3550 Broad Street, Suite A | Chamblee, GA 30341
770-457-7444 tel | 770-457-7445 fax | info@atlantaantiquegallery.com
Dealer Terms & Conditions
ATLANTA ANTIQUE GALLERY
General Policies, Procedures, & Terms & Conditions
VOTED “BEST ANTIQUE SHOP” IN ATLANTA
(Revised Apr 1st 2009)
The following Atlanta Antique Gallery (AAG) policies and procedures are complementary to the formal lease agreement signed by all dealers leasing space from AAG. The lease will take precedence over these policies/conditions in the event of any conflict between the policies and the lease. Updated policies & procedures can always be found on AAG’s website.
Mission Statement: The Atlanta Antique Gallery provides a professional, inviting and accommodating environment to display and sell high quality, collector and decorator-oriented antiques and vintage items. The Atlanta Antique Gallery provides professional, proactive customer support to the dealers associated with it and to its customers. The Atlanta Antique Gallery provides a supportive, professional and rewarding environment to its employees.
Hours of Operation: AAG is open Monday, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from 1:00 pm to 4:45 pm. AAG is closed New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The Gallery may close for additional days, or delay opening, close early or extend hours as necessary.
Security: Security is one of the most important areas of the AAG’s operations. AAG employs multiple security methods including an interior and exterior state-of-the-art camera surveillance system with digital monitoring and backup; additional security measures and policies help protect your merchandise. Many of the policies herein relate directly to security issues and help enhance overall security within the Gallery. If you witness a potential or active security breach please notify the management immediately. Dealers are encouraged to keep detailed inventory records, and conduct an inventory audit every 30-60 days. Any inconsistencies should be reported to AAG as soon as possible. In addition all entrances have activity monitors.
Merchandise Labeling: Dealers must use tags provided by AAG or tags that are identical to AAG tags. AAG will provide these tags to dealers at no cost.
Properly tagging merchandise is essential; properly labeled tags enhance professionalism, decrease security risks and save time when sales are processed. Merchandise must be clearly labeled in English on AAG (or identical) labels, must be priced in U.S. dollars, and must include your three-digit AAG dealer identification code. Please provide specific item identification and as much information as possible including any applicable pattern, dimensions, manufacturer, age, etc. If an item has a known defect, either list the defect or mark the item “as is.” Also indicate if an item has been repaired or restored. Providing specific information helps safeguard and sell your item. Antiques listed on the website must be in excellent condition. “As is” antiques will not be listed on the website.
Descriptions of dealer antiques has become an integral part of the website administration process, and should be as complete as possible, even using the alternate side of the tag. “The better the sizzle, the easier the sale.” This is incredibly important because website customers are relying on pictures, as well as the description, without being able to hold or touch the antique.Use decimal points and cents in the price area. If a price is changed on an item, a new tag must be completed; do not mark through the original price.
AAG sales personnel remove price tags when items are sold and attach them to the AAG copy of each invoice. This procedure provides an audit trail should questions arise concerning accuracy of a sale.
Merchandise Stocking: Dealers may restock merchandise Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Dealers from out-of-town may stock, fluff and merchandise on Saturdays. Dealers may bring merchandise into the AAG through the front entrance.
Dealers must be cognizant of customers when restocking; courtesy to customers is essential. Aisles must not be blocked nor access impeded to adjacent dealers’ cases or showrooms. Please be careful not to soil or damage the carpet, walls, or fixtures in the AAG. Items may not be placed on top of the display cases or hung from the ceiling.
Any and all boxes, packing material, etc. must be removed from AAG immediately after stocking. A dumpster is available behind AAG.
Merchandise shipped to AAG by non-local dealers must: be labeled in English on AAG (or identical) labels, be priced in U.S. dollars, be clean and ready to go immediately into the dealer’s case, and be accompanied by a list of each piece of inventory included in the particular shipment.
