Power Of The Force Premier Auction

Terms & Conditions

 

Terms of Sale

 

PLEASE NOTE UPDATED TERMS AND CONDITIONS 10/1/2026

 

1. The bidder accepts the conditions of sale stated as follows by offering bids via mail, fax, email or internet. Bids are NOT accepted via email or social media on closing days.

 

2. Items are sold to the highest bidder. HAKE’S BUYER’S PREMIUM IS 20%. A 3% fee will be added to all credit card payments. Accepted payment methods are Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, check, money order or wire transfer. PayPal is not an accepted method of payment.

 

3. Each item has a specific “opening” or “reserve” bid. If you are the first person to bid that amount, the item will be sold to you at that price unless another bidder raises your bid. Once an item has an opening bid, additional increases are as follows:

 

$0 - $199 = $5

$200 - $499 = $10

$500 - $999 = $25

$1,000 - $1,999 = $50

$2,000 - $4,999 = $100

$5,000 - $9,999 = $250

$10,000 - $19,999 = $500

$20,000 - $49,999 = $1,000

$50,000 - $99,999 = $2,500

$100,000 - $199,999 = $5,000

$200,000 - $499,999 = $10,000

$500,000 - $999,999 = $12,500

$1,000,000 and up = $25,000

 

Bids are posted on the internet as received.

 

4. Tie bids are decided by the earliest bid received.

 

5. Bidders must pay packing, postage and insurance costs. All packages are insured for the full purchase amount without exception. When packaging and postage costs rise, Hake’s will adjust shipping costs accordingly. Increases in shipping costs, based on published rates from USPS or UPS and/or personal disagreement with shipping costs are not an acceptable reason to default on payment. Beginning April 2025, all orders will ship UPS with the exception of small items such as pinbacks, ribbons, badges, etc. and those with PO Box addresses. All packages with a value of $200 or more will require a signature upon delivery. For international shipments, Hake’s will declare the FULL value of each package on customs forms, without exception, along with actual descriptions of enclosed material and the appropriate corresponding correct HST codes. Bidders are responsible for all taxes, import, customs and duty fees. It is the bidder’s responsibility to make sure their mailing and shipping address are updated prior to the close of the auction.

 

We ship in the order paid – first in, first out. Thus we begin charging orders as instructed by customers immediately following the close of the auction and continue to fill orders as they are paid. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR SHIPPING ADDRESS IS UPDATED PRIOR TO THE CLOSE OF THE AUCTION. Doing so after the close of the auction may result in a package being delivered to the wrong address. Without exception, all special requests for “Rush Delivery” will incur a charge of $30.00 plus any additional shipping fees associated with the expedited shipment. Overall, our goal is to ship all orders within 15 days of payment. Allow four weeks from the day you send payment before calling to check on the status of your order.

 

6. Pennsylvania, Maryland, California, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Virginia and Ohio residents must pay state sales tax or provide a resale tax certificate. Out of state bidders picking up in our office are subject to 6% PA state sales tax, unless a copy of your resale certificate is provided.

 

7. All bidders are required to have a valid MasterCard, Visa, Discover or American Express card on file.

 

8. No retraction of bids is permitted for any reason. Once a bid is placed, it may not be retracted.

 

9. Bidding sales are not approved sales. Winning bids must be honored by bidders. We cannot assume any responsibility for errors made in the amount bid or placing bids on incorrect lot numbers. Errors in descriptions or our inability to fill an order are the only causes for a refund. Requests for adjustments must be made within three days of receipt of the items and accompanied by a letter of explanation. Late remittance for purchases, however, is cause to negate this privilege. No returns will be permitted for any reason after settlement is made with our consignors.

 

10. If an item is damaged in transit or missing from your order, DO NOT DISCARD ANY PACKING MATERIALS. CALL US IMMEDIATELY AT 866-404-9800 Monday through Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm.

 

11. All material is genuine and no reproductions are offered in the catalogue, unless noted in the item description.

 

12. Electrically operated items are sold for their collectible value only. Actual use of such items is at the purchaser’s risk. Mechanical items such as toys, watches, etc. are sold as is. Upon receipt of items, Hake’s is not responsible for items that are not operable even if described as working in the auction listing.

 

13. Some auction items are being sold based on Hake’s own grading standards and determinations. Please note that grading is always subjective and opinions among experts often do differ. Hake’s does not guarantee that any outside source or third-party grading service will issue the same opinion and will not issue any refunds under such circumstances.

