Norton Auctioneers accepts absentee bids if you are unable to attend in person, under the guidelines listed below.

Your bid will be treated as a proxy bid, with our staff bidding on your behalf as though you were in the crowd bidding for yourself. The attending bidders will open the bid and our staff will bid for you, in the same increments that the attending bidders are raising. We will not enter your bid as the opening bid and will not raise the bid to your high bid simply because we know your limit. Please feel confident in leaving the maximum bid you are willing to pay for the item and we will attempt to buy for you at the best price possible. It is our feeling that by treating absentee bids in this manner we are working in the best interest of our client by getting them at least one more bid on their items then they would have received if we had not accepted your absentee bid.

Terms of Absentee Bidding:

1. There are some auctions or items in an auction that are not conducive to accepting absentee bids on. You will need to call our offices to check on specific items.
2. W do not accept credit cards!
3. We need a letter from you, authorizing us to bid on your behalf. The letter should include all of the following and must arrive one week prior to the auction date:​
   1. ​Description of the item.
   2. Your name, address, daytime, evening, and mobile phone numbers.
   3. Your maximum bid amount. Remember we charge a 10% buyer’s premium at most of our auctions. Explain in the letter if your bid includes the buyer’s premium or if your bid is before the buyer’s premium and/or sales tax is added.
4. A Certified or Cashier’s check for the amount you wish to bid, including buyer’s premium and sales tax (if applicable) must be received by us with the information above, at least one week prior to the auction. We will return the check if you are not the successful bidder; or remit a check to you for any overage if you are the successful bidder.
5. You must make prior arrangements for the pick-up and removal of the items you wish to bid on. For each auction there is a specified removal time and your item(s) must be picked up or shipped within that time frame. Norton Auctioneers and our clients are not responsible for items once the auction is completed. It is in your best interest to remove the items as soon as possible!

If you have any questions, please call our office at 517-617-1104. You may also email us at dan@spiethandsatow.com