Buyers

T2 auctions provide trade buyers with an efficient and reliable means of purchasing instruments and bows at fair and competitive prices.

All items can be examined in advance of the sale at our public viewings in New York. Detailed descriptions, photographs and condition reports are available online for all lots. Our staff are happy to assist you with your inquiries.

The system of online bidding is easy, convenient and allows buyers to bid discreetly on their computer, smartphone or tablet.

Reserve Price

Some lots at T2 are sold subject to a reserve. The reserve is a confidential minimum price agreed by T2 and the consignor, below which the lot will not be sold. The reserve will never be higher than the opening bid amount.

Buyer’s Premium

A premium will be added to the final bid price for each lot. This premium is equal to 20% of the hammer price.

Payment

Payment must be made within seven days of receiving T2’s invoice. Payment is accepted in any of the following: cash, check, cashier’s check, wire transfer, and credit card. Personal checks must clear before purchased lots will be released. A service fee of 4% will apply to credit card transactions.

Any items remaining unpaid 15 days after the sale may incur a late payment fee of 3% of the total purchase price of each unpaid item. Please see the Buyer’s Auction Payments section of our Terms of Use for more information.

T2 Rewards

T2 Rewards is a loyalty program offering a reduced premium for frequent, high-volume buyers in T2 auctions.

• Bid successfully in T2 auctions and start accumulating reward status
• As soon as you reach status, your discounted premium is applied, even if it is in the same sale
• Keep enjoying a discounted premium for the rest of the year in which you qualify, and the calendar year that follows

Spending is calculated as the total purchase price (hammer price + buyer’s premium) and is accumulated from January 1 until December 31 each year. You can track your progress, via your T2 account.

Bidding

Bidder Registration

Bidders must register for each T2 auction in which they wish to participate via the Register to Bid link.

Registrants will be asked to choose a Bidder ID. The Bidder ID should not identify the bidder as all Bidder IDs are public. All registration information is kept strictly confidential and secure. Bidders are responsible for keeping their registration information and preferences up to date and correct.

To make changes to an existing registration, click the Account link.

There is a $1.00 charge to register.

Tarisio reserves the right to refuse the registration of any bidder at any time.

Opening and Ending Times

Bidding on all lots in each auction opens as soon as the catalog is published online. Each lot has a separate ending time as listed in the catalog. Ending times are staggered to accommodate bidders interested in multiple lots. All times are listed in Eastern Standard (EST) or Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) as appropriate.

Placing a Bid

To place a bid, the bidder should select the relevant lot and click the Place a Bid button. By default, the amount of the bid will be the current bid plus the appropriate auction increment (see Bidding Increments below). If no bids have been placed, the default amount is the opening bid. The bidder will be prompted for his or her Bidder ID and password. After clicking Submit Bid, the bidder will receive an email confirming the amount of the bid. If another bidder should bid higher than this amount, the first bidder will receive an outbid notice by email. By placing a bid on a Lot (including a Proxy Bid), the bidder is committing to a legally binding and irrevocable offer to purchase the Lot at any price up to and including his or her highest bid amount. Please see our Terms of Use for more information.

Left Bids

Bidders are encouraged to place bids online, but those without access to the internet may leave bids at the viewings or submit bids by telephone. To place telephone bids please call +1 800 814 4188 (New York sales) or +44 (0)20 7354 5763 (London sales) after having registered with T2 in advance.

Please note: left and telephone bids are handled as proxy bids. These services are provided as a courtesy to bidders, and although every effort will be made to execute bids on time and accurately, T2 will not be responsible for any error or failures to execute left bids. In the event that identical bids are left by two or more parties, T2 will honor the first bid received.

Proxy Bids

By placing a proxy bid, a bidder sets a maximum amount that he or she is willing to spend and enables the auction software to execute bids as necessary on his or her behalf. The auction software will place an initial bid (one increment above the current bid) and then wait. If a challenging bid is placed by another bidder, the auction software will automatically execute a bid on behalf of the original proxy bid (again, one increment above the current bid). The auction software attempts to place as few bids as possible in order to keep the bid amount as low as possible. Under no circumstances will the auction software exceed the amount of a proxy bid. A proxy bid is strictly confidential and is encrypted securely in the auction software.

To place a proxy bid, the bidder should select the relevant lot and click the Place Proxy Bid button. After selecting a proxy bid amount from the drop­down list, the bidder is asked to confirm his or her Bidder ID and password. The bidder will then receive an email confirming that a proxy bid has been placed. If the maximum amount of the proxy bid is ever exceeded, the bidder will receive an outbid notice by email.

Bidding Increments

Bidding will be conducted according to the following increments, regardless of the sale currency:

Bidding History

The T2 website provides complete and current bidding history for all lots.

Ending Time Auto-Extend

If there is active bidding within the last 10 minutes of a particular lot’s published ending time, the ending time will automatically extend for 15 minutes. This is done as a courtesy to the recently out­bid bidder. The ending time can continue to extend indefinitely for as long as there is active bidding.

Web Page Refresh

Because of the way web pages work, the bidding information you see on your computer screen may at times be slightly out of date. T2 lot pages will automatically refresh every two minutes; however, to make sure you are seeing the most accurate up­to­date bidding information, you can click Refresh or Reload on your browser window to request the latest bidding information from our server.

Reserve Met

When the reserve for a lot is met or exceeded, a highlighted message appears beneath the description of the lot reading Reserve Met.

