Before you can participate in a Kedem auction, you need to register with us. There are two ways to do this:

Online registration: First-time online participation in Kedem auctions requires pre-registration at the Bidspirit website page.

On-site registration: If you choose to attend and participate in a live Kedem auction, you will be asked to complete a registration form and present identification at the entrance to the auction premises. Please note that not all our auctions are conducted in front of a traditional live audience, therefore we recommend online registration prior to participating in an auction.

 

Before each auction, we publish an auction catalog detailing the items (‘lots’) on offer in the upcoming auction. The catalog lists each lot name together with a lot description that includes background information, a brief condition report, specifications, photos and the lot’s opening price. The information in the auction catalog is researched and written by our specialists and we are committed to the particulars therein. All Kedem catalogs are posted on our website a couple of weeks before the auction date. For some of our auctions, the catalog is also printed and sent via mail to Kedem’s customers.

Following are a few methods by which you can find items of potential interest in a Kedem auction catalog:

1. Login to the online catalog of the upcoming auction on the Kedem website to find your preferred items

2. Register to the Kedem newsletter to receive email notifications of our upcoming auctions. Additionally, we will be happy to receive by e-mail details of your fields of interest and specific items that you are looking to purchase.

3. Visit Kedem’s offices (8 Ramban Street, Jerusalem) during the traditional pre-auction preview. The preview, which takes place during the days leading up to the auction, is open to the public and does not require registration or an obligation to participate in the auction itself. We would be delighted to meet you and discuss and answer any questions you may have about the various items on offer.

4. For Kedem auctions for which a printed catalog has been published, let us know and we’ll be happy to send you a complimentary copy.

 

 

For our buyers’ convenience, Kedem offers a choice of four participation options. Prior to participating, we recommend reading the auction Terms and Conditions published in the auction catalog and on the Kedem website.

1. Bidding in the auction room: Some Kedem auctions are conducted by an auctioneer and take place in front of an audience seated in the auction hall at Kedem’s offices in Jerusalem (or at an alternative venue, as specified in the auction catalog). Participation in a live auction via in-room bidding adds to the thrill of experiencing an auction; however note that this option is not available for all Kedem auctions. If in doubt, please contact a Kedem representative before the auction. Upon arrival at the auction and after completing the auction participation form with your name and contact details, you will receive a bidding paddle with a number. During the auction, the auctioneer announces the lots on offer in the order they appear in the auction catalog. If you wish to bid on a specific lot, you wait for this lot to be announced by the auctioneer. If there are no preliminary bids on the lot, the auctioneer will announce the opening price as published in the catalog. To bid, raise your paddle, signaling to the auctioneer that you are interested in this lot at the opening price. In case of preliminary bids on the lot or should another bidder outbid you, you can raise your paddle again to indicate to the auctioneer that you wish to increase your bid. Bid increases are based on the bidding increments announced in advance in the auction catalog, or according to the auctioneer's decision.

2. Preliminary bids: If you cannot attend the live auction, you can leave preliminary bids for the lots that interest you directly on the Kedem website (up to two hours before the auction starts) or by completing the Absentee Bidding Form in the auction catalog and emailing or faxing the completed form to Kedem (up to 24 hours before the auction starts). You will win your chosen items at the lowest price that both outbids the highest competing bid and does not surpass your maximum preliminary bid.

3. Telephone bidding: Kedem provides the option of live phone bidding for customers who want to participate in the live auction but cannot physically attend. Contact our offices or email/fax us a signed participation form (no later than 24 hours prior to the auction start) specifying the numbers of the lots on which you would like to bid and your contact phone number. A Kedem sales rep will call you during the auction shortly before the relevant lots are announced by the auctioneer. When the lot comes up for auction the sales rep will act as your physical representative in the auction room, bidding on your behalf based on instructions you give via the phone. Please note that requesting to bid for a lot via live phone bidding is a commitment to purchase the lot at its opening price.

4. On-line bidding: To participate in a Kedem auction online via our website you must first pre-register, as described above. You can then either place a preliminary bid via the Bidspirit website before the auction, or participate in the live auction in real-time on the Bidspirit website. Please note that some of our auctions are conducted only on the Bidspirit website and online bidding – whether via preliminary bidding or via live, real-time bidding – is the sole participation method.

 

IMPORTANT: All opening prices in the auction catalog and announced prices during the auction do not include the buyer’s premium and Israeli VAT on the premium (if required by law), nor shipping fees. For further information, please read the Kedem Terms of Use.

 

 

If you were successful in purchasing an item at auction, congratulations! You will be contacted by a Kedem representative and sent an invoice within a few days after the auction. This invoice includes the purchase price ("hammer price"), the buyer’s premium and Israeli VAT (Israeli VAT is usually applicable to the commission only. In some cases - when indicated in the catalog - an item will require VAT on the entire hammer price, conforming with Israeli export laws).

Purchased items can be collected from our Jerusalem offices or shipped by request )shipping fees will apply(.

Payment must be made no later than two weeks after the auction. We accept cash payments (subject to Israeli law limitations), bank transfers and checks, or credit card payments which do not exceed $25,000.

 

 

 

 

When submitting a preliminary bid, am I committing to pay the full sum even if it is much higher than the competing bids?

No. Your preliminary bid is the maximum amount you are willing to pay for a lot. You will win your chosen lots at the lowest price that both outbids the highest competing bid and does not surpass your maximum preliminary bid. If yours is the only bid, you will win the lot for the opening price.

How much is the buyer's premium?

Kedem's buyer’s premium depends on the hammer price. The commission per lot will be 25% of the hammer price up to and including $250,000, 20% of the portion of the hammer price above $250,000 up to and including $1,000,000, and 12% of the portion of the hammer price above $1,000,000