[Art Show Bidding Rules]   |   [Art Show FAQ]   |   [Full Art Show Rules]   |   [Art Show Rule Changes] This section will inform you in advance about the bidding process. You don't actually have to take any action before the convention itself; there is no bidder pre-registration.

The Eurofurence Art Show does not sell or buy art. It acts solely as mediator for sales from sellers to buyers. For this purpose, buyers need to register with their name, EF badge number, and contact details. The name and contact will be passed on to the seller for every confirmed sale, and the seller's contact data (as provided by artist or agent) will be passed to the buyer with the final receipts.

Please don't wait until the last second to register — we can handle only so many bidders per hour. Registration will be available during opening times, but not while closing, and not during the auction, so please make sure you are registered beforehand.

Naturally, it is not necessary to register as a bidder to just visit the show.

At the Art Show registration, buyers will receive a copy of these rules and a sheet with bid stickers, which contain an anonymous bidder number.

To bid on an exhibit:

• The buyer writes his bid on a sticker.
• The bid must be in whole Euros.
• No "fun amounts" like "three times pi plus seven" please. We do not want to solve mathematical equations. (Especially when it does not even amount to whole Euros.)
• The bid needs to be as much as or more than the minimum bid, and more than any previous bid.
• The buyer sticks the bid sticker to the bidsheet, in the first free bidding field.
• If there is no free bidding field left, the exhibit will go to auction, see below.

A buyer may get new bid stickers any time if he needs more stickers than available on a sheet. He/she can bid as often on any "for sale" exhibit as desired (if no bidding fields are left, further bidding must be taken to auction). There are exhibits which are not for sale, and cannot be bid on.

Important:

• A bid is a valid offer to buy, and must be honored.
• A bid sticker must not be removed from a bidsheet, or changed after bidding. In case of mistaken bids, the buyer can inform the Art Show management, which will replace the bidsheet and invalidate the bid.
• A buyer should keep his bid sticker sheet safe, to prevent others to bid in his name.
• Collusion between artist/agent and buyer is forbidden. Fake bids, bids on one's own exhibit for the purpose of raising the price, or bidding in another's name against that person's will is prohibited.

When the Art Show closes for good, every buyer gets the opportunity for final bids, until the exhibit in question goes to auction, or no more bids are offered. For this purpose, the Art Show team will close the show panel by panel (in the order of panel numbers) and call for final bids.

That means: It is useless to wait with bids until the show closes, or to "guard" an exhibit at closing time. To secure an exhibit, bid early, bid often!

Warning: If people crowd the show, security may deem it necessary to close the room and restrict admittance to prevent damage to the exhibits, or even worse, damage to the health of attendees. This may prevent you from placing final bids. We're sorry for this possible inconvenience.

If you have no more bids to place during closing, please leave the show to prevent crowding.

The auction is the final opportunity to buy disputed exhibits. It is a voice auction, moderated by an auctioneer. Buyers can bid with their bidder number or their EF badge number. There is no upper limits to bids, but remember that you need to pay for the item at the convention in cash (see "Sales").

If you have bid on a piece that went to auction, make sure you attend this event, no matter whether your bid was the last on the bidsheet or not. Anybody may bid on any piece, not just the previous bidders, so you may lose the object of your desire! If no further bids are made beyond the bidsheet's, the exhibit goes to the last bidder on the bidsheet.

Depending on the number of auctioned exhibits, this event may take some time. General audience and adult items are auctioned at the same event; there is no separate adult auction.

Final winners of the art are announced by bulletin. The lists can be found in some appropriate place (most likely in front of the Art Show).

Buyers must pick up their purchase at the designated art pickup times, and pay cash. Credit cards or cheques of any kind are not accepted. We will try to keep the lines as short as possible.

If you do not pick up your items, we will try to contact you, but please save us this effort. Neither we nor the artist will be very pleased. Remember, it may not be possible (or safe) to send the art you bought by mail. The artists rely on you! Check the winners' lists!

Artists may pick up unsold art at any time during sales.

Artists are paid on site for actual sales after all of their sold art pieces have been picked up and paid for.