How to Bid

28%
Credit card, cash, check or wire transfer

28%
Credit card, cash, check or wire transfer

28%
Credit card, cash, check or wire transfer

Sign In to an existing account or register for a new account to place absentee or live online bids directly through the STAIR website.

No matter where you are, as long as you have a reliable internet connection, you can follow and bid in our auctions live online, through bid.stairgalleries.com. Please register to bid on the platform of your choice by 12pm EST the day prior to the auction, to make sure you have been approved. We aim to confirm registrations right away, but it’s best to allow several hours before the start of an auction to ensure online bidding participation. Please note, if you need an increase in your bid limit, contact us at least 24 hours in advance.

To participate in our auction online, clients have the following options:

For assistance during business hours (9AM – 5PM, Monday – Friday), call 518.751.1000.

FAQS: BIDDING/BUYING Click here

Buyers unable to bid online, or on the telephone can still participate by leaving an Absentee Bid. We will confidentially execute bids on your behalf, up to the maximum amount you request. If it is not an incremental amount, it will be automatically rounded down to the nearest increment (please see table below). We will continue bidding for you until your maximum bid is reached, or the bidding ends. If the other bidders drop out before your maximum bid, the lot will be yours for the amount that was reached.

To register, you must first log in or create an account. Once you have logged in successfully, please go to the catalog to register for the auction. You may place your absentee bid(s) directly on the lot(s) of interest.

If you are unable to attend the auction in person, you can still bid live on the telephone with a STAIR representative. One of our phone bidding team members will call you from the auction room a few lots beforehand. They will let you know your lot is coming up shortly and once the bidding on your lot begins, they will talk you through what is happening in the room. When they ask if you would like to bid a specific amount, please answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as quickly as possible – bidding moves at quite a pace!

Overseas bidders and clients bidding from a cell phone are asked to leave a backup bid, which will function as an absentee bid (see below) if we are unable to reach you.

Requests for telephone bidding must be made before the sale day.

PLEASE NOTE: As our phones lines are limited, we can only accommodate telephone bidders willing to bid at least within the estimate. If your maximum bid is below that amount, please leave an absentee bid or register to bid online on one of the online platforms.

Please click here for our Conditions of Sale.

It’s easier than ever to pay for your items at STAIR.

Your Invoice

If you bid successfully you will receive an email notifying you once the sale has concluded. You can log into your account on the STAIR website to see all invoices.

Payment must be received immediately, so that we can pay our consignors in a timely manner.

Paying

You can access and pay for your invoice with a credit card by logging into your account. Payments accepted include: cash, personal check (from a U.S. bank), wire transfer, Visa, MasterCard & American Express.

Checks should be made out to “Stair Galleries and Restoration, Inc.” and mailed to:

Stair Galleries
549 Warren Street
Hudson, NY 12534

For Wire Instructions call us at 518-751-1000.

To avoid paying the wrong sales tax, if items are being shipped, the shipping address on your invoice must match the destination on your shipper’s bill of lading.

Please note, that if property is not being collected by a registered shipper, you must select “Picked Up” when paying for your invoice. Therefore, if you, a friend, a relative, etc. are picking up your purchase be sure to select “Picked Up”.

If we receive a ST-120 for resale, you are exempt from sales tax.

If you attended the auction in person and successfully bid on an item, please pay at the front desk the day of the auction and collect your purchased lot(s).

Buyer’s Premium

STAIR charges a commission of 28% on each purchased lot. This is identified as Buyer’s Premium on your invoice. If you purchase a lot through a third-party Bidding Platform, any additional premium charged by the Bidding Platform is added to the STAIR Buyer’s Premium.

Resale Certificate

Appropriate State sales tax is due on all purchases collected from the gallery, unless we have a valid Resale Certificate on file.

Download a Resale Certificate, fill it out and and email it here: Secure Document Upload page.

Sales Tax:

For any property collected or received by the purchaser from our gallery in Hudson, New York, such property is subject to sales tax at the combined New York State and Columbia County rate of 8%. If the property is collected by a registered shipper and delivered into any state in which STAIR is registered, we are required by law to collect and remit the appropriate sales tax in effect in the state where the property is delivered. If the property is collected by a registered shipper and delivered to a state where Stair is not required to collect sales tax, it is the responsibility of the purchaser to self-assess any sales or use tax and remit it to taxing authorities in the state.

Collection from STAIR

We are open for pickups Monday through Friday, from 9.30am to 12pm and again from 1pm to 4.30pm.

If we are open for a preview and your purchase is small, you may request a weekend pickup.

We ask that you collect your items or make collection arrangements within 10 days of your purchase.

Shipping

We suggest requesting a quote for packing and shipping prior to bidding on an item, as you will be responsible for collection or shipping if you are the successful bidder.

Here is a list of shippers our clients use on a regular basis, but feel free to use your shipper of choice.

When arranging collection with your shipper, please ask them to email BOL@stairgalleries.com to submit a Bill of Lading and request a pickup time 48-hours in advance.