Auction Terms & Conditions

Please read these terms and conditions very carefully before bidding. If you have any questions, please call us at 320-219-1372.   Placing a bid in this auction acknowledges acceptance of all the terms and conditions listed herein.

• A buyer's premium equal to 20.5% of the high bid will be added to all lots.  3.5% discount will be applicable if payment is made by check, cash or money order.  A $1000 winning bid will be charged $1205.
• The first day to bid is Friday December 13, 2024.  You must place at least one initial bid in the entire auction to bid on any items during the extended bidding session starting at 8:00 PM EST on Decewmber 27, 2024.  One bid in the entire auction prior to 8:00 PM EST on December 27, this bid is all you need to qualify to bid on ANY item in the auction during the extended bidding session.
• Reasonable shipping and insurance will be added to each invoice.  Exact charges will be updated after the close of auction to account for proper insurance and varying rates for different zones within the US.
• Paypal will be accepted for all invoices under $5000.  
• International payments must be made by Paypal or money order (US Funds) will have 5% added to invoice (minimum $5) to cover currency exchange fees.
• Minnesota residents are subject to 7.375% sales tax on purchases unless a valid resale certificate is provided.

AUCTION DATES AND CLOSING TIME:

The auction opens for bidding during the afternoon of Friday December 13, 2024. On the final day of the auction, December 27, 2024, starting at 8:00 PM EST, the auction will enter the extended bidding period.  Bidding will remain open and continue on all items until such time that no bid has been received on any item in the auction for a period of 15 minutes.  If the auction is still running at 1:00 AM EST on the morning of December 28, 2024, it may be ended at any time at the sole discretion of Sterling Sports Auctions. 

BIDDER REGISTRATION: Only registered bidders may participate in this auction.  Registration may be done online through our bidder registration form or over the phone by calling 320-219-1372.  Registrations will be accepted at any time, but it is highly recommended that registrations be completed prior to the last day of the auction to ensure timely and proper handling.  All bidder registrations must be approved and Sterling Sports Auctions reserves the right to refuse participation to any person or entity at its sole discretion.  

BIDDING INFORMATION:

How to Bid:

Internet:  Bids may be placed via the Internet at the Sterling Sports Auctions website, http://www.sterlingsportsauctions.com/.  The user name and password obtained during registration will be used to place any bids via the Internet.  

Telephone:  Bids may be placed via telephone by calling 320-219-1372.  Any bids made via telephone will be executed by a Sterling Sports Auctions representative as soon as possible.  Sterling Sports Auctions takes no responsibility for instances in which an Internet bid may be placed by another user before the telephone bid can be executed.

Bid Accuracy: Bidders are responsible for accurately executing their bids. Once a bid has been placed by any method, it cannot be retracted. If you have any questions about the bidding process, please call us at 320-219-1372 prior to executing a bid. Sterling Sports Auctions will not be responsible for any bidding errors. 

Bidding Increments:  Bid increments have been established for this auction and will be consistent between lots based on the last bid placed on each lot.  Increments will be as follows:

Max and Straight Bids:  Sterling Sports Auctions' bidding software allows for two types of bids to be placed during the auction.   A "Max" bid will raise the current bid on an item to the next increment beyond any existing bid placed by another user and will hold the "Max" amount to execute against competing bids until such time that it is surpassed.  A "Straight" bid will take the current bid on an item to the "Straight" amount even if it exceeds the previous bid by multiple increments.   

Extended Bidding Session:  The extended bidding session will begin at 8:00 PM EST on the final night of the auction.  You must place at least one initial bid in the entire auction to qualify to bid on any item during the extended bidding session.  During the extended bidding session, bidders are not limited to only items on which they have previously bid.  Bidding will remain open and continue on all items until such time that no bid has been received on any item in the auction for a period of 15 minutes or the time has reached 1:00 AM EST on the morning of December 28, 2024, solely at the discretion of Sterling .

Bidding Extensions: If for any reason the auction is interrupted during the final two days, including but not limited to Internet service and/or software difficulties, the decision may be made to extend the bidding period at the sole discretion of Sterling Sports Auctions. If any bidder experiences problems placing a bid through online via http://www.sterlingsportsauctions.com/, they should call 320-219-1372 for assistance.

WINNING BIDDERS:

Results and Notifications:  Notification of winning bids will be made via email and final invoices will be available online at http://www.sterlingsportsauctions.com/ as well as through email as soon as possible following the close of the auction. Hard copy invoices will not be mailed unless the invoice remains unpaid after two weeks.  

Buyer's Premium:  A buyer's premium equal to 20.5% of the high bid will be added to all lots.  3.5% discount is applicable if payment is made by check, cash or money order. A $1000 winning bid will be charged $1205.  

Payment:  Payment may be made via Paypal, check or money order within 15 days of the auction close.  If Payments sent via Paypal the address on the Paypal account will be used unless informed before hand and the email addres for the should be sent to payment@sterlingsportsauctions.com.   Payments via check or money order should be sent to Sterling Sports Auctions, 519 Elm St. #866, Alexandria, Minnesota 56308.  All payments must be made in US Dollars.  Paypal payments made by International accounts will have 5% added to invoice to cover currency exchange fees.  Payments made via Paypal or money order will not be held for any period of time and will begin shipping as soon as possible.  Payments via check may have items held until funds clear at the discretion of Sterling Sports Auctions.