Merchandise displayed in AAG should be an antique or vintage item at least 35 years old. No reproductions, new merchandise or mass-produced “collectible” items are allowed. Please avoid displaying an item that may be offensive or in poor taste. If you are unsure about a particular item, please ask AAG management. AAG reserves the right to remove any items it deems inappropriate.
Merchandise (Inventory) Control: Dealers can adopt their own stock ID's for their items. AAG will create it's own ID for your item (normally items $85 and above in value) for the purpose of listing your item on it's website. AAG does not maintain inventory records at the specific dealer level, and it is therefore the individual dealer's responsibility to keep track of their own inventory. Remote dealers who are not in a position to audit their inventory may request an inventory photo once every 30 days. Inventory inconsistencies must be reported immediately, as AAG is only in a position to thoroughly investigate these situations for a 28 day historical period.
Discounts and Price Negotiation: Dealers establish a discount policy as part of their AAG profile. Options include: no discount at all; discounts without dollar minimums; or discounts with dollar minimums. Dealers can provide a different discount to the trade or to the public. Dealers may also indicate on their profile whether they want to be called by AAG if a buyer wants to negotiate a better price. Dealers may change their discount policy by notifying AAG management by email or in writing prior to the 15th or 30th of a month; the change will be reflected at the start of the next sales period. For your information, the Gallery’s policy is no discounts under $50.00. Special exceptions will be made during special events and the holiday season. There are generally few discounts offered for sales on credit card charges.
AAG provides discounts only upon request, per the dealer’s instructions in their AAG profile. Discounts the trade (wholesale) only apply to those dealers who have a legitimate state resale tax number. Discounts are not restricted by method of payment, but are not available for layaway purchases. All discounted sales will normally be paid for with cash or check. Generally few credit cards will be accepted for discounted merchandise. Dealers who have more than 3 discounted sales with a credit card documented on their sales report, may request a credit card fee refund.Tags may be marked “firm” by the price of an item if the price is non-negotiable or a discount is not to apply. Items with “sale” or “special” tags will not be discounted further unless approved by the dealer. Dealers may not place “sale” or “discount” signs on or in cases or showrooms.
Merchandise Holds: Merchandise may be placed on “hold” by request of a customer for up to 24 hours, and will be marked as such in the case or showroom. If the customer does not pick up the antique the following day, the hold will be removed. Merchandise may also be held while a customer shops.
Merchandise Approvals: Interior designers may want merchandise from the Gallery “on approval” for a customer. Dealers may indicate on their profile whether their merchandise may be removed from the Gallery “on approval.”
Full payment will be rendered at the time of the request and placed in escrow. If the item is not returned by the end of the next business day, or if the item is returned damaged, it will be considered sold. Appropriate credit card/check & ID’s will be maintained for a customer who takes an item on approval”.
Merchandise Rentals: Set designers from television and film, photographers and college students may want to rent merchandise from the Gallery. Dealers may indicate on their profile whether their merchandise is available for renting.
The rented fee of an item is 25% of the label price for the first week (or part of) and 5% for each additional week. The rental fee will be split 50% for AAG and 50% for the dealer, and will be paid to the dealer upon return of the item to AAG.
When an item is rented, it will be inspected by an AAG employee and photographed. The renter will sign an agreement and render full payment of the label price of the item to be placed in escrow. When the item is returned, it will be inspected by AAG to ensure that it is the same item and has not been damaged. If the item is damaged, the item will be considered as sold.
Merchandise Layaways: Items may be purchased by layaway if the item price is $100.00 or higher; discounts are not available for layaway purchases without permission from the dealer. Layaway purchases are available for “floor” sales but not available for items sold through the internet without permission of the dealer.
At the time of layaway, a 30%, non-refundable deposit is required, with the complete remainder to be paid in full within 60 days. In special circumstances, the time can be extended to 90 days. Deposits are placed in escrow. Items placed on layaway will be moved to a secure location pending final payment.
