Frequently Asked Questions

Bidding

How Can I Bid?

Bidding

There are several ways in which to bid in one of our auctions.

If you are a new customer you will need to register your details first, if you are already registered, please login to enable you to access the bidding facility.

Once you are logged in, and you have located the Auction you would like to bid on, you will need to click on Register to Bid and read and accept the terms and conditions; this step is needed for each auction you would like to take part in.

You can then click Place Bid and enter your maximum bid amount, continue to follow the on-line instructions until you have submitted your bid(s)

Via The Saleroom

If you are a new customer you will be asked to register.

The link below will take you to the Vectis sales currently on The Saleroom

Current Saleroom Sales

Absentee bids can be left on the Saleroom website up until 2 hrs prior to the auction commencing.

ON THE DAY OF THE SALE LIVE BIDDING

All Vectis auctions are held live on-line via www.vectis.co.uk and www.saleroom.com.

For Live bidding on the Vectis website, you will need to register or Login to your Vectis account and select Register to Bid Live.

You can also bid via The Saleroom.com you will need to register with The Saleroom and then sign up for each month's sale.

TELEPHONE BIDDING

As of the August 2023 auctions, there is a £100 minimum phone bid in effect.

If you would like to bid live via the telephone please contact us prior to the day of the auction on +44 (0) 1642 750616. On the day of the auction you will need to be available so that we can contact you via the telephone during the live auction. This option is available for ALL LOTS OVER £100 and there is NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE to you. We will call you several minutes prior to the lot being offered for auction.

We cannot guarantee that all telephone requests will be honoured due to the rising demand for telephone bidding. Although we will try to accommodate every request, we cannot be held responsible for any missed calls due to human or technical errors.

In advance of the sale:

ABSENTEE BIDS can be sent in the post, send your bids to

Vectis Auctions
Fleck Way
Thornaby
Stockton on Tees
TS17 9JZ
Tel: 01642 750616

or

Email- admin@vectis.co.uk

Bidding Increments

Important Notice

Vectis participate in 'live bidding' for all auctions, to enable us to do this the following bidding increments will apply

Value	Increment
£5 - £50	£5
£50 - £200	£10
£200 - £700	£20
£700 - £1,000	£50
£1,000 - £3,000	£100
£3,000 - £7,000	£200
£7,000 - £10,000	£500
£10,000+	£1000

Any postal, internet or bids that have been telephoned in with odd figures will be rounded up, for example a bid for £56 will be rounded up to £60, or a bid for £222 will be rounded up to £240.

In the event of a 'tied' bid we will always accept the bid we received first.

Please Note: A reserve is set at 60% of bottom estimate for all Lots, if your bid does not meet this level you will need to bid again.

How do I bid Live using the Vectis Website?

Buying

Full details of our Conditions of Sale can be found at the following link

BUYERS PREMIUM

The Buyer’s Premium for each lot is 22.5% plus VAT (27%). Payment for lots can be made by Credit or Debit card (we accept all major cards), by Bank Transfer, or by cheque provided we have a bank guarantee or alternative arrangements have been agreed.

BUYERS PREMIUM FOR LIVE ON-LINE BIDDING VIA The-Saleroom Purchasers will be charged a total premium of 32.94% on the hammer price inclusive of VAT. This will include a charge made by The-Saleroom which will be shown separately on your invoice.

There is no additional charge for bidding via the Vectis Live website.

If you notice an error with our Catalogue descriptions please don't hesitate to contact us.

In the unlikely event the catalogue description does not match the image provided please contact us.

If you notice during or after an auction please note that we will always sell a lot based on the description rather than the image.

If you have any queries, please contact us on + 44 (0) 1642 750616 or email admin@vectis.co.uk

Selling

What do Vectis charge for selling toys?

The standard charge for selling is open to negotiation depending on the value of your collection, the selling charge is all inclusive, plus VAT.

VAT is payable on the commission only and not the hammer price.

I am interested in selling through auction - how do I start?

Whether you have been left a collection, are clearing out the loft or have just decided that now is the time to sell we are always happy to hear from people, whether it's a one off or a large collection.

The first step would be to send us a list of your collection, include any images you can so that our specialists can identify if it is suitable for one of our auctions. This is free of charge so you don't need to worry if you haven't fully committed to selling just yet.

You can send the details to our email address collections@vectis.co.uk or, if you prefer, via traditional postal service*.

Our specialist will identify if it is suitable for one of our Collectable auctions and give you a commission rate based on the information supplied.