International Payment & Shipping:    Due to the high cost and extra time to ship internationally, we are no longer shipping internationally. If you live out of the US you MUST have a US shipping address.  All payments must be made in US Dollars by Paypal or Money Order, NO Checks.  All international invoices will have 5%, minimum $5 per invoice.  This fee is added to cover the Paypal payment currency exchange fees and added time ship.  All packages shipped will be shipped at the value of the items purchased (no exception).  

Late Payment:  Sterling Sports Auctions shall be entitled to charge late fees equal to 1.5% per month (or the highest rate permitted by law if less than 1.5% per month) on any invoice not paid by the time due. Additionally, the bidder shall also reimburse any costs or expenses incurred by Sterling Sports Auctions in the process of collecting on invoice(s) due, including, but not limited to, actual attorney fees incurred during the process.  

Shipping and Insurance:  Reasonable shipping and insurance will be added to all invoices.  Rates may vary for bidders throughout the United States as postal zones cause fluctuation in pricing.  Insurance is provided through Collectibles Insurance Agency of Hunt Valley, MD. For winning bidders outside of the United States, the full value of the package (winning bids plus buyer's premium) will be declared on all customs forms. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Taxes:  All items delivered in the State of Minnesota are subject to 7.375% Sales Tax, unless a valid resale certificate is provided prior to delivery. Bidders agree that they are responsible for all sales, use, and other taxes applicable to their purchase, and for any interest or penalty related to unpaid tax, regardless of whether Sterling Sports Auctions collected such taxes at the time of the purchase. Bidders agree to indemnify and hold harmless Sterling Sports Auctions from any such taxes or liabilities.

Risk of Loss: The risk of loss on all items purchased passes to the bidder upon shipment.

Right to Withdraw or Rescind Sale:  Sterling Sports Auctions reserves the right to withdraw from the auction any item or rescind a sale at any time in the event of non-payment or untimely payment, disputed ownership, questions of authenticity, clerical or mechanical errors, or omission in the exercising of a bid.  A bidder's error shall not constitute a reason to rescind any sale.

ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

Return Policy:  All purchases of any lots or items are "AS IS" and all sales are final. No returns shall be permitted.  Please ask questions prior to end of auction if you have any questions on a lot.

Examination of Items:  Interested parties may make arrangements to view lots from this auction in person.  Requests will be accomodated on a first come, first serve basis.  Sterling Sports Auctions will make every attempt to accurately present each item in this sale.   

Grading: For item(s) in this auction that have been certified or graded by a third-party service, no warranty or guarantee is made for any of the following: that any item certified or graded by one third-party service will be certified or graded by a different third-party service; that any item certified or graded by one third-party service was not previously graded at a lower level by either that third-party service, or a different third-party service; that any item certified or graded by one third-party service was not previously submitted to, and did not obtain certification, from either that third-party service, or a different third-party service.

We strive to accurately describe ungraded lots.  Approximately 90% of the time, we describe the condition of the cards;  10% of the time a grade is applied to the ungraded lots (as we know this is always subjective).  If a card/lot is received and there is an error in the description, please contact us.    

If you are planning on reselling or sending off to grading any ungraded card/lot, settlement MUST be handled prior to the resell/grading.  

For item(s) in this auction that have not been certified or graded by a third-party service, no warranty or guarantee is made by Sterling Sports Auctions that if submitted to a third-party service, item(s) will achieve the grade assigned to the item(s) or that item(s) will obtain certification.

Release and Indemnity: Except for any failure of Sterling Sports Auctions to adhere to these terms and conditions, bidder hereby releases, discharges, and covenants not to sue Sterling Sports Auctions, its owners, officers, employees and agents (Releases) from all liability, claims, demands, losses, or damages caused or alleged to be caused in whole or in part by any act or omission of the Releasees and further agree that if, despite this release and waiver of liability, assumption of risk, and indemnity agreement, anyone on a bidder's or consignor's behalf, makes a claim against any of the Releases, the bidder or consignor will indemnify and save and hold harmless each of the Releasees from any litigation expenses, attorney fees, loss, liability, damage, or cost which may incur as the result of such claim.

Minnesota Law, Jurisdiction and Venue: These terms and conditions shall be construed and enforced in accordance with law of the State of Minnesota (excluding choice of law rules). Bidders agree that the items are located in Minnesota, the auction is taking place in Minnesota, that an agreement based upon these terms and conditions was made in Minnesota, and that the courts of the State of Minnesota have jurisdiction over the parties and any claims or controversy in any way related to the agreement, these terms and conditions and the auction and, further, that any claim or controversy arising out of or involving this agreement or the auction shall be brought in the appropriate court of the State of Minnesota, located in Douglas County, Minnesota. The parties agree to waive any right to trial by jury in any such proceeding to the fullest extent allowed by law and that in the event Sterling Sports Auctions is the prevailing party in any proceeding, it shall be entitled to recovery of its actual attorney's fees and costs incurred, whether or not such recovery is otherwise authorized by statue.

Binding Effect: By bidding in the sale all bidders acknowledge that they have read and understand these Terms and Conditions, that there are no written or oral agreements of any nature between the bidder and Sterling Sports Auctions not specifically contained herein and that they agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.