Thank you for visiting Eastman's Clockworks!  My name is William “ Joe ” Eastman and I am the owner/operator of Eastman's Clockworks.  Whether you own a clock or watch repair or sales shop and are looking for a simple and low-cost way to improve your marketing and sales, if you routinely offer your antique timepieces on any of the large online auction houses and are seeking a simple alternative to their often complicated and costly fee schedule, or are simply interested in purchasing an antique clock or watch for your home, business or collection, I believe you will find the online auctions offered by Eastman’s Clockworks to be a great resource that you will return to frequently.

History

I first became interested in vintage and antique clocks and watches after inheriting a small Seth Thomas cottage clock from my grandfather 20 years ago.  It sat on a shelf in my house for several years, more a piece of furniture than a functioning time keeper.  I always thought it had an innate beauty, even though the metal dial had lost a good deal of paint and there were a few nicks and scratches on the mahogany-veneered case - more than 100 years of use had taken its toll on this clock.  It was a clock that needed a little attention to bring it back to life.

It was this quest to restore my grandfather’s Seth Thomas clock that led me to research the history of time keeping and later to begin my antique clock repair training (a modern “apprenticeship”) with a very knowledgeable clock man, John Simons.  John’s willingness to share his knowledge, techniques, equipment and his valuable time to help me pursue this passion is in the best traditions of the trade, and his mentorship has in large measure enabled me to begin offering my own antique clock sales and repair services and laid the early foundations for Eastman’s Clockworks.

As my understanding of the business of clock and watch repair and sales grew, it became obvious to me that there were relatively few outlets to sell antique clocks and watches, particularly for folks like me that do not have a storefront or showroom to display their timepieces.  Eastman's Clockworks was designed to provide an online venue for the sale of antique timepieces, enabling individual collectors to sell from one item to entire collections and to give more established businesses a means to improve their marketing and increase inventory turnover.

Thanks again for visiting Eastman's Clockworks.  Please contact me if you need any assistance with this web site or have any further questions about participating in our online auctions.  I’m also very interested in your feedback about the service and what I can do to improve it – my objective is to offer you the best antique clock and watch auction service to be found.

Auction Advantages

Our auction format benefits both antique clock and watch sellers and bidders and is preferred by many over the traditional online auction format used by some of the larger online auction sites. 

Member Advantages

	Eastman’s Clockworks auction fees are less than half what most traditional auction houses charge.  Members agree to pay a 4.5% seller’s fee (based on the amount of the winning bid) for any listings sold in an Eastman’s Clockworks auction.  Members may list an unlimited number of vintage and antique timepieces in the Eastman's Clockworks auctions at no cost.  Members will not be charged a fee for clocks that do not sell at auction, and may keep an unsold listing active for as long as desired.  Eastman’s Clockworks does not charge extra fees for posting extra images per listing, formatting your listing, or any of the other myriad of charges some of the larger online auction houses apply.  Members that buy or sell five items in our auctions also receive a personalized home page on the Eastman’s Clockworks web site detailing your own clock services and specialties. Member registration is free!
	Members provide a reserve price for each item they list.  Bids received are compared to the reserve - if the reserve is not met, the Member is not obligated to sell the item. Reasonable bids received that are slightly lower than the reserve (usually within 25% of the reserve) will be sent to the Member for consideration. There is never a risk that an item will sell for less than what a Member feels is reasonable.
	Our auction listings are viewed by hundreds of visitors to the Eastman’s Clockworks site every month, improving the chances of receiving bids on each of the items a Member lists.  We also actively market the service to individual clock and watch collectors, traditional auction houses, antique dealers, antique clock and watch repair and sale shops, and antique clock and watch associations to increase bidder traffic and to share the selling opportunities this unique online auction format provides.
	Eastman’s Clockworks simplifies and oversees the entire auction process – we provide the online forum for the auction on the Eastman’s Clockworks web site, publicize each auction to our growing membership, post your item descriptions and images to the web site, monitor the auction and moderate questions from bidders to Member sellers, notify the Member and the winning bidder at auction end and facilitate the final transaction.  Members who wish to list clocks and watches in the auction are only responsible for providing Eastman’s Clockworks with item descriptions and condition information, any images of the items to be listed, and for shipping the item to the winning bidder (auction winner is responsible for any applicable state tax, shipping insurance, and shipping/handling charges).

Bidder Advantages

	Bidding is free!  If you are interested in a listed clock or watch, place a bid by clicking the "Bid On This Item" button next to each item listed in the auction.  Your bid will be screened against the reserve price set by the seller.  If your bid exceeds the reserve (or is accepted by the seller as reasonable), then a 10-day "Open Auction" countdown will begin. If other bids are received during this period that are higher than your bid, you will be a given the opportunity to submit the final bid.  At the end of the 10-day Open Auction, the highest bid wins!  Winning bidder is responsible for any applicable state tax and shipping/handling charges.
	Eastman’s Clockworks provides bidders with a wide variety of antique and vintage timepieces from a reputable source.  We actively seek to add new Members to our site to constantly improve the quality and number of items listed in our auctions.  All Members and bidders will be placed on an email mailing list to be notified of upcoming auctions.
	Bidders can feel confident that the items listed are accurately described.  All timepieces are described by the selling Member and represent the condition of the clock or watch as best as possible.  Clock and watch descriptions are also supplemented and enhanced by pictures posted to the web site for your review.  Bidders may request additional information on any item by contacting Eastman’s Clockworks prior to the close of the auction.  Winning bidders may return any inaccurately described clock to the Member for a full refund of the bid, excluding shipping costs, if the Member and Eastman’s Clockworks are notified within 5 days of your receiving the item.
	Winning bidders can feel confident that they will not be charged unnecessary shipping and handling fees, a serious problem found on many other large online auction houses.  Members will contact winning bidders at the auction conclusion to discuss shipping options and total shipping costs (generally either UPS, FedEx or DHL, and shipping charges based on weight and location are easily found online).  Most Members will personally pack your item for shipment, so a modest handling charge of a few dollars to cover their expenses is a reasonable expectation. We also ask that shipping insurance charges be added to the total for each item shipped to protect the winning bidder from damage in transit. Auction winners should contact Eastman’s Clockworks if shipping/handling charges seem unreasonable – we will ensure your concerns are addressed promptly.