If you are happy then all that remains is to get the collection to our head office. This can be done in a number of ways,

Parcel up your collection and send to our Thornaby address*
Take your collection to one of the number of Toy Fairs which we attend across the country
Bring them into our office* where you can talk through the process and speak to the specialist who will catalogue your collection
For larger collections we can arrange a pick-up service for a charge - again this is negotiable depending on the size and value of your collection.

* Thornaby Head Office
Vectis Auctions Fleck Way Teesside Industrial Estate Thornaby Stockton on Tees TS17 9JZ +44 (0) 1642 750616

Facts:

You will receive a letter/email to confirm we have received and booked in your collection - this will include the agreed commission rate and all necessary information
It will then go quiet for a while until we have a suitable available auction for your lots to be entered into. Don't worry, this is normal and shouldn't take longer than a few months.

Approximately two weeks before the sale you will receive another letter/email to let you know the date of the auction and your Lot numbers

We may split your collection over a number of different auctions depending on the type of items you have, in order to ensure we achieve the best possible prices for you
All lots are entered with an automatic reserve of 60% of bottom estimate, however if you wish to place a reserve on any item this can be discussed with the Specialist

You will receive payment for your sold lots approximately 25 working days from the date of the sale directly into the Bank Account provided by you, if you require an alternate method of payment this may be arranged - please speak to a member of our team before the sale.

If any items are unsold these will be placed into the next available auction without reserve - if you would like to discuss this please call the office as soon as possible after the sale

Full colour catalogues are available online to view

We hold approximately 100 auctions each year

If you wish to speak to any of our team at any time through the auction process please do not hesitate to contact us on +44 (0) 1642 750616

I have received an email saying I have Pre Sales Advice – What is this?

When you bring a collection to Vectis Auctions, we will book it into our warehouse system by creating a Vectis Account for you with the details you provide on the Receipt. If you are an existing customer, we will use this information to locate your account and we will book the collection in under this account.

New customers will receive an email with a temporary password which you can use to log into your account, where you will then be prompted to create a new password

PRE SALES ADVICE

Once we have catalogued your collection you will receive an email advising you have PRE SALES ADVICE paperwork.

This can be accessed by logging into your Vectis account and selecting MY SALES

Here you will see three options

Pre Sale
Post Sale
Vendor Statements

Before an auction you can click Pre Sale, View PDF and download your Vendor report. This will show all the Lot numbers, Lot descriptions and sale estimates for items coming up for auction.

POST SALES ADVICE & VENDOR STATEMENT

After the auction you will receive another email advising you have POST SALES ADVICE, here you can select Post Sale, View, and you can Download and view the report showing how much your items sold for. Please bear in mind, this does not show the commission charges at this stage, these will be deducted from the Hammer Price.

Approximately one week before payment is due (25 working days after the auction date) you will receive a NEW VENDOR STATEMENT email. By logging back into your account and selecting Vendor Statements, View, and downloading the report this will show you how much you are due to be paid.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are a VENDOR only at Vectis Auctions, you do not need to register a payment card on your account. Your account will continue to show as PENDING, however this is referring to the BUYER status only. Details for issuing your Vendor payment are taken at the time of consigning your collection, or if your collection has been posted or picked up we will contact you directly for payment account details.

Payment Details

I have won a Lot - What do I do now?

Once the auction is complete our accounts team will double check each lot and produce the invoices. These will then be sent out via email. If an auction finishes after 5pm, the invoices will be sent the following day. If the auction is held over two days the invoices from Day 1 will be sent once Day 2 has completed.

On your Vectis Account, under My Details and My Payment Methods you have two options to choose from regarding payment and delivery. You can choose whether to have 'Auto Invoice Payment' ON or OFF and ’Collection only’ as ON or OFF.

Auto Invoice Payment On – We will send you an invoice after the auction, and advise that payment has been automatically taken from your chosen payment method.

Auto Invoice Payment Off – We will send you an invoice after the auction with details of how you can pay. You will then need to arrange for the invoice to be paid as soon as possible.

Collection only is ON - Once your invoice has been paid you can collect your winning lots from our Thornaby Office, please call us to arrange an appointment time and we will have these ready for you for when you arrive.

– If you would like your lots sending out and you have selected Collection only is ON please contact us and we can arrange for a postage invoice to be sent to you.

Collection only is OFF - The invoice you have been sent will include a postage cost to your chosen shipping address, once the invoice is paid it will be passed to our Dispatch Team who will pack and send via Royal Mail or courier. You will be sent a confirmation email once the parcel has been shipped containing your tracking information.

- If you would like to collect your lots and you have selected Collection only is OFF please contact us and we can arrange a refund for your postage fees and arrange a suitable collection date for you.

