Auction Basics

How do I consign my items to a Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction?

Consigning to a Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction is easy and stress free by using our ​online consignment form​, calling (800) 458-4646 (West Coast) or (800) 566-2580 (East Coast) to speak to one of our consignment directors, or downloading our Mobile App for from ITunes or Google Play and instantly upload your items for consignment.

How should I pack and ship my items?

Your coins and currency can be shipped with complete confidence through the postal service by registered, insured mail. This is the safest way to transport your valuable coin or currency collection.

Before shipping your items, please contact a consignment director at (800) 458-4646 (West Coast) or (800) 566-2580 (East Coast) for a consignor package. In it, you will find materials that will assist you in shipping your collection, and will include consignment listings, contracts, and other materials. When packing your coins or currency, please make sure you pack them securely inside a box with enough packing material so that the items are not loose. Before you seal the box, shake it to ensure contents do not rattle; if they do, please add more packing material. Also, make sure to include a filled out consignment listing that contains the contents inside the package, as well as a signed contract. Place the box inside of another box so that it is completely enclosed. Be sure to use enough packing material so the box is secure and does not have room to move. Please note: The USPS requires you to cover all the seams of the box being shipped with tape prior to shipping.

Address the package and attach the proper labels from the post office onto the box. Please do not indicate the contents of the package outside of the box. The post office will provide you with forms for their Registered Mail service and you should purchase insurance to cover the value of the shipment.

Any package can be insured up to a maximum amount of $25,000 per parcel through the USPS. If you wish to send packages in excess of this limit, you will need to send an inventory of your collection and contact a member of our Client Services department to arrange for additional insurance coverage, at our expense, through our Lloyd’s of London policy.

Please make sure you obtain a stamped receipt from the post office attendant who assisted you in shipping your order. The receipt should state what post office station you used to ship your package and when the post office accepted your package. Please keep a copy of this for your records, as this information is essential in the rare occurrence that something happens to your package.

In the case of a very large or valuable collection, arrangements can be made either through Brink’s or a similar armed transportation service or with one of our representatives to pick up coins or currency directly from your home or bank and transport them to our vaults. Please remember to contact a consignment director before shipping your collection. And if you have any additional questions regarding the shipment of your items, please do not hesitate to call us. We are more than happy to help clarify any inquires you may have or help you schedule any special arrangements needed for your collection.

How soon will I receive a payment if I consigned my items to a Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction?

Consignors are paid 45 days after the last day of an auction.  Stack’s Bowers Galleries also offers generous cash advances to qualified consignors.  As a qualified consignor you will have the option to receive the majority of your estimated auction proceeds before your coins or currency are sold at auction.  Contact a consignment director today for details at (800) 458-4646 (West Coast) or (800) 566-2580 (East Coast).

How can I bid in a Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction?

In person: Bidding in person during one of our live auctions is easy and fun! Simply visit the lot viewing room at our live Showcase Auctions and complete a quick, in-person registration form to secure a bid paddle. View our upcoming auction sched​ule.

By telephone: If you cannot attend the auction in person, you are welcome to make arrangements to bid via telephone with a Stack’s Bowers Galleries agent on lots with a minimum lot value of $2,500. Call us at (800) 458-4646 or stop by the auction room to make arrangements prior to the start of the live auction.

By postal mail: Simply complete a bid sheet, sign it and mail it to Stack’s Bowers Galleries, 1550 Scenic Ave. Suite #150, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. If your bid is the high bid on any lot, we will act as your representative at the auction and buy the lot. Mailing delays may result in bids not being received and placed in time for the auction. Please call a Client Services Associate prior to the auction to confirm that your mail bids were received. We encourage you to contact a Client Services Associate to place your bids via telephone.

By absentee ballot via email: Bidders who cannot attend the live auction are welcome to send their bid sheet via email at info@stacksbowers.com

By mobile app:  An enhanced live online bidding experience allows users to bid from anywhere in the world, in real time, during our auctions from your computer or mobile device. Live audio and video feed connects you directly to the auction room and allows you to watch and bid in the sale as if you were in the room! Click here for information on how to download this to your tablet or mobile device or click the button below to download the app now.

How do I register to bid?

In person: New and existing clients are required to register onsite in the Auction lot viewing room prior to receiving a floor bidder paddle.

Online: Go to StacksBowers.com and create an account.  If you already have an account, simply log in and agree to the Terms and Conditions of Sale.  

What is my bid limit?

