Frequently Asked Questions...

What is Cowan’s Auctions?

Cowan’s Auctions, is based in Cincinnati, Ohio and holds major consignment auctions of historical Americana, antiques and American Indian art throughout the year. These auctions attract bidders worldwide, with each sale typically generating over $1.5 million in gross revenue. Through the company website www.historicamericana.com. Cowan’s reaches a global market of collectors, dealers and institutional buyers.

How do I go about selling something in one of your auctions?

That’s easy! Feel free to give us a call (513-871-1670) or email us at [email protected] with any questions you have. We try to respond immediately, although it may take a day or two.

Why should I choose your auction house over a competitor?

Reach. Many folks assume that because we’re located in the Midwest, we serve only a midwestern clientele. In fact, our company is nationally recognized and we have clients in every state in the Union - as well as Europe, South America, Asia, and the Middle East.

Access. Our catalogs are mailed worldwide. We receive absentee bids from hundreds of people who participate by telephone, fax, email, and increasingly, through live bidding on the Internet. We were one of the first to broadcast our auctions worldwide over the Net, and we continue to be pioneers in the use of this important marketing tool.

Marketing. We market each sale extensively, by placing advertisements in all relevant trade publications. And we have the ability to feature items that - at other auction houses - might get lumped into a larger lot.

Attitude. We get lots of calls from people who tell us that they like doing business with us because "you’re down to earth, not stuck up"; "you return phone calls and email"; and "we like the fact that we can talk to the person directly who is selling our stuff." In short, people like us because we’re friendly, and we treat them with respect.

Results. We get great results for our consignors. We have set sales records for early photographs, political campaign ephemera, manuscript collections, early printed books and pamphlets. Please feel free to take a look at the prices realized for items we have sold.

Values. Most important, we pride ourselves for our honesty and integrity. Ask anyone who has dealt with us - we’ll be happy to provide a list of satisfied institutional and private customers.

Where do you get all that stuff you offer in your auctions?

Whether focused on a single type of item or an entire collection, all of our auctions share an important characteristic: they are composed of "lots" (i.e. "things") that have been consigned to us by their owners. We research, catalog, photograph and authenticate the items sent to us, and then market them so as to achieve the highest possible result for their owners.

Consignments are sent to us from folks throughout the United States. Many of our consignors are collectors and antique dealers who have learned about us through our appearances on the PBS television series, the Antiques Roadshow and History Detectives

Increasingly, museums and educational institutions have asked us to help sell items that fall outside the scope of their collections. We’ve recently sold collections for the Indiana Historical Society, the Western Reserve Historical Society, Western Michigan University, and the Amon Carter Museum.

How do I protect my merchandise from selling too cheaply?

In the auction industry, a "reserve" is a confidential price below which an item will not be sold - a minimum price that must be reached in order for that item to sell. This form of protection is a well-established practice in our business. Reserves are generally established through negotiations between the seller and the auctioneer.

It’s our experience, however, that consignors usually realize the best price when bidders are free to establish value. As a result, most of the items offered in our auctions are offered without a reserve. But we are always happy to discuss a reserve price for your merchandise.

How much do you charge for selling consigned property?

It depends. Our fee, or commission, is a percentage of the "hammer" price - the final bid an item achieves on the day of the auction. As the bid price climbs, our commission falls. By and large, the more valuable the item, the less we charge. Commissions generally range from 10% to 20% of the hammer price of each lot; each commission is negotiated at the time your consignor contract is written. We’re always happy to discuss our terms!

When do you hold auctions?

We conduct auctions throughout the year, with two major sales of Historical Americana occurring in the late spring and late fall.

How do I actually place a bid in one of your auctions?

In person. If you come to our live auction, you’ll have a chance to look over the lots before we start. Each bidder is given a card with a bidder number. When you see an item you want to bid on, simply hold your card or hand up so that the auctioneer can see it. As the bidding continues, the auctioneer announces the current price and asks if anyone is willing to raise the bid to the next increment. Don’t worry! We watch closely to see who is bidding so that all interested bidders stay in the running. And we speak clearly and plainly, so you’ll be able to easily follow the bidding.

Once the bidding is complete, we announce the bidder number and the "hammer" (this term comes from the traditional use of a gavel by early auctioneers), or final, price. And NO, we won’t mistake your scratching your head as a bid!

Telephone. You can arrange in advance for us to call you when a particular lot comes up for sale. We can estimate the time we will be calling (we usually sell 100 lots per hour), but to be sure, you should plan to be at the number you give us at least a half hour before the estimated time. We will make every attempt to reach you at the number you provide, but there is nothing we can do if your phone has a caller block, if the number is incorrect, if the line is busy, or if there is no answer.

When we reach you, a member of our staff will relay the asking price as the bidding proceeds, and you can tell us whether or not you want to stay in. If you are the winner, you will be informed at the time the hammer price is determined.

Email, US Mail, or Fax. However you send in your bid, tell us the maximum amount you are willing to pay. A member of our staff will execute your bid for you when that lot goes up for sale. If the bidding is competitive, we will keep you in the running until your maximum is reached. If you are the successful bidder for an item that does not reach your maximum, we will NOT charge you the full amount.

Internet. We work exclusively with eBay live auctions so you can view and bid each item in real time along with the bidders attending our live auction. This technology continues to develop and Cowan’s is on the cutting edge.

How will I get my items if I am the successful bidder?

If you are at the auction, you will be given the item as soon as the bidding as complete. You must pay for it before you leave. If you are a successful telephone or Internet bidder, you will also know you’ve won at the time bidding is complete. Successful bidders who participate by email, US mail, and fax (along with telephone and Internet bidders) will receive an invoice via US mail.

Your invoice will include shipping, handling, and insurance charges; your item will be shipped at the time you payment is received.

How do you ship the items you sell?

We use a professional packing and shipping company. Items are sent via US mail, UPS, or FedEx, depending on the size and destination. We are happy to ship according to your preference, but we do insist that all items be insured.

145. The First Steiff Teddy Bear, The Rod Bear

Sold for $17,250 including buyer’s premium.
With swivel head with embroidery thread sewn mouth, gutta percha black ...

click here to read more

Wild Bill Hickok CDV, by Gurney & Son

Sold for $16,100 including buyer’s premium

click here to read more