Bid from home. Pick up close to home.
Our catalog auctions stay open for weeks. Bid whenever you like, set a max bid and let it ride, or jump into the live finish on closing night. Then collect your pieces on our route through Southern California.
Find your piece
Every lot is photographed up close, sized, and described honestly, flaws included. Take your time, the sale stays open for weeks.
Set your max bid
Enter the most you'd pay. You only pay one step above the next highest bid, and your bid rises automatically when someone outbids you, never past your max.
Bid live at the close
Love the thrill of a live auction? Join us on closing night. Every bid in the last two minutes adds two more, so the bidding stays live until the last bidder blinks.
Pay, then pick up
Winners get an email with a secure checkout link. Please pay within 24 hours. Choose free pickup at the stop nearest you, or delivery to your door.
Your bidder account takes a minute.
There is no username or password to remember. Your email is your account.
Click Place bid
On any lot, enter an amount and click Place bid. If you are new, we ask you to create your free bidder account.
Enter your email
Click Continue with email and type your email address. We send you a short code to confirm it is you.
Type in the code
Enter the code and you are signed in, right back on the lot you were viewing. Next time, sign in the same way from the person icon at the top of the page.
Add your details
Open your account from the person icon and add your name and address, so we can reach you and plan your pickup or delivery if you win.
See the full bid history on any lot.
Click View all bids on any lot to see every bid, its amount and its time. Bidder names are partly hidden, so only you know which bids are yours.
Buyer's premium
Added to the winning bid, plus sales tax. That's the whole cost of buying, with nothing hidden.
Pickup on our route
After every sale we drive a pickup route across SoCal. Pick the stop closest to home and we text you the spot, a map pin and a time window.
Delivery starts here
Within 25 miles of any stop, delivery is $19. Farther out it's $10 more per 10 miles, and never more than $59. One fee covers everything you win.
Straight answers before you bid.
How does a max bid work?
Say the current bid is $50 and you set a max of $150. You become the high bidder at the current price, not at $150. If someone else bids $80, your bid automatically rises one step above theirs, to $85. Bids go up in $5 steps. That keeps happening until someone tops your $150 or the clock runs out, so you never pay more than one step above the next highest bidder.
What will I pay in total?
Your winning bid, plus a 9% buyer's premium and sales tax. Pickup is free. Delivery starts at $19 and is one fee for everything you win, so a second or third piece rides along at no extra cost.
When do I pay, and what if I miss it?
When bidding closes, winners get a secure checkout link by email. Please pay within 24 hours. If a lot isn't paid in time, it goes to the next highest bidder, who then has 24 hours to pay. We plan the pickup route from paid orders, so lots paid more than 48 hours after the close can be picked up in Temecula by appointment.
Are there reserves?
No. The opening bid is the only minimum, and if you're the high bidder at the close, the piece is yours. We open lots low on purpose and let the bidding decide.
How honest are the descriptions?
Very. These pieces come out of real Southern California homes and collections, so expect honest age. We photograph each one closely and point out what we see, flaws included. Sizes are approximate.
What if I can't make my pickup day?
Let us know and we'll work it out, whether that's another stop on the route or delivery to your door.
Who is SoCal Estates?
A family run estate and auction company in Southern California. We've sold more than 5,700 pieces in our live online auctions and hold a 5.0 star rating from over 1,400 buyer reviews.
Ask us anything by email.
Want more photos, a closer look at a signature or frame, or help with bidding? Send us a note and we'll answer you by email.
Email usgreg@socal-estates.com
