Frequently Asked Questions

Alighieri's is a luxury auction house specializing in fine jewelry, designer handbags, estate pieces, and luxury accessories. We offer online auctions, consignment services, estate liquidation, professional appraisals, estate buy-outs, private sales, and real estate auctions.

We are based in Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with additional operations in Coweta County, Georgia. Our online platform serves collectors and consignors worldwide.

Fine jewelry, luxury watches (Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier, Omega), designer handbags (Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Celine), estate jewelry, precious gemstones, fine art, antique furniture, sterling silver, and luxury accessories.

Call (267) 815-6769, email michael@alighieris.com, or use our Contact page to submit a message with up to five photos. We respond to all inquiries within 24 hours.

Create a free account, link a PayPal billing agreement for bidding authorization, browse the available lots, and place your maximum bid on any item. Our proxy bidding system automatically bids on your behalf up to your maximum.

Set the maximum amount you are willing to pay. The system places the lowest possible bid to keep you in the lead, only going higher when you are outbid — up to your maximum. You never pay more than necessary.

Bid increments are based on the current price: $0–$24.99 uses $1 increments, $25–$74.99 uses $2, $75–$149.99 uses $5, $150–$499.99 uses $10, $500–$999.99 uses $25, $1,000–$4,999.99 uses $50, $5,000–$9,999.99 uses $100, and it continues scaling up to $5,000 increments above $500,000.

If a bid is placed in the final minutes of a lot, the end time extends automatically by a few minutes. This ensures all bidders have a fair chance to respond and prevents last-second sniping. Soft-close can trigger multiple times.

Most lots are offered with a confidential reserve — a minimum price agreed with the consignor, below which the lot will not be sold. We do not disclose reserve amounts, or which lots carry one, before, during, or after an auction. Bid the maximum the lot is worth to you; our proxy system will never bid above your maximum. If a lot closes below its reserve, its page will say the reserve was not met and no sale is formed. The consignor then has a limited window — typically 24 hours — to accept the high bid. If they accept, the sale is formed at that moment. Your payment method on file is charged after the auction closes if your order is under our auto-charge threshold; orders at or above it receive an invoice to pay by card, bank transfer, or wire. Lots you win in the same auction are combined into one order. Full details are in Section 3 of our Terms of Service.

Yes. Our team of experts evaluates every item for authenticity and condition before it is listed. Detailed descriptions, professional photography, and condition reports accompany each lot.

You will receive an email, SMS, and in-app notification. An invoice is generated with the full breakdown — winning bid, buyer's premium (if any), tax, shipping, and the processing fee (3%, discounted when you pay by bank). Once the sale is formed — when the consignor accepts your bid, or the decision window ends — your payment method on file is charged automatically after the auction closes if your order is under our auto-charge threshold; orders at or above it receive an invoice to pay by card, bank transfer, or wire. Lots you win in the same auction are combined into one order. You can also pay manually from the checkout page.

Yes. Certificates can be generated for auction items, providing documented provenance, authentication details, and item descriptions for your records, insurance, or resale purposes.

We accept PayPal (linked account or redirect), Stripe ACH bank transfer, wire transfer, Zelle, and USDC cryptocurrency. Availability of certain methods depends on the order amount and seller settings.

Yes — a 3% processing fee applies to all orders. Pay by bank and the fee is discounted to reflect the lower cost of bank payments: 0.8% capped at $5 for ACH, a flat $15 for wire, and no fee at all for Zelle. The fee and any bank payment discount appear as their own lines at checkout and on your receipt.

You send the payment yourself from your banking app, to the address shown at checkout, with the reference we give you in the memo. Zelle doesn't notify us automatically — there is no merchant integration for it — so after sending, record the payment at checkout with its confirmation number. We match it against our account and your order updates once confirmed, usually the same business day.

Yes. Send what your daily limit allows and record each payment as you go. Your order stays open and shows how much has been received and how much is left, so you can finish over several days. Nothing ships until the full amount has arrived.

Linking your PayPal account authorizes us to process payment when you win an auction. This protects sellers by ensuring winning bidders can fulfill their commitments. You can unlink your PayPal at any time from your Profile page.

Once the sale is formed — when the consignor accepts the high bid, or the decision window ends — your saved payment method is charged automatically about an hour after every lot in that auction has been decided. If the consignor is still deciding other lots, your charge waits for them, and everything you win in the sale is collected once, on a single order. Your invoice page shows when the charge is due. You can pay manually at any point before then if you prefer.

The system retries up to 3 times. If all attempts fail, you will be notified by email and SMS to complete payment manually. Items left unpaid may be relisted or offered to the next highest bidder.

Some auctions include a buyer's premium — a percentage added to the winning bid. The premium is always clearly displayed on the auction and lot pages before you place a bid.

After payment, items are carefully packaged and shipped via insured carriers through our ShipStation integration. Shipping rates are calculated at checkout based on the item dimensions, weight, and your delivery address. Full tracking is provided.

USPS, UPS, FedEx, and GlobalPost. The available services and rates depend on the item's size, weight, and destination.

Shipping insurance is available and recommended for high-value items. The cost is calculated by the carrier based on the declared value and covers loss or damage during transit.