Customers who fail to meet AAG layaway requirements will forfeit their deposit. Forfeited deposits will be split 50/50 between AAG and the dealer. Layaway payments will be made to the dealer after the final payment has been made or the item has been forfeited.
AAG’s Customer Policies can be found HERE
Merchandise Returns: All “floor” sales are final and may not be returned for refund or credit. This policy is noted on each invoice. AAG management may grant exceptions for unusual circumstances, e.g. misrepresentation of merchandise or if a dealer agrees to accept the return.
Sales made through the interned are offered “satisfaction guaranteed,” allowing buyers to return an item under specific circumstances. Internet buyers who wish to return an item must notify AAG within 3 days of delivery and must return the item within 5 additional days in the same condition as it was sent. The expense of shipping to & from, will be adsorbed by both AAG & the selling dealer evenly.
Merchandise Damaged in Shipping: All items are shipped with at least 100% insurance coverage. Should a claim arise, it may take upto 45-60 days to resolve. Dealer commissions may be delayed until insurance payments are received by the Gallery. The Gallery will provide weekly claim status information should the dealer so desire. Unpaid insurance claims (claims where the Gallery is deemed to be at fault will be handled in the same manner as items damaged during photography).
Sales Operations and Reports: All sales of merchandise in the Gallery are processed through the AAG checkout area. The sales cycle matches each calendar month. Dealers are therefore paid monthly. .
Dealers may request the status of their current sales by calling or stopping by the AAG checkout area. A printed copy of current sales may be requested in person. Status requests are limited to one per week. Inquiries of this type are only fielded Mon thru Thursday.
Dealers are not required to work or conduct sales transactions within the Gallery.
Website Sales: AAG offers dealers the opportunity to sell items through floor and website sales. There are no up-front costs associated with website sales (for the first 10 items). The Gallery commission is 15% vs. 10% in the Gallery. There are generally very few discounts available on a website sale; therefore, the dealer will make more money from website sales in the long run.
Should a website sale occur on an item where has the item has been removed from the Gallery by the dealer (without notifying the Gallery) then the full internet sales commission will be due to the Gallery. This expense has to be charged to cover additional customer service expense, and credit card voiding fees.
In certain circumstances it makes good sense to offer a discount (upto 10%) on an internet sale (not our regular policy however) to close a sale. The Gallery will exercise it’s best judgment in these situations and reserves the right to do this up to 2 times per month per dealer, in the absence of obtaining dealer approval, at the actual point of sale.Website Listing Maintenance: AAG offers dealers the opportunity to add upto 10 new items (per case) per month. New items totaling more than 11, will be assessed a $5.00 fee per item. There is no unused rollover. A normal inventory of website listings for the Gallery is 4-5 days. This may rise at certain seasonal times of the year, so please plan accordingly. Expedited internet listing fees (item listed within 24 hours) are charged at $5.00 per item. Internet price changes are allowed, and are normally completed within 48 hours. Dealers are given 30 free price changes, in a 30 day cycle. A $2.50 fee is assessed for every price change greater than 30, in a 30 day period. Effective July 1st, 2009, a $5 fee will be charged to the dealer for VOID fees incurred by AAG for Web Sales that cannot be fulfilled due to inventory previously being removed or sold.
Removal of Antiques from the Gallery: AAG expends a considerable amount of time and money on the website-photographing, inputting of descriptions and uploading the pictures of the antiques. The following policies changes are effective November 1st 2008: If you are going to sell your antiques, which are listed on the website, outside of the Gallery, we will asses a $5.00 website removal fee, per item. This will also generally apply to items removed that have not had a 6 month listing life (Exceptions may apply).
It is not our intention to penalize you; but simply to recoup some of our overhead costs for all the work that has been done.
