specialist auctions is where you find them.

I have had more luck buying direct from potters or collectors

But a large number of the best potters are either dead or retired Dan....

Depends on how you define 'best'. TBH, I think we're living through the best time for potters