Successful Bids

The high bidder at the closing time of each lot will be emailed a successful bid confirmation; each high bidder is also requested to set their shipping, payment and other preferences. Within 48 hours of the close of the sale, bidders will receive a preliminary invoice for the lot(s) they have successfully purchased. The invoice will include the buyer’s premium and any applicable shipping fees and taxes based on the bidder’s preferences. It is the responsibility of the bidder to notify T2 should he or she wish to have a particular purchase shipped or invoiced by means other than those specified on the preliminary invoice.

Catalog Practice

Estimate Prices

The estimates published in T2 catalogs are intended to reflect past auction prices and current market trends.

As a courtesy to bidders, currency conversions are provided in the online catalog. These estimates are for approximation purposes only, however, and all bids, consignor reserves, invoicing, and payments will be conducted in US Dollars.

Condition Reports

Prospective buyers are encouraged to thoroughly inspect lots in which they are interested at T2’s pre-sale viewings. T2 provides written condition reports for all instruments and bows via email, but not verbally or otherwise. T2 condition reports are prepared as accurately and comprehensively as possible; however, in no way do they express or imply warranties of any kind on the part of T2 or its specialists.

Certificates, Letters and other Documents

If a lot is to be sold with certificates of authenticity, letters, or other documents, this is noted in the catalog description before the estimate amounts. The dates of old certificates and papers are noted in the catalog; those of contemporary certificates are not.

Endangered & Protected Species

Endangered Species Materials

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) restricts the movement of items containing materials from certain endangered species, including:

• Tortoiseshell
• Elephant ivory

In compliance with the Endangered Species Act and the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS):

1. T2 does not sell instruments or bows containing tortoiseshell or elephant ivory less than 100 years old
2. T2 does not ship instruments or bows containing ivory or tortoiseshell outside the US

As of November 28, 2019, the CITES organization has created an exception in their regulations for Rosewood. There are no longer restrictions on the import and export of Musical Instruments containing Rosewood.

Pernambuco

Lots containing raw or partially worked pernambuco (blanks or planks) will require a CITES permit and a US Fish & Wildlife declaration in order to be shipped internationally. Tarisio will be filing the appropriate paperwork on your behalf and the total cost per shipment will be $325. Please be aware that the complete process could take up to 90 days but we will assist you in any way we can to ensure a smooth process.

Protected Species Materials

Mother of Pearl

Items containing mother of pearl require a US Fish & Wildlife declaration in order to be shipped internationally.
The permit is compulsory and costs $125 per shipment, regardless of the number of pieces containing mother of pearl. The application is sent once full payment has been received and buyers should allow up to 10 business days for processing. We thank you for your patience during this step!

Non-Cattle Leather

Snake skin, lizard skin and other types of exotic non­-cattle leather used for bow grips are also prohibited from international shipment by USFW laws. T2 will remove these materials from bows before international shipment without further notice to the successful bidder.

Mammoth Ivory

As an extinct species, mammoth ivory is exempt from federal United State Fish & Wildlife regulation. It can be shipped and transported across international borders without declarations or fees.
Please email info@t2-auctions.com for more information.

For further advice on shipping endangered or protected species internationally, please contact info@t2-auctions.com.

Shipping & Insurance

After payment is received in full, purchased lots will be shipped by the means indicated on T2’s invoice, unless alternative shipping instructions are received from the bidder.

Collection

Customers who wish to pick up purchased lots may do so at T2’s New York office (244­250 West 54th Street). Please note NYS Sales Tax of 8.875% will apply to collected items.

For domestic shipping of purchases, the following is a guide to rates charged by T2 for packing and shipping by FedEx Ground within the continental United States.

*prices effective as of January 1, 2022

All other shipping costs are quoted by T2 based on destination. T2 exclusively ships with Fedex and does not ship instruments with the US Postal Service. Purchased lots shipped abroad will be accompanied by all necessary commercial invoices plus antique declarations when appropriate as well as any Protected and Endangered Species declarations and permits.

T2 is not responsible for any loss or damage caused to a lot while in transit.

Shipping Insurance

Shipping insurance for your purchases is provided upon request under a policy written by Heritage Insurance Services for T2. Although accidents are extremely rare, we are committed to helping you protect your purchases. Upon successful bidding, you will have the option to purchase shipping insurance with your invoice.

Cost

Your lots can be insured at a cost of 0.5% of value (hammer price plus buyer’s premium) when shipped within the United States. International shipments are charged at a rate of 1.5% of value. The maximum insurable value is $200,000 and insurance is not available for more than the value of your lots. Shipping costs and other fees appearing on your invoice cannot be insured.

Coverage

Coverage is appropriately robust and applies to loss or damage directly resulting from mis­delivery, non­delivery, mysterious and accidental disappearance during shipment, and other perils including breakage.

Exclusions

The following exclusions apply to coverage: war and other military action, nuclear hazards, governmental seizure or confiscation, governmental destruction or other acts of any governmental or administrative authorities, illegal transportation and contraband. In addition, no coverage is provided for delay, loss of use, loss of market value or any other consequential or indirect loss. No shipping insurance coverage is provided for pre­existing conditions, disclosed or otherwise on condition reports.

T2 expressly disclaims any responsibility for any of the above listed events, our responsibility to you being limited to the purchasing of the above insurance on your behalf if you instructed us to do so and paid the applicable cost.

Claims

Claims must be reported within 10 days of the event giving rise to the claim. In the event of damage, you will be asked to submit detailed pictures of the damage and packaging, including the original box and any visible mishandling, damage or abuse thereof. T2 is pleased to assist you in processing your claim as efficiently as possible; please note the insurance company will independently determine claims according to the policy and the specifics of each claim.

The above is a summary of the policy governing shipping insurance for purchased lots. For a more complete version, please email info@t2-auctions.com.