In all cases, if a dealer does take antiques out of the Gallery, which are on the website, the dealer must provide AAG personnel with the outgoing items tags so that proper tracking can be maintained. Failure to do this will compromise AAG’s inventory control system for AAG’s website. Removed items can continue to be listed on AAG's website, and the dealer will have to come to an agreement with AAG over who will own the shipping responsibility, should their item sell on the internet. The description & condition of items for sale on the website residing outside the Gallery, will be the sole responsibility of the dealer. AAG will pass along the expense of any customer returns, back to the selling dealer, should this situation arise, as AAG cannot support the description or condition of an item listed outside of the Gallery.
Remote Dealer Program: AAG's remote dealer program can found HERE
Housekeeping: The appearance of each dealer’s space is important and can have a positive or negative impact on sales of all dealers. Experience indicates that dealers who keep their cases and showrooms clean, arranged well, and who consistently rotate merchandise usually have higher sales.
Dealers are responsible for keeping their cases and showrooms clean and neat. Generally, AAG is responsible for the cleanliness of the Gallery, including the outside of the glass showcases. Dealers are asked to ensure that the interior of their showcases be cleaned periodically. Cleaning supplies are available for dealers’ use. It is also recommended that dealers, who sell furniture, dust occasionally.
Dealers are asked not to merchandise their cases-showrooms during special Gallery sales events & promotions.Dealers are asked to remove all supplies, boxes and wrapping material after stocking merchandise. No supplies, boxes or other containers may be left or stored in the Gallery, without prior approval.
AAG is a smoke and pet-free environment; this includes the back areas of the business. Food and drink is not permitted in the gallery area, but may be consumed in the dealer room in the rear area. Please clean up after yourself.
Marketing: AAG management promotes the Gallery in a variety of ways. These include public relations, advertising, special events, involvement in local and trade associations and with cooperation with other antique establishments, etc. AAG advertises in local and regional newspapers and magazines, as well as local, regional and national trade publications; direct mail advertising is also utilized. The Gallery is also promoted globally through internet search engines, with extensive descriptive tagging, so your potential customers can find you.
Dealer Room: AAG provides a room in the rear of the Gallery for dealers to label inventory and take care of Gallery business. Snacks and basic supplies are available in the room. Please clean up after yourself so the room is comfortable for other dealers. The snack and supplies in the dealer room should not be removed from the room.
Additionally, carts, ladders and cleaning supplies are available for use in the Gallery by AAG dealers. Carts should be off-loaded as quickly as possible and returned to the shipping/receiving area to be used by other dealers. Ladders, cleaning supplies and any other AAG materials used at the Gallery should be returned to the location from which they were obtained immediately after use. Under no circumstances should AAG property be removed from the premises.
Non-Local Dealers: Merchandise shipped to AAG by non-local dealers must: be labeled in English on AAG (or identical) labels, be priced in U.S. dollars, be clean and ready to go immediately into the dealer’s case or showroom, and be accompanied by a list of each piece of inventory included in the particular shipment. AAG will provide a form for this list. Merchandise received without an inventory list will not be placed in a dealer’s case or showroom until an inventory list is received and the inventory verified.
AAG provides periodic cleaning of your cases and maintains the display of your merchandise.
Rent Payment: Rent is due on the first day of each month. When a dealer agrees to join the Gallery, a security deposit and the first month’s rent must be paid in full. From that point a dealer will have their rent payment automatically deducted from the final payout of the previous month. Rent is deemed to be past due by the 6th of the month, and a 10% late fee will be assessed.
Credit Card Clearing and Verification: AAG subscribes to a credit card clearing and verification service. All payments to the Gallery made by this method are guaranteed, eliminating the risk of non-payment on credit cards. License identification is required on all credit card and check payments to help ensure security and prevent fraud.
Taxes and Business Licenses: Because each dealer is consigning merchandise to the AAG for sale and is trading under the name Atlanta Antique Gallery, no dealer is required to obtain a business license form the City of Chamblee. However, each dealer is responsible for any ad valorem taxes which may be assessed at year-end. If for any reason the ad valorem tax for a dealer’s merchandise is assessed to AAG, the dealer must repay AAG in full within 30 days of notice from AAG.
