Auction Rules

Note: Auction days end at 11:59pm Eastern Time (GMT-4 or GMT-5).

Bidding and Registration

Bidding is done directly from the Auction Catalog, by clicking the Place Bid link for the desired lot.  This will take you to the Auction Bid page, where you will enter your bid amount and click the Submit Bid button. Your bid will be entered into the auction database, updating the auction catalog immediately. You will then see a Bid Confirmation page that will give a brief summary regarding the success of your bid. You will then have the option to view a Bidding Summary page, which will summarize all of the lots on which you have bid.

If you have not received auction registration information and you wish to bid, then please contact the Please read the privacy policy regarding this site's use of personal information.

Bids must be in whole US dollars. The first bid must be at least 25% of the estimated value given.  For items with no estimated value, the minimum bid is $2.

The minimum required overbid is the current bid plus the minimum increment, as defined in the table below. A current bid of "$0" means there are no bids.

PLEASE NOTE: any shipping/handling costs and applicable sales/use tax are extra, and are not included in the bid amounts. (California sales tax will be collected for CA residents buying for personal use; payment of any applicable use tax in other states is the responsibility of the bidder.)

Maximum Bids (aka Proxy Bidding)

This is a technique like that used by eBay. All bids are treated as the maximum amount you are willing to pay for an item. However, if your bid is the highest, it will automatically be reduced to the least amount that still outbids everyone else and the starting/reserve price (see below). Only the reduced amount is what everyone will see in the public auction catalog as the current bid—your maximum bid will be hidden from other bidders so that your leading bid cannot be unfairly driven up. Later, if other bids are received that are less than or equal to your original maximum bid, then we will automatically increase your bid to an appropriate increment over all intervening bids, up to your original maximum bid.

Starting in Phase 10, you can increase your leading bid (previously this was disallowed). To do this you simply place a new bid. This will have no visible or immediate effect on the auction status, except that competing bidders will find it harder to outbid you.

Lot Descriptions

The items described are offered as is. Some photo images have been corrected for exposure (not color), but may deviate slightly from the true color image; your monitor or printer may also distort the colors. Any questions about the accuracy of the descriptive information should be made before the end of the auction. All bids and sales are final.

Changes to the lot descriptions may occur during the auction. If this happens, all corresponding bidders will be notified, and the changes will be logged online.

Reserve Prices

Some items have reserve prices. This is the minimum price, below which the item will not be sold. The reserve price can be thought of as a bid made by the seller.

Auction Duration

Note: Auction days end at 11:59:59 pm ET.

The unofficial auction period is noted on the home page. At the end of this period, if the leading bidder has changed any time during the final day, that lot will remain open for an additional day.  This will continue until the leading bidder has retained the lead at least one full bidding day. The purpose of this rule is to give the penultimate bidder a reasonable time to counter-offer, and thus to discourage poaching.

The auction clock uses US Eastern Time (GMT-5 in winter, GMT-4 for summer/savings time). An auction day runs from 12:00 am to 11:59:59 pm.

Winning Bids

Generally, the high bid at the end of the auction (and any necessary extensions) the winning bid, and the bidder wins the right to (and is obliged to) purchase the item. Some items have reserve prices and will be so noted in the auction catalog (see above); the high bid must meet or exceed the reserve price in order to be a winning bid.

All winning bidders will be notified via email after the end of the auction (or extensions thereof). Notification will include total costs, including shipping, handling and applicable sales tax (I will change California state sales tax for deliveries to California). Payment must be received within 10 days of end of the auction. If full payment is not received, we reserve the right to sell items to a lesser bidder or via other means.

Note: If we are unable to contact you via email, for any reason, we reserve the right to sell to the next bidder.

Payment and Shipping

Payment must be in US dollars. PayPal, cashier's check, cash, and wire transfer are acceptable. Sorry, no credit cards. Personal checks will only be accepted with prior arrangement from "known" buyers. PayPal must be prearranged and subject to a convenience fee.

You assume the risk for failure of postal transfer of payment. Thus, we recommend you consider taking appropriate precautions when sending payment, such as insurance or registered/certified mail.

All puzzles will be shipped by via US Mail. Domestic packages will be sent Priority Mail. Overseas packages will be shipped air mail (note: surface mail is no longer available out of the United States). You assume the risk of postal loss or damage; so insurance is recommended and available upon request.

Eligibility

There is no restriction on who may participate. We reserve the right to cancel bids and/or disable account access for bidders who ignore or abuse the auction rules.

The Auction catalog is only available online at this web site. If you do not have access to the Internet, then you should contact someone who does to have them print the catalog pages and then place the bids for you.

Last updated on April 19, 2008