All new customers are automatically given a bid limit. Please note: This is not a credit limit, and refers to the limit up to which you can place winning bids in a Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction. All orders must be paid in full before shipping, unless you have made prior arrangements with a Stack’s Bowers Galleries representative. If you wish to raise your bid limit, please contact us at (800) 458-4646 or at info@stacksbowers.com.

To see what your bid limit is, login to stacksbowers.com.  Under your name on the top right, select “PROFILE.” On this page you can edit your address, password and verify your bid limit.

How can I apply for credit?

If you wish to apply for credit, please contact Andrew Glassman at (800) 458-4646 or via email at andrewg@stacksbowers.com.

I forgot my username and/or password. How do I retrieve it? 

To retrieve your password, click the Login button on the top right corner of the StacksBowers.com homepage. Then click Retrieve Password. Your password will be sent to your email address on file.

Your user name is the email address you have on file.  If you forget your username, please contact our Client Services department at (800) 458-4646, Monday-Friday, 8 AM-5 PM (PST) or via email at info@StacksBowers.com.

How can I find information on upcoming Stack’s Bowers Galleries auctions? 

Please view our complete auction schedule.

Can I attend an upcoming live Auction?

Yes! Admittance to our live Auctions are absolutely free, and you’re more than welcome to attend. Please see our upcoming auction s​chedule to see where we’ll be next.

How can I get a catalog for an upcoming auction? 

If you would like to order a catalog for one of our upcoming live Auctions, please call our Client Services department at (800) 458-4646. Catalogs shipped within the U.S. are $30; $75 for international shipping. Below you’ll find pricing for our annual subscriptions:

*Annual subscriptions do not include The L.E. Bruun Collection Catalogs. These catalogs can be purchased individually by submitting a request here.

Can I order catalogs for auctions that have already passed?

Yes, you may order past auction catalogs from Stack’s Bowers Galleries for your numismatic library. Simply call our Client Services department at (800) 458-4646 and let them know what catalog(s) you’re interested in ordering. Please keep in mind that we have a limited amount of past catalogs available. Past auction catalogs are available at a modest cost per copy.

What is a Precious Metal Auction?

The bidding in the Stack’s Bowers Precious Metal Auction will be represented by a percentage of the “spot” metal prices, which will be fixed immediately before the auction begins and remain unchanged during the course of the auction. Starting bids begin at as little as 90% of the metal “spot” price.  Once a lot is hammered, the sale price will be listed in U.S. Dollars on all invoices and prices realized, not percentages.  The price you pay will be exactly the percentage of the fixed “spot” price before the auction begins times the number of precious metal ounces in a lot plus shipping, handling and any applicable taxes. There is no buyers premium for Precious Metal Auctions. All bids must be in percent of the value of the effective metal price of the lot. Example: You would like to bid on a lot of gold coins for maximum 104.6% (meaning 4.6% over the effective gold value) of the value of the fine gold content of the lot. Procedure: You place a bid amounting to “104.6%”. Please consult the special Terms and Conditions for more details on these auctions.

Important Bidding Information:

All material shall be sold in separate lots to the highest bidder as determined by the auctioneer. For the mail and Internet bidder’s protection, no “unlimited” or “buy” bids will be accepted. When identical bids are received for a lot, preference is given to the first bid received as determined by the auctioneer. The next bid increment indicated determines the lowest bid that may be placed at the current time. Bids may be placed in whole dollar amounts only, equal to or greater than one increment over the current bid. Winning bids are calculated as the lesser of: 1) the maximum bid on the item, or 2) one increment above the second highest bid on the item. Half increments (“Cut Bids”) will only be accepted during the live auction. Please read see our “Cut Bid” policy below. The auction sale is complete when the auctioneer so announces by the fall of the hammer or in any other customary manner.

A premium of twenty percent (20%) will be added to the winning hammer price of each lot (minimum of $25 per lot).

Being immediately outbid on an item means that another bidder has placed a Maximum Bid on the item, one that is higher than the bid you just placed. With a Maximum Bid, the other bidder has asked Stack’s Bowers Galleries to bid for them up to and including a specific amount when someone else raises the current bid on an item.

When you place a bid online, it serves as a “secret maximum bid” that is unknown to other bidders, and allows our system to use it as your secret bid to compete for you against other bidders in the auction, and raise your current bid to the minimum needed to win that lot, but no more than your secret Maximum Bid. The current bid on the lot will display the amount needed to win said lot, but may not reflect the actual secret maximum of the top bidder.