Common questions.
How is High Run different from the classifieds, forums, and Facebook groups?
Private sales built this market, and they remain useful for casual transactions. High Run exists to create what they cannot: a public record. Every lot is reviewed and cataloged by the house before listing, bidders are approved with a payment method on file, settlement is held through delivery review, and every sale result is published to a permanent archive.
What is the buyer's premium?
5% of the hammer price, with a minimum of $250 and a maximum of $5,000, added to the invoice.
Does the seller pay commission?
Yes. Sellers pay a commission on the hammer price at the published rates, deducted from sale proceeds at settlement. The buyer's premium is separate and is paid by the buyer. There is no fee to submit a cue for catalog review; final seller terms are confirmed in writing before lot acceptance.
How does bidder approval work?
Bidding requires an account with a verified payment method on file. Identity verification through a government ID raises bidding limits, and lots above the published thresholds require it. Consignors may not bid on their own lots.
How does the soft close work?
Any bid placed within the final two minutes of an auction extends the lot by two minutes. This repeats until two full minutes pass without a bid. There is no advantage to last-second bidding.
How does settlement work?
The winning bidder's funds are collected at the close of the sale and held by High Run until delivery is confirmed and the review window closes. The consignor is paid only after that window closes with no dispute. High Run is not a bank or licensed escrow service; settlement is administered by the house under the Terms of Sale.
What happens if a cue arrives not as described?
Buyers have three business days from confirmed delivery to file a materially-not-as-described or authenticity claim. The house reviews the claim against the catalog record and image set, continues to hold settlement during review, and refunds the buyer in full if the claim is upheld. Cosmetic disagreement with a disclosed condition is not grounds for return.
Are reserve amounts ever disclosed?
No. Bidders see only Reserve Met or Reserve Not Met. Reserve amounts are never published, before or after the sale.
Will the house list cues containing ivory?
Sometimes, subject to disclosure and federal and state law. Regulated materials are published on the lot record and shipped only within the law. See the Materials Policy.
Are any of the lots on the site demonstrations?
Where the site shows sample or demonstration records — for example, format illustrations before the first sale — they are labeled as samples, carry no bid history, and accept no bids. Nothing presented as a live lot is simulated.