Georgia state sales tax is collected from all retail customers and paid by AAG to the state tax authorities. Wholesale customers/dealers must comply with state law to purchase items tax-free. AAG requests that each dealer provide a copy of its Resale Certificate when leasing a case or showroom; this information will become part of the dealer profile.
Dealers who desire to purchase merchandise tax-free from AAG must complete or provide a Georgia Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Exemption. The information will kept on file. Each dealer must complete and ST-5 form as part of the dealer profile.
Insurance, Theft & Inventory Control: Each dealer accepts full responsibility for their rented space and their merchandise, and shall not hold AAG responsible for any loss, damage or theft. Further dealers are encouraged to audit their inventory every 30 days, as the Gallery video surveillance records are only archived for a 28 day period. The Gallery will be fully supportive in providing any/all evidence to support any theft prosecutions. It is understood that AAG does not accept any role of Bailee in any bailment claims against the Gallery.
AAG does not provide insurance on dealers’ merchandise. Dealers should provide their own insurance coverage for any and all losses included, but not limited to, fire, flood and theft. This in many instances may be covered by the dealer’s home owners/rental insurance. At no time does the Gallery have legal ownership of the dealer's inventory, nor does the Gallery maintain individual dealer inventories.
AAG employees will make reasonable efforts to handle dealer's merchandise in a safe and prudent manner. However, should an employee break or damage an item, AAG will reimburse the dealer 50% of the sale price of the item (the approximate wholesale cost). If a customer breaks or damages an item, AAG will request payment form the customer; in this instance, dealer's are encouraged to only charge 50% of the retail price (the approximate wholesale cost) in any such instances. Any settlement amount amount will be capped at a maximum of 3 months worth of dealer rent.
It is also agreed that AAG shall be liable as an insurer of persons, life, limbs, or property, and will be liable to anyone, whomsoever, for the death of, or injury to any person, or any loss which may, at times, be occasioned solely or in part by or because of any negligent act, gross negligent act on the part of the Gallery, its employees or agents.
Grandfathered Dealers: Active Dealers who were previously contacted under the prior ownership of AAG (succession date 8/15/08) can request certain exclusions to the current Terms & Conditions as presented here, citing the specific conditions of their original contract agreement. If these conditions are deemed to be "material" in nature, then AAG & the grandfathered dealer should compose an updated agreement. In the absence of a new updated agreement, it is to be expected that any grandfathered dealers will then therefore be aligned to the most recent AAG Terms & Conditions as outlined here.
Miscellaneous: Parental guidance is necessary when bringing children into the Gallery. Dealers are responsible for the behavior of any children that may accompany them to AAG.
No food or drink may be consumed in the Gallery except in designated locations.
The use of refinishing products or other such materials is not allowed in the building. Please make sure the merchandise you bring is clean and ready for display.Dealers should notify Gallery management of any customer-related issues.
All showcases are pre-lighted and each showroom has an electrical outlet. Please let management know if you have lighting or electrical issues.
The shipping materials (boxes, tape, packing materials, etc.) in the rear of AAG are not available to Gallery dealers.
AAG does not provide a delivery service but maintains a list of companies who provide this service if customers or dealers need an item delivered. AAG also maintains a list of other services customers may need. If you need more information or have a service that may be added, please let us know.
Thank you for being a part of the Atlanta Antique Gallery. We’re happy to help you. We are open to your ideas to help increase your sales and enhance customers; experience. Please notify AAG management of any concerns, questions or suggestions; these will be held in confidence.
In closing our thanks go out to; Tricia Breckenridge, Jay Rogers, Carol Hittner, Susan Lavery, Tom Farris & Libby Lavine in contributing to update this document.
Sincerely,
Yvonne and Allan Auld
