Auction FAQs

Live auctions are available in person, by telephone or online. To register for online bidding visit our Upcoming Auctions page and select your desired auction. This page will have a button for registration that will redirect you to the appropriate form. Before you can bid on your desired lots you MUST create an account with iCollector (much like you would on eBay). To do this please select “Get Approved to Bid” next to the Auction title (link is right below the green “Bid Now” button). Once you select “Get Approved to Bid” you will be prompted to “Create an Account.” Please proceed accordingly and fill out all fields. Once you are done please select the green “Continue to Register to Bid” button at the bottom of the page. You should receive a “Welcome to iCollector” email and be prompted with the following message:

“Thank you for registering for (Auction Name) Auction with Profiles in History. You will receive a confirmation email once you’ve been approved to bid.”

The approval process should only take up to 72 hours. Once approved you are officially ready to participate in the live auction!

Please be aware that there is a minimum 3-second delay in the audio and visual live feeds. Our team will factor this into their management of the sale so you won’t miss out!

To register for telephone, absentee or live bidding please fill out THIS FORM located on the Profiles in History website.

The Buyer’s Premium is a fee that is added onto the hammer price (winning bid amount) of all items. Successful bidders are required to pay this premium in addition to the final hammer price.  For TELEPHONE and ABSENTEE bidders the standard Buyer’s Premium is 20% for payments made by cash, check, wire transfer or money order.  If TELEPHONE or ABSENTEE bidders wish to pay by credit card, the Buyer’s Premium will increase to 24%.  ALL ONLINE BIDDERS, REGARDLESS OF FORM OF PAYMENT, WILL INCUR A 28% BUYER’S PREMIUM.

Make Note: Buyers Premium DOES NOT include applicable taxes & shipping costs.

A reserve is the minimum amount an item will be sold for and the starting price for all items when they hit the auction block.

For Example: If an item is listed at $100-$200, it cannot be purchased for less than $100.

Absentee Bidding: An absentee bid, can also be described as a “blind” bid. When leaving an absentee bid on iCollector, or directly with Profiles in History you are providing the maximum amount you wish to spend on a particular lot. Once you place an absentee bid, there is no further action that needs to be taken. On the official auction day, the internet (iCollector) or our Auctioneer, will then bid on your behalf up to and not exceeding your maximum bid. In a situation where the bidding continues, past the amount you have placed, you will not be notified, nor will you be charged. If a lot sells for an amount less than you maximum bid then you will receive a notification from Invaluable that you are the winning bidder, and can expect to receive an invoice from Profiles in History.

For Example: Rachel leaves a maximum absentee bid of $300.00 USD for Lot “X”. Come auction date, while Rachel is at piano practice, Lot “X” sells for $200.00 USD. Rachel checks her iPhone after piano practice and see’s she has an email from iCollector stating she won Lot “X”. Rachel will be invoiced by Profiles in History for only $200.00 USD (excluding BP, tax & shipping) even though she was willing to spend $300.00 USD for her favorite costume.

Make Note: iCollector will not accept any absentee bids placed 2 hours prior to the start of the auction.

Live Bidding: Live bidding requires you to be online, at the time of the auction (online bidders), have access to a telephone and be ready to communicate with your assigned Auction Associate (telephone bidders) or to be physically present at the auction site (floor bidders). When placing live bids, you have to be logged into your account on iCollector. When your desired lot hits the auction block, that is when you will manually “bid” in real time against other online bidders. When you live bid, you are notified of every bid that is being placed, both yours and other online bidders. You will also see activity from our Auction Associates whom are monitoring and managing the sale.  Telephone bidders will be contacted 2-5 minutes before their desired lot hits the block by an Auction Associate present on the auction floor who will bid on their behalf.

Still have questions about Absentee & Live Bidding? Give us a call at (310) 859-7701!

All payments are due within 7 days from the date you receive the invoice. Profiles In History DOES NOT automatically charge the credit card you provide at registration. The only accepted forms of payment are:

– Cash
– Cashier’s Check / Money Order
– Credit Card
– Personal Check
– Wire Transfer

To pay by credit card, please call the office at 310-859-7701 or follow the secure link provided in your electronic invoice to make a payment online.

Mail checks to: Profiles in History / Attn: Billing / 26662 Agoura Rd. / Calabasas, CA 91302

Cash is ONLY accepted when paying in person. DO NOT send cash in the mail. No personal checks will be accepted when paying and picking up your items on the same day.  Personal checks require 5 business days for clearance before items may be released in person or sent to our shipping department.

Make Note: we do not accept PayPal

California sales tax shall automatically be added to the purchase price unless exempted.

Resale Certificates: California residents can only be exempt from sales tax by providing a valid resale certificate. Acceptance of any resale certificate is at the discretion of Profiles In History.

The buyer is responsible for shipment of all purchased items. Upon the close of the auction, all buyers will receive a list of our preferred third-party shippers. It is up to the buyer to contact and hire a third-party shipper to retrieve and ship his/her items.

In some instances, Profiles in History may be able to ship items in-house dependent upon size or type. All shipments sent from Profiles in History require the buyer to sign and return a release form prior to shipping. Please allow 3-5 weeks from the date of payment for your item/s to be shipped. Profiles In History ships exclusively via FedEx. For all international shipments, the buyer is responsible for all customs, duties, taxes and fees. Profiles In History claims the full value (hammer price) of each item when being shipped internationally.

Lots that specify “Special shipping arrangements will apply” in their catalog description will not be shipped by Profiles In History. This requires the buyer to contact a 3rd party shipping company to arrange for a pick up. If you are in need of 3rd party recommendations please call our office at 310-859-7701.

Profiles In History does not accept returns. All sales are FINAL. All property and lots are sold “as is” and “where is”. By way of illustration rather than limitation, neither Profiles nor the consignor makes any representation or warranty, expressed or implied, as to merchantability or fitness for intended use, condition of the property (including any condition report), correctness of description, origin, measurement, quality, rarity, importance, exhibition, relevance, attribution, source, provenance, date, authorship, condition, culture, genuineness, value, or period of the property.

No additional images will be provided for auction items. All images are available to view in the catalog 3D Flipbook or online with www.invaluable.com. For the large group/prop lots all items included are not guaranteed to be shown in the catalog image.

Each lot sold will come with a signed Profiles in History certificate of authenticity.  Speciality sales (ie. studio auctions) will come with respective certificates of authenticity signed by a studio executive.

Participants must be over 18 years of age. Please refer to the details listed at iCollector below for more information:

http://www.icollector.com/policy.aspx