 

14. Hake’s also offers items for sale in multiple category areas that have received third party grading. These items are either provided to Hake’s already graded, or arrangements can be made to have Hake’s directly submit items to different third-party grading services. Any lot that has been graded by a third-party service solely reflects the assigned grade in accordance with that respective company’s grading scale. Therefore, lots that are graded by a third-party grading company are sold “as is”. Hake’s shall not be liable for any patent or latent defect or controversy that arises from an encapsulated lot in our auctions. Certain warranties may be available from a particular grading service and inquiries should be solely directed to that company. All bidders should be aware third-party holders occasionally incur damage (chipping, cracking, loose rails) during shipping, despite Hake’s best efforts to ensure your lots arrive safely. If a case is damaged in transit, Hake’s will attempt to facilitate having the lot re-cased on the winning bidder’s behalf, but returns will not be accepted due to holder damage that does not affect the grade or condition of the item itself.

 

14A. All third-party grading population/census information stated in an auction listing is done at the time of cataloging that specific lot. There can be a month or more between that time and the end of the auction. Therefore, if this information is paramount to your bidding, we strongly suggest you review that specific report to verify up-to-the-minute status. Also, please note that the information we give is the exact variant/variety, there are at times many subtle differences (i.e. card backs, offers, COO, etc) and this must be taken into account. It should also be noted that changing classifications and/or new discoveries by third-party graders can, and sometimes do, affect population/census reports. Bidders are ultimately responsible for confirming the most up-to-date information available.

 

15. Hake’s is not responsible for shipping damage to picture frames (including glass) of any kind. By request, we will remove the item from the frame and dispose of the frame prior to shipping.

 

16. Hake’s reserves the right to cancel the auction or reschedule the closing dates without recourse from the bidder or prospective bidder.

 

17. Should Hake’s be prevented by fire, theft or any other reason beyond their control from delivering any property to the buyer, any liability of Hake’s should be limited to the amount actually paid for the property by that buyer.

 

17A. Force Majeure

 

Hake’s Auctions shall not be deemed in breach of these Terms, nor liable for delay or failure in performance, to the extent such delay or failure is caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to, acts of God, fire, flood, governmental orders, power failure, internet or system outages or other similar event that materially interfere with auction operation.

 

18. Payment Terms

 

All sales are for cash. Full payment is due within 7 days after the auction closing date. We accept major credit cards, checks, money orders and wire transfers. PayPal is not an accepted method of payment. Personal checks from first-time customers may require up to two weeks to clear. We are unable to accept checks drawn on foreign banks, even if the check is in US funds. Payment by certified check or money order will avoid this delay. Returned checks are subject to a $25.00 service charge per transaction.

 

Hake’s mailing address is: Hake’s Auctions, PO Box 12001, York, PA 17402

 

A valid credit card is required to register and bid in our auctions. If your order is under $5,000, the credit card on file will be charged on the 15th day following the close of the auction. If you wish to pay via check, money order or a wire, payment must be received prior to that date. If your invoice is over $5,000, please contact us within 7 business days to advise of your preferred payment method.

 

If a charge to the card on file is declined, Hake’s reserves the right to assess a penalty fee of $25 and pursue collection of the outstanding balance, including any applicable legal or administrative costs.

 

By participating in any Hake’s auction, all bidders acknowledge and agree to these payment terms.

 

19. All bids are contractual obligations, and all bidders are obligated to honor their bids. Invoices not paid when due will be subject to a late payment fee of 1.5% per month on outstanding balances. Bidders will also be liable for all court and attorneys' fees should it become necessary for Hake’s to refer their account to a collection agency or attorney.

 

20. Governing Law, Venue & Arbitration

 

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Pennsylvania. Any dispute, claim or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms shall be resolved exclusively through binding arbitration conducted in York, Pennsylvania, under the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA). The arbitrator’s decision shall be final and binding upon the parties, and judgment upon the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

 

20A. Class Action Waiver

 

The bidder agrees that any dispute, claim or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms shall be brought solely in the bidder’s individual capacity and not a plaintiff or class member in any purported class, collective or representative action. The bidder expressly waives any right to participate in or bring a class action, collective action or representative proceeding against Hake’s Auctions.

 

21. Employees of Hake’s Auctions and its affiliates are permitted to participate in any auction and are subject to the same consignment restrictions noted below.

 

22. Consigners may not bid on items they have consigned or do so by proxy or agents. Any consignor who is determined to have violated this term will be prohibited from bidding in any future Hake’s auction.

 

23. Unclaimed Property; Abandonment

 

All lots must be removed from Hake’s Auctions’ premises or have shipping arrangements confirmed within forty-five (45) days following the date of fully paid invoice. Buyers are solely responsible for arranging pickup or payment for shipment of all purchased lots.

 

Hake’s Auctions may, at its sole discretion, assess reasonable storage and handling fees for any lot not removed within forty-five (45) days of the date of fully paid invoice.

