Ask Gavel
Frequently Asked Questions
These are the questions I get most in chat. If yours isn't listed, ping me in the chat bubble — I'm around during auctions and between them.
How do I register to bid?
Click Register at the top of the page and fill out the form — takes about 3 minutes. You'll upload a photo of a valid ID (driver's license is fine). Once you're in, I'll email you your bidder number and you're good to go.
Is registration free?
Yes — registration is free, and we don't charge a buyer's premium either. What you bid is what you pay, plus PA sales tax if it applies.
How do I bid?
I'm live every Friday at 3 PM Eastern. Once you're logged in, head to our Live page — you'll see the video, the current lot, and a bid box. Type your bid, hit Bid, and the auctioneer will call it out. We also stream to YouTube if you'd rather watch there and bid in the chat.
Do I need the YouTube app?
Nope — you can bid right on the website now, so YouTube isn't required. If you do want to watch on YouTube, on mobile you'll need the YouTube app (live chat doesn't work in mobile browsers); on desktop any browser is fine.
When do I pay?
Right after each lot closes I'll email you an invoice with PayPal, CashApp, and Venmo pay-now links — the amount is already filled in, you just tap and confirm. You can also pay every unpaid invoice at once from your dashboard at /dashboard. New: pay by card (Visa/Mastercard/Amex/Discover, plus Apple Pay & Google Pay on mobile) right on the site — a 3% card processing fee is added so I'm not eating it on every transaction. PayPal/CashApp/Venmo/cash skip the fee. Or drop cash/check in our drop box onsite at pickup. Payment is due within 5 business days.
Is there a buyer’s premium?
No premium. What you bid is what you pay, plus PA sales tax if it applies to the lot.
How does pickup work?
After you pay, head to /schedule to book a pickup window. Swing by our covered dock in Millville, PA — Greg and Karissa will load you out. You've got 5 business days from the auction to grab your wins.
What is the sales tax rate?
Pennsylvania sales tax is 6%, added to taxable lots unless you have a valid tax-exempt certificate on file with us.
Can I preview items before the auction?
In-person previews are available by appointment — give us a call or email and we'll set up a time to get you in.
What if I win but don’t pay or pick up?
If we don't hear from you and items sit past the 5-day window, those lots are forfeited and you'll be suspended from future auctions. Life happens though — if something's up, just reach out and we'll work it out.
How do I get notified when an auction starts?
Sign up for free SMS alerts — we'll text you when the next auction goes live, plus heads-ups on Pop-Up sales and preview times. The signup is on the home page (look for the Free Text Alerts section) or in the footer. No spam, just auction alerts.
Gavel Credit (gift cards)
What is Gavel Credit?
Gavel Credit is a digital gift card you can buy for any registered bidder at the gallery. The recipient gets it on their account and can apply it toward any open invoice with us — no codes to type, no plastic card to lose. Buy one at /gavel-credit.
How do I send Gavel Credit as a gift?
Head to /gavel-credit, search for the recipient by last name, pick the amount ($5 to $500), add an optional personal message, and pay. Two payment options: PayPal (no fee, recommended) or card / Apple Pay / Google Pay through Stripe (+3% fee). You can send the gift right away, or schedule it to land on a future date — birthday, holiday, anniversary, anything up to a year out.
I got Gavel Credit — how do I use it?
When you have an unpaid invoice with us, you'll see a pink 🎁 Apply Credit button on /dashboard and on the invoice itself. Tap it, choose how much to apply (use it all at once or chip away across several invoices — your call), and that amount comes off the balance. The credit lives on your account until you use it.
Can I schedule a gift for a future date?
Yes — pick "📅 Pick a date" in the Gavel Credit form and choose any day up to one year out. We'll hold the recipient's gift email until the morning of that day. You'll still get your purchase receipt right after payment so you know it's locked in. Need to change the date or cancel? Reply to the receipt email.
Does Gavel Credit expire?
Never. The credit sits on the recipient's account until they use it. We don't charge dormancy fees or expire credits, ever.
Gavel Timed Auctions (online bidding)
What are Gavel Timed Auctions?
Online auctions you can bid on any time — not just Fridays. Each lot has a starting bid, an optional Buy It Now price, and a timer. Browse them at /online-auctions.
How does online bidding work?
You enter your max — the most you're willing to pay. Our system bids for you in small steps to stay in front of other bidders, only as high as it needs to. You'll never pay more than you have to. If someone outbids your max, we'll email you so you can raise it.
What's Buy It Now?
Some lots have a Buy It Now price set — pay it and you win instantly without waiting for the timer. Look for the Buy It Now badge on a lot card.
What does the bid history mean? My number keeps showing up.
Each row in the history is a bid that was placed. Rows tagged LEADING took the lead at the time. Rows tagged AUTO are our system bidding on someone's behalf to protect their max — that's normal. Seeing the same bidder more than once means another customer has a higher max set and the system is automatically protecting their lead. To take the lead yourself, set a max above the current price.
Will the timer extend if someone bids in the last second?
Yes — if a lead-changing bid comes in during the final 2 minutes, the timer resets to 2 minutes. The lot keeps extending until everyone stops bidding, so nobody loses by a millisecond.
How do I save items I'm interested in?
Click the ☆ star on any lot card or the lot page to save it. Find everything you've saved at /my-watchlist. We'll also email you a 15-minute heads-up before a watched lot ends.
How do I find specific items?
On /online-auctions you've got three ways to narrow down: a search bar (matches title or description), a sort dropdown (ending soonest, newly listed, price low/high, most bids, Buy It Now only), and category chips (Tools, Furniture, Decor, Kitchen, Electronics, Toys & Games, and more). They all work together.
I won an online lot. Now what?
Congrats! You'll get an email right when the lot closes with PayPal, CashApp, and Venmo pay-now links already filled in for that lot's total (including PA tax if it applies). Won more than one lot in a day? Skip the per-email links and just open /dashboard — there's a Pay Now card at the top with everything totaled. Or drop cash/a local check in our drop box at pickup. Then schedule pickup at /schedule.
Account & sign-in
I can't sign in. What do I do?
Two paths: (1) On /login click the small link 'Trouble with your password? Email me a one-click link instead' — we'll send a sign-in link to your email, no password needed. (2) Reset your password at /forgot-password and we'll email you a reset link. Either way you'll be back in within a minute.
Can I sign in without a password?
Yes! On /login click 'Trouble with your password? Email me a one-click link instead.' Type your email, we'll send a one-click sign-in link, you click it, and you're in. The link is good for about an hour and only works once.
How do I change my password?
Once you're signed in, head to /dashboard and look for the 'Sign-in & password' card. Type the new password twice and click Save. You'll use the new one the next time you sign in.
Shipping
Do you ship items?
Yes — we ship nationwide via UPS. If you can't pick up in person, just let us know when you pay your invoice and we'll get you a shipping quote.
How much does shipping cost?
Whatever UPS charges — no markup, no handling fee. Exact price depends on size, weight, and where it's going.
How do I arrange shipping?
Reply to your invoice email or write to theauctiongalleryco@gmail.com and say you'd like your items shipped. We'll send you a quote; once you approve and pay the shipping, we'll pack it up and send it out.
How long does shipping take?
It usually takes us about a week to get your shipment mailed out after payment clears. If you need it sooner, just let us know when you pay your invoice and we'll bump it up the queue. Once it's in the UPS network, UPS Ground is typically another 3–5 business days depending on where you are.