Items will be shipped as quickly as possible but due to the high volume it may take up to 21 working days to ship all parcels.

How can I pay for my winning lots?

Post and Packing

What are the post and packing charges?

Whether you're buying a Star Wars figure or a Matchbox car - we can have your items securely delivered anywhere in the world.

Our in-house shipping service means we can safely and quickly dispatch your auction lots straight to your front door.

Our website displays the shipping cost on each individual lot, with discounts for combined postage.

Please see the chart below for costs:

We endeavour to deliver your parcels as fast as possible (average shipping 14 days), however in peak times, please note that shipping may take up to 28 days.

We are currently dispatching the week commencing 28th April Auctions

SHIPPING COSTS

UK POSTAGE PRICES (Plus VAT)

Small - £14.95 + £1.95 per additional small item

Medium - £19.95 + £4.95 per additional medium item

Large - £24.95 + £19.95 per additional large item

Extra large - quote or pick up only

For example

X1 medium (£19.95)

X3 small (£1.95 + £1.95 +£1.95)

£19.95 + £1.95 + £1.95 +£1.95 = £25.80 plus VAT

International postage costs

Shipping is automatically calculated for addresses within Parcel Force Zones 6,7,8 and 9 (see below for countries) --

Zone 6 Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg

Zone 7 France, Germany, Denmark,

Zone 8 Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece

Zone 9 Rest of Europe select zone 9 in the drop down to see list of countries

Zones 6,7 and 8

Small - £34.95 + £4.95 per additional small item

Medium - £49.95 + £9.95 per additional medium item

Large - £64.95 + £19.95 per additional large item

X Large – Please contact us for a quote or collection option

Zone 9

Small - £34.95 + £9.95 per additional small item

Medium - £66.95 + £14.95 per additional medium item

Large - £89.95 + £19.95 per additional large item

X Large – Please contact us for a quote or collection option

Rest of the world postage costs

For all other countries outside of these zones e.g. USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, etc Please contact for a shipping quote
dispatch@vectis.co.uk or contact (+44) 01642 750 616

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the automatic postal charges we are no longer able to combine shipping costs over multiple sale dates.

Will the parcel be insured?

I am based in the USA. Can I have my items shipped?

How Do Vectis Grade Toys

We have endeavoured to describe items as accurately and as fairly as possible.

The terms we have used to define condition are detailed in the Condition Classification. The classification relates to the appearance of an item. No warranty can be given to the mechanical or electrical operation of any item. It must be understood that any description or assessment of an item or its condition must be regarded as opinion only, and cannot form part of any legal contract.

Where we have identified particular faults or damage to items it must be understood that reference to such faults does not imply the absence of others, nor does the lack of such a reference imply that an item is free of faults.

Prospective purchasers must satisfy themselves as to the suitability of lots before buying. Only in the event that an item should be found to be a deliberate forgery, could a transaction be rescinded. Once this is proven to the Auctioneers, then all money paid will be refunded, provided the item is returned within 7 days of the sale in the condition it was sold.

Grading system

Mint - The item is in perfect condition

Near Mint - Almost perfect, any imperfections will be extremely minor

Excellent - The item will have had very careful use, with only small imperfections

Good - The item will have had more use, showing obvious imperfections

Fair - The item will have heavy signs of wear, showing major imperfections & may include repaints

Poor - The item will be in a very distressed condition, with many faults.

Plus may be used if an item is better than its classification suggests

Do Vectis Test Toys for Working Order

No Warranty can be given to the mechanical or electrical operation of any item.

Items sold in our auctions are sold as collectors items. Mechanisms have not been tested unless otherwise stated in the lot description

How Do Vectis Grade Vinyl

Grading system

Mint - The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent - The record shows some sign of having been played, but there is very little lessening of sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.

Very Good - The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear or tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good - The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration etc.

Fair - The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.

Poor - The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise etc. The over and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

I have a problem with my Purchase

In the unlikely event that your Lot is not as described or has arrived damaged we would ask you to follow these simple steps.

Please ensure you have fully read the catalogue description, including Grading classification and viewed all accompanying images.
Understand the warranty or guarantee that was provided at the time of sale
Contact us *HERE*, providing as much information as possible.
Take photographs of any damage, particularly any damage to the outer shipping box if necessary and send to returns@vectis.co.uk

Only refunds and/or returns submitted through the link will be considered.

At Vectis Auctions we endeavour to provide complete and accurate Lot descriptions and our inhouse shipping team take pride in ensuring your lots arrive in excellent condition. However, on occasion things can go wrong. We hope to ensure that these are rectified to a mutual satisfaction in a timely and appropriate manner.