If local pickup is offered, you can arrange to collect items at our Doylestown, PA or Coweta County, GA locations. Select "Local Pickup" at checkout.

Domestic shipping within the United States is standard. International shipping is available for select items through GlobalPost. Customs duties and import taxes are the buyer's responsibility.

We accept fine jewelry, luxury watches, designer handbags, vintage and antique pieces, estate jewelry, fine art, antique furniture, sterling silver, rare collectibles, and luxury accessories.

No. There are no upfront fees or hidden charges. We only earn a commission when your item successfully sells at auction.

Submit your items with photos for evaluation. If accepted, we handle professional photography, detailed cataloging, marketing, and auction placement. The entire process from submission to auction day typically takes 2–4 weeks.

Yes. You can agree on a reserve price with our team so your item does not sell below a minimum you are comfortable with. Reserve amounts are confidential and are never shown to bidders. If a lot closes below its reserve, you have a limited window — typically 24 hours — to accept the high bid; if you decline or the window passes, the item is returned to you at no cost.

We can arrange insured shipping to our facility, or you can drop items off at our Doylestown, PA or Coweta County, GA locations. All items are fully insured while in our possession.

Payment is issued within 10–14 business days after the auction concludes and the buyer has completed payment.

If a consigned item does not meet its reserve, you have a limited window — typically 24 hours from close — to accept the high bid. Accepting forms the sale immediately; the bidder is charged about an hour after you have decided every lot in that auction, on one order with any other lots they win in it — there is no separate confirmation step. Accepting a few lots on its own collects nothing: no bidder is charged while any of their lots is still awaiting your decision. Otherwise you can relist it at a lower reserve, consign it for a future auction, or have it returned to you at no charge.

An estate auction is a sale of personal property — jewelry, watches, furniture, art, collectibles, and more — typically from a deceased person's estate, a downsizing, or a trust liquidation. Items are sold individually to the highest bidder.

Contact us for a free consultation. We visit the property in our service areas or arrange for items to be shipped to us. We then evaluate, catalog, photograph, market, and auction the contents on your behalf.

Yes. We manage the entire process from initial evaluation through final settlement — cataloging, professional photography, marketing, live and timed auctions, buyer communication, shipping, and post-sale administration.

We serve Bucks County and greater Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as Coweta County, Georgia. For estates outside these areas, we accept shipped consignments from anywhere in the United States.

Items are sold at auction to the highest bidder. Our specialists set appropriate starting bids and, when agreed upon, reserve prices based on current market values, comparable sales data, and their professional expertise.

All our auctions are conducted online, so you can follow along and bid from anywhere. We also host live-streamed auctions for special estate events, offering real-time viewing and bidding.

We offer insurance appraisals, estate and probate appraisals, divorce and equitable distribution valuations, charitable donation appraisals for tax purposes, pre-sale market valuations, and complete collection assessments.

Fine jewelry and gemstones, antique furniture, artwork and paintings, collectibles and memorabilia, home decor and antiques, documents and ephemera, and luxury accessories.

Schedule a consultation with our team. Our specialists examine the items, conduct market research and comparable sales analysis, and deliver a detailed written appraisal report with photographs, descriptions, and valuations.

Yes. Our appraisals are conducted by qualified professionals and are accepted for insurance claims, probate proceedings, tax deductions, and legal disputes.

Contact us for a quote. Fees depend on the type of appraisal, number of items, and complexity involved. We always provide a cost estimate before beginning any work.

Instead of waiting for an auction, we offer immediate cash payment for your items or entire estate. This is ideal when you need fast liquidation without the auction timeline.

Jewelry, precious metals, luxury watches, designer handbags, fine art, antique furniture, sterling silver, and complete estate collections. We also offer a metal value calculator on our website to help you estimate the value of gold, silver, and platinum items.

Contact us with details and photos of your items. We evaluate them and make a cash offer. If accepted, we arrange pickup or shipping and issue payment promptly. The entire process can be completed in just a few days.

A buy-out provides immediate guaranteed payment but typically at a lower value than auction results. Consignment can yield higher prices through competitive bidding but takes 2–4 weeks and the sale is not guaranteed if the reserve price isn't met.

Private sales are select items available for immediate purchase at a fixed price — no bidding required. Browse categories including rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, watches, brooches, handbags, and accessories.

Create an account, browse the Private Sales section, and click "Buy Now" on any item you wish to purchase. Payment is processed through PayPal or your linked billing agreement.

Prices listed on private sale items are fixed. For inquiries about specific pieces or to discuss pricing on high-value items, contact us directly.

Returns are handled on a case-by-case basis. Contact us within 48 hours of receiving your item if there are any issues with authenticity or condition discrepancies from the listing description.

Yes. We auction residential homes, commercial properties, undeveloped land, and multi-family properties in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Georgia.

We consult with the property owner, prepare professional marketing materials, conduct open houses and property inspections, and run the online auction. Qualified buyers compete, and the highest bidder wins the property, subject to standard closing procedures.

Competitive bidding can drive prices above traditional market value. The process offers a faster timeline than standard listings, attracts qualified and motivated buyers, and provides broad marketing reach through our online platform.

Bucks County PA, Montgomery County PA, Philadelphia PA, Delaware County PA, Mercer County NJ, Hunterdon County NJ, and Coweta County GA.