Vendor Information, Terms and Conditions
Our vendor commission rates are on a sliding scale from 5% to 20%, but typically would be 15% of the sale price. G.S.T. of 10% will be added to all quoted vendor commissions. An accurate quotation can be made on either viewing the collection or sighting an accurate vendor's description of the property to be offered. Our quoted commission rate will be dependent upon a number of factors including the value of the consignment, the average lot value, the amount of work in lotting suitably and how much pre-auction valuation work is required by the vendor. We feel this is a fairer operating structure than the flat fee structures used by many coin and stamp auctions. Lotting a $20,000.00 stamp may be quicker than lotting a messy $250.00 collection, so we will always give competitive commission quotes to the vendors of individual valuable stamps or other collectables. There is no commission charged, unless the lot is sold.
In addition to our vendor commission rates, an insurance fee of 1½% of the estimated value of the lot will be deducted from the sale price. This is a fee that applies whether or not the item is sold.
We do not charge any lotting, photograph, or unsold lot fees, our commission charge is all inclusive. Our Inter-Post Auctions will normally charge purchasers a buyers commission, as detailed in the terms of sale for each auction.
Goods should be sent to us by registered mail, together with a summary list of the contents and contact address, phone numbers and e-mail. Please contact us prior to sending, if the total sale value is likely to exceed $2,000.00. We will make contact with you regarding final estimates and any changes we suggest in lotting the material. Alternately goods can be personally delivered to our shop at any time during our trading hours.
Vendors are normally paid 3 to 4 weeks after our Inter-Post Auction takes place. Exceptions to this may be where an extension to obtain an expert certificate has been issued or where major items have not yet been paid by the buyer.
No G.S.T. is payable by Australian residents on the capital value of goods offered that are privately owned and being sold in the pursuit of a private recreational pursuit or hobby, provided we have a signed and dated declaration stating this.
Overseas vendors are charged G.S.T. on the capital value of the goods offered. Because our Inter-Post Auctions are G.S.T. inclusive, this will be deducted from the sale price of the goods.
Goods offered on behalf of G.S.T registered entities will have a full breakdown of the G.S.T. included in the sale price of each lot on the vendor statement. We require an A.B.N. number from all G.S.T. registered vendors.
The minimum lot value we can accept is a $40.00 estimate. We do prefer however that average lot sizes be above $100.00 as handling small lots is not commercially viable. Why do we still handle some smaller lots than many auctions? We do this to provide a service to both vendors looking to market smaller items in the best possible way, and so our catalogues have a range of items to suit the collector looking for more modest sets for their collections.
Advised intended sale dates are estimated and may vary according backlog of material awaiting lotting, printing schedules and other factors.
Our principle expertise is in handling philatelic and numismatic material. In recent years we have also very successfully handled a broad range of other collectables including Cigarette Cards, Early Postcards, Phone Cards, Match Box Labels, Registration Labels, Lithographs, Autographs, Wines and Ports, Tobacco Tins, Books and Journals, Records and Cigar Bands. We have even sold such off beat items as Dame Nellie Melba's personal tour diary, a collection of hundreds of old razor blades, some large wine label collections and an 8 carton collection of Sydney Harbour Bridge collectables.
We reserve the right to charge a withdrawal fee should a vendor choose to withdraw lots after agreement for inclusion in a Inter-Post Auction. We may at our discretion to reduce or waive the fee we charge for lot withdrawal, but the following are the maximum fee that may be charged. The withdrawal fee for unlotted items is 50% of our quoted commission rate plus 5%, plus the insurance fee. The withdrawal fee for lotted items prior to preparation of the catalogue is our quoted commission rate plus 5%, plus the insurance fee. The withdrawal fee for lotted items after catalogue preparation has commenced is our quoted commission rate plus 15%, plus the insurance fee. All withdrawal fees are subject to GST. The withdrawal fee is payable within 7 days of the request to withdraw the items. If this payment is not received within this 7 day period we may continue to offer the goods for sale as originally agreed.
All vendor personal information is completely confidential. Only by agreement will a vendor's name be used in an auction catalogue, description or advertising.
Why sell through us?
We see ourselves as being a little different to most other auction houses both larger and smaller than ourselves. In fact, we think we occupy a unique niche in the Australian Philatelic and Numismatic Auction market.
Trading as full time stamp and coin dealers since 1976 has given us an extensive mailing list of over 3,000 active clients both here and in a wide range of overseas countries. The accuracy and detail of our descriptions is often commented upon and buyers do notice that we mention small faults that other auction houses may choose to ignore. This has kept our customers coming back and dealing with us over a long period of time and will benefit you as a vendor. Our catalogues are attractive and easily used, with better items illustrated in colour. This is backed up by our internet auction site, using the leading edge Interbid live auction software. Buyers in Australia and overseas can see full descriptions, high quality illustrations and current starting prices, shrinking the world, and bringing buyers in the U.S.A., Switzerland , Hong Kong, Kalgoorlie or suburban Melbourne right into the auction room.
Selling through internet only auctions has become a popular pastime. However fraud and rampant errors of description and exaggeration has made buyers cautious about buying more expensive items. Internet buyers are not as yet the major buyers in the philatelic market, but it is becoming an important segment. To get the best from any good stamp collection you need to sell where both internet and catalogue based buyers are targeted, and where the buyers know the material is accurately and professionally described and can be easily returned if there is any error of description.
All material is lotted and described by the directors of the Philatelics (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Steve Waterman and Steve Meharry, each of whom have over 30 years full time experience in describing and marketing stamps and coins through our Inter-Post Auctions.
Our company is big enough that we have can give your stamps or coins the best possible exposure and access to the most serious collectors of Australasian and foreign philatelic material, but we are small enough that we can sensibly lot your material to appeal to the every day collector. We see ourselves in this important matter as differing from the largest Sydney and Melbourne auctioneers who may offer your collections of Australia, Great Britain and Germany as a single World collection lot with an estimate of $3,000.00. Such a lot is likely to be sold to a dealer and may not therefore realise as much as if marketed as country lots with better items offered individually to appeal to the collector.
We are Australia's smallest big numismatic philatelic auction house and the largest small auction house, offering you the vendor, the best all round service.