We refer to live auctions as those that take place in person at a physical location. These auctions are held at our premises in Vienna and at Leica Camera AG in Wetzlar, Germany.
In contrast, our online auction (Leitz ON) takes place exclusively via the internet.
FAQ
Bidding at live auctions
Bidding in the auction room
To take part in a live auction, you will need a customer account with Leitz Photographica Auction. You can register either online in advance or on the day of the auction at the venue. Once you have successfully registered, you will be given a bidding paddle, which you can use to place your bids during the auction.
During the auction, you place your bid by raising your bidding paddle so that it is clearly visible. Each new bid usually increases the previous one by around 10%.
The auctioneer awards the lot to the highest bidder with the words “Going once, going twice, going three times” and the ringing of a bell.
Written bid
You also have the option of submitting a written bid to us no later than 24 hours before the auction begins. The relevant forms are available online, in the auction catalogue or at the pre-sale viewing.
Alternatively, you can also place your bid directly via our online catalogue on the website. In doing so, you set a personal purchase limit – up to this amount, we will automatically bid on your behalf.
If there are no higher bids, you will be awarded the lot even if the final price is below your set limit.
Bidding by telephone
It is also possible to participate in the auction by telephone.
Please let us know in writing which lots you are interested in and ensure that you are available at the time of the auction. The relevant forms can be found online or in the catalogue.
As soon as your chosen lot is called for auction, we will ring you directly from the auction room so that you can bid live over the phone.
As soon as an auction catalogue is published on our website, you can place advance bids online.
If you already have a user account, simply register for the relevant auction. Once your request has been approved, you can place bids.
A pre-bid corresponds to your personal limit, up to which we automatically bid on your behalf. If no higher bids are received, you will be awarded the lot even if the final price is below your limit.
Pre-bids can generally be submitted up to around one hour before the auction begins. Once this deadline has passed, the bid buttons are deactivated, and bids can then only be placed via the live bidding function.
Each bid generally increases the previous one by around 10%. These so-called bidding increments are fixed and must be adhered to. Bids that do not follow these increments cannot therefore be considered.
A buyer’s premium of 20% plus tax is added to the hammer price.
- Lots that remain within the EU and are not marked with an * are subject to margin taxation. In this case, the buyer’s premium is 24%.
- Lots marked with an * are subject to full taxation. In this case, the statutory VAT of the respective country of destination is levied on the hammer price and the buyer’s premium.
Once the auction has ended, you will automatically be notified by email whether you have won the bid for an item.
Once the auction has ended, we will send you an invoice, including delivery costs, by email.
Payment can be made by:
- Bank transfer
- Credit card (via a payment link provided)
Once payment has been successfully received, your item can be shipped worldwide. Shipping costs depend on the size and weight of the item in question.
Alternatively, you can arrange to collect the item in person by appointment:
Westbahnstraße 40, 1070 Vienna, Austria
Live Bidding at Live Auctions
With Live Bidding, you can take part in the auction virtually – whether you’re on the move, at home or in the office. You can follow the auction in real time via the internet, place bids or simply watch as a spectator.
As soon as the auction catalogue is available online, you can register for the relevant auction using your existing customer account.
Once your request has been accepted, you will be able to submit advance bids and bid live online on the day of the auction.
If you have been granted access to the auction, a ‘Live Bidding’ button will appear in the online catalogue shortly before it begins.
This will take you directly to the virtual live bidding room, where you can follow the auction in real time and place bids.
Yes. You can follow the auction without registering or being approved. Approval is only required if you wish to actively place bids.
During the auction, lots are called out one after the other in the auction room.
In the virtual live bidding room, you can see at any time:
- which lot is currently being auctioned
- the current bid
- the next possible bid increment
The next possible bid increment is automatically displayed in the bid button. You can also follow the proceedings in the auction room via a live video stream.
If you wish to place a bid, simply click on the bid button. Your binding bid will be transmitted directly to the auction room, where a member of staff from Leitz Photographica Auction will bid on your behalf.
The auctioneer will then decide whether to accept the bid or – for example, if a higher bid is made in the room – to reject it. The result will be displayed immediately on your online bidding console.
As long as you are the highest bidder, you cannot place another bid. The bid button will only become active again once your bid has been outbid.
Please submit your bids in good time so that the auctioneer can still take them into account.
Bidding at Leitz ON
Unlike a traditional live auction, the Leitz ON auction takes place exclusively online on our website. You place your bids directly via the platform, can follow the auction in real time, and can see at any time whether you are the highest bidder or have been outbid.
At Leitz ON, the lot is not awarded by an auctioneer in the room, but automatically to the highest bidder at the end of the auction. The sale is therefore concluded when the online auction ends.
As soon as the auction catalogue is available online, you can register for the relevant auction using your existing customer account.
Once your request has been successfully accepted, you will be able to place bids.
The lots on offer can be viewed by prior appointment at our premises at
Westbahnstraße 40, 1070 Vienna, Austria
At Leitz ON, you enter your maximum bid directly into the bid field on the relevant item page.
To do this, select the item you wish to bid on and enter the maximum amount you are willing to bid. Then click on ‘Bid’ to confirm your bid.
Your bid will be processed immediately and you will see straight away whether you are currently the highest bidder. If another bidder places a higher bid, you will be notified automatically by email.
To allow you to bid on multiple items in an auction, the lots end at staggered times. The time remaining for each item is displayed in the item list and on the respective details page.
Bids can be placed until the end of the auction. If a bid is placed within the last two minutes before the auction ends, the remaining time is automatically extended by a further two minutes.
Yes. As soon as your maximum bid is exceeded, you will receive an automatic email notification. This gives you the opportunity to place another bid before the auction ends.
With a maximum bid, you set the highest amount you are willing to pay for a particular item.
The system will then automatically bid on your behalf in the specified bid increments – but only up to the maximum amount you have set.
If you are outbid by another bidder, the system automatically increases your bid by the next bid increment, provided your maximum amount has not yet been reached. Once this limit has been reached, no further bids will be placed on your behalf.
Please note that, in the event of a successful bid, additional buyer’s fees and, where applicable, taxes will be added to your bid.
Once the auction has ended, you will automatically be notified by email whether you have won the bid for an item.
Once the auction has ended, we will send you an invoice, including delivery costs, by email.
Payment can be made by:
- Bank transfer
- Credit card (via a payment link provided)
Once payment has been successfully received, your item can be shipped worldwide. Shipping costs depend on the size and weight of the item in question.
Alternatively, you can arrange to collect the item in person by appointment:
Westbahnstraße 40, 1070 Vienna, Austria