 

If a purchased lot remains unclaimed, and no shipping or pickup arrangements have been completed, within one hundred eighty (180) days following the date of fully paid invoice, such lot shall be deemed abandoned property. In such event, after reasonable notice to the Buyer at the contact information provided and failure of the Buyer to respond, ownership of the lot shall automatically transfer to Hake’s Auctions without refund. The Buyer expressly acknowledges and agrees that no refund shall be issued under any circumstances, including, without limitation, because the consignor has already been paid and the transaction cannot be unwound.

 

Upon such transfer of ownership, Hake’s Auctions shall have the absolute right, at its sole discretion, to resell, consign, retain or otherwise dispose of the lot in any manner it deems appropriate, without any further obligation to the Buyer.

 

By placing a bid, each Buyer expressly agrees to these terms and waives any and all claims against Hake’s Auctions arising from or relating to the disposition of abandoned property under this provision.

 

24. CONDITION DEFINITIONS

 

We devote much time to providing detailed descriptions of the items so that you may bid in confidence. Here are most of the condition terms we use and their definitions. If you need more information or clarification about an item, please call the office before the auction closing day.

 

MINT    Flawless condition

NEAR MINT (NM)    Just the slightest detectable wear

EXCELLENT (EXC)    Minor visible wear

VERY FINE (VF)    Well cared for with only moderate visible wear and/or aging

FINE    An item in nice condition with some general wear but no serious defects

VERY GOOD (VG)    Noticeable wear and aging, with moderate defects present

GOOD    Obvious overall wear and/or defects.

FAIR    Obvious damage and wear.

POOR    Extensive damage and wear.

HAKE#    Refers to Hake’s 3 volume reference “The Encyclopedia of Political Buttons”.

QUOTE MARKS (“…”)    In a description indicate words that actually appear on the item.

 

25. Loss or Damage

 

DAMAGE: When a package is delivered to the address on your auction invoice, and the package arrives with visible damage, please note the damage on the carrier’s delivery receipt before signing or have the driver acknowledge it.

 

If damage is discovered after opening the package, keep the box and all packing material as well as the damaged item. Contact Hake’s immediately to report the damage. If possible, please photograph the damaged item as well as the packaging and send the photos to Hake’s at hakes@hakes.com. We will then contact the carrier (UPS, USPS) to start the claim process.

 

If a bidder chooses to use their own carrier or freight forwarder, Hake’s will not be responsible for damage to package/items once it is out of our possession.

 

LOSS: If a package is lost, we will contact UPS or USPS and request a package tracer. The purpose of the tracer is to provide proof of delivery or, if unable to prove delivery, request a claim.

 

Reimbursement for loss or damage will not occur until the claim process has been concluded, which could take six to ten weeks.

 

26. Lay-Away Terms

 

Lay-away terms are available on invoices of $5,000 or more. In order to use the lay-away plan, one third of the total amount due must be received within 14 days after the close of the auction. The remaining balance is due 30 days from the close of the auction. The deposit is not refundable for any reason, and no exchanges can be made. Please contact us prior to the closing day of the auction should you choose to exercise this option.

 

An interest charge of 1.5% per month will be applied to lay-away balances that exceed the lay-away date by 30 days or more. If there is a balance still due beyond 75 days of the original payment due date, the deposit is forfeited and the items returned to our inventory.

 

27. Invoices

 

Invoices are emailed to the email address on file no later than the Monday following the closing date. It is the bidder’s responsibility to ensure the email address on file is correct. Information about winning bids cannot be provided by telephone until that same Monday.

 

28. Prices Realized

 

Prices realized for the current and past auctions are available on the Past Auctions page of our website.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

 

My bid was higher than the current high bid – why am I not the high bidder? You have triggered another bidder’s confidential maximum bid and must top it by the full bidding increment to become the high bidder.

 

How will I know if I am outbid on an item? Hake’s sends an email anytime you are outbid on an item.

 

Why didn’t I receive an outbid notice by email? Please make sure to look in your Junk folder. If it does not appear there, please contact us.

 

I won an item – what happens next? After the final closing day of the auction, winning bid notices will be sent via email. Once shipping costs have been calculated, all bidders will receive an invoice by email which will include shipping costs. Please see Section 18 – Payment Terms.

 

How will I know when my items ship? An email containing tracking information will be sent confirming your order has shipped.

 

How do I stay current with Hake’s? Sign up through the Get Email Alerts link at the top of every page of our website and we’ll make sure you receive updates via email. Find us on social media as @HakesAuctions on Facebook, X and Instagram.

 

How do I consign to Hake’s? Send photos of your material with your contact information to Kelly McClain at mkelly@hakes.com or Scott Mussell at mscott@hakes.com. See additional information on the How to Consign section of the website.