Frequently Asked Questions

Most of those who contact us are looking for auction valuations; these are estimates of auction value based on what comparable items have recently garnered at auction. Auction valuations are a complimentary service. Click here to receive your free valuation.

Appraisals are a formal written document outlining insurance or replacement value (based on retail market prices) or fair market values for disposition of estate property. Appraisals require that a specialist view the property in person, and appraisal services are billed on an hourly basis. Click here to schedule your Appraisal Service.

Moran’s offers more than nine auction types with dozens of categories of items within each speciality branded auction. For more information on the specific types of items we handle, you can peruse our catalogue archive or take a look at our specialties. If you are curious if your item or collection is right for our market, just send us a consignment inquiry and we will be happy to get back to you with auction estimates or a viable referral.

We have “What’s it Worth?” valuation days that we offer through our community outreach program. Check out our calendar for these days. These events usually are fundraising events for non-profit groups or organizations. Help their causes and come on out.

Moran’s invites you to bring in items you are looking to obtain a value on and sell through auction. We provide free auction estimates and provide information on the consignment process. We schedule these approximately once every other month, check out our calendar for specific dates. If you are not able to make these, please contact us to set up a private appointment for the same free service.

Our showroom floor is set two weeks prior to any auction date. Give us a call or email us to schedule a private preview with one of our specialists.

We formed this sale to appeal to our first-time or price pointed buyer. Each piece has a story and are looking for a new home. The pieces are coming from either large estates or private collectors who are downsizing. There is bound to be something for everyone.

Our Studio Auctions encompass three main sections: Fine Art, Jewelry and Furniture and Decorative objects. Each has its own session and catalogue listing. Price points typically range from $300-$3000.

We firmly believe that buying vintage is the way to go!

We are busier than ever and offering more auction per month than we used to. Check out our calendar for our full schedule of auctions + fun events and lectures.

We are constantly expanding our collector-specific auction repertoire to better suit the evolving tastes of our clients, with a range of catalogues including Prints & Multiples, Art of the American West, Turn of the Century Design, 20th Century Art & Design, Traditional Collector, California Living, ReDesigned, Fine Jewelry & Timepieces, Luxury Accessories & Couture and many more. While well-known for our flagship California & American Fine Art Auctions, Moran’s is also at the forefront in highlighting under-represented artists; our Women in Art and Studio Fine Art Auctions have proven immensely popular and offer works by artists at a wide range of price points, appealing both to the established and emerging collector.

We know that our clients’ collections are an important part of their life story. Moran’s has a proven track record in successfully marketing a handful of items that would be included into one of our categorized sales or if there is enough property, we can offer a single-consignor sale.

This is a sale that is all property from one collection or a family’s collection. It often has its own fully illustrated catalogue and designated advertising and marketing campaign. Moran’s will perform an initial walk-through and then offer a customizable and boutique services from start to finish, handling the valuation, transportation and logistics, marketing, cataloguing and successful sale of a client’s estate.

Sometimes, a client’s collection has bidder appeal but doesn’t quite meet the requirements for a stand-alone catalogue or legacy auction. In those cases, we can carve out a portion of one of our standard specialty catalogues to highlight a collection of like objects from a specific collector or estate.

Moran’s offers a wide range of appraisal and paid valuation services, including fair market and insurance appraisals. By retaining Moran’s to evaluate your property, you can be sure that your heirs or trustees will be able to make informed decisions about the equitable distribution or liquidation of assets. Visit our Appraisals page for more information or to request an appraisal.

A Buyer’s Premium is a percentage that every auction house charges their buyers on top of the hammer price (winning bid amount) of each lot purchased. This service fee goes towards the auction house’s overhead, expenses and general operational costs. Our Buyer’s Premium is 25% if you are bidding in person, by phone, absentee, Online through our website, Invaluable and Artsy bidding platforms. However; if you are bidding through Live Auctioneers, Buyer’s Premium is 30%.

Please note; Credit Card Payments are subject to a 3.5% processing fee.

We accept payments by cash, check, wire transfer, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. All credit card payments are subject to a 3.5% processing fee. Buyers outside of the United States are required to submit payment by wire transfer; Moran’s does not accept credit cards from international buyers.

We do not provide packing/shipping services or shipping quotes; if you are looking for a shipping quote for a specific lot prior to an auction or are seeking to make arrangements for packing and shipping of lots purchased, please see our Shipping & Pick Up page for our recommended shippers and their contact information.

We are delighted you found something you like. Signing up is easy, and we have multiple ways to do it to fit your preference. Fill out our online Registration Form and submit via our website, you can download the [Registration Form] and either: email it, snail mail it (145 E Walnut Ave, Monrovia CA 91016), fax it or bring it with you if you’re coming in.

If you want more info, check our How to Buy page.

Can’t make it to our auction event? You are able to leave a specific amount on any lot or lots that the auctioneer will then use to bid on your behalf. If there is no other bidding, your bid is accepted at the opening or reserve amount and sold to you. Use our handy Registration form to leave an absentee bid. The number of absentee bids on any given lot (if any) and their amounts are kept confidential. Absentee bids must be submitted at least 24 hours prior to the auction, and can be submitted by telephone, fax, email, or by using our online submission form. All absentee bids must be submitted on increment (see “What are bid increments?” below). If two absentee bids are placed at the same increment, the bid placed first receives preference.

The pre-determined amounts by which the auctioneer will advance the bid. Bidders submitting absentee bids must make sure that their bids follow the listed bid increments; Moran’s bid increments can be found on our [bidding] page as well as at the top of our bidder form.

From                   To                  Increments
$0.00                  $500             $25
$500                   $1000           $50
$1,000                $2000          $100
$2,000               $5000           $250
$5,000               $10,000        $500
$10,000             $20,000       $1,000
$20,000             $50,000       $2,500
$50,000             $100,000     $5,000
$100,000           $200,000    $10,000
$200,000          $500,000     $50,000
$500,000           And up          At auctioneers discretion

Great question! Morans offer multiple, easy and convenient ways to bid. Register directly with us and bid: In person, by Telephone, by Absentee Bid, our Moran Mobile, Liveauctioneers.com or Invaluable.com.

We are always more than happy to take a look at potential auction items and provide valuations based on current market prices. To get started, we will need to take a look at the pieces in question. You are welcome to email photographs of the items (or a selection of items from a larger collection) to info@johnmoran.com or send us an inquiry via our consignment form.

Settlement checks and consignor statements are mailed out via USPS, thirty days from the date of the auction.

Depending on the circumstances, lots that fail to sell at auction are either reoffered at a later date or returned to the consignor (that’s you). If an item fails to sell at auction, your specialist that you originally worked with will contact you to discuss the options.

If we decide that the piece is best returned, you have a 60-day grace period to come get it.

Day 61, storage and administrative fees will begin to accrue. If you have circumstances that cannot accommodate that time frame, just give us a call and we can work something out.

Short answer, sometimes. We take items starting at $500. However, we will on occasion make exceptions for pieces that have a ‘cool’ or ‘wow’ factor that we feel we have the right market for that fall just short of that minimum value. It is better to ask us if the items are for us than assume it’s not.

Our property deadlines are approximately 6 weeks prior to any auction date. BUT, why wait? We may close a property deadline prior to the 6 weeks as we may fill up early. Earlier is always better for us. We will store your items until the auction in our climate controlled facility.

We believe in the auction process. It places us on the same team and achieves a more competitive market place for your items. However, if you are unable to wait for the auction, give us a call or send an email and let’s see what we can do.