Prohibited Items

This list is part of the Auctioneer & Seller Terms (Sale Rule 2.4(f)). It says what may not be sold on Going Once, and what may be sold only in the way described. It applies to every lot, and to every item inside a lot, including a box of mixed items.

The list is not complete. Anything that is illegal to sell under California or federal law is not allowed, whether or not it is named here. If you are not sure about an item, ask us before you list it.

We may remove a lot that breaks these rules at any time, including while the sale is live. If it has already sold, we may cancel the sale of that lot and refund the buyer.

1. Not allowed

Weapons

• Firearms of any age, including antique, inoperable and deactivated guns, frames, receivers and parts kits.
• Ammunition, gunpowder, primers and reloading supplies.
• BB, pellet and airsoft guns, and any replica or toy gun that could be mistaken for a real one.
• Switchblade knives, metal knuckles, throwing stars, and any other weapon California law prohibits.
• Stun guns and tear gas.

Animals and animal products

• Live animals of any kind, including fish.
• Ivory and rhinoceros horn in any form, including antiques, carvings and jewelry. Ask us about a musical instrument with ivory parts before listing it.
• Anything made from an animal California bans selling, such as polar bear, leopard, tiger, cheetah, jaguar, zebra, elephant, whale and sea turtle.
• Feathers, nests, eggs and mounted specimens of wild native birds, including eagles, hawks and owls.

Alcohol, tobacco and drugs

• Alcohol, including wine collections and sealed bottles.
• Tobacco, cigars, e-cigarettes and vaping products.
• Cannabis, CBD products and drug paraphernalia.
• Prescription and over-the-counter medicine, vitamins and supplements.
• Medical devices that need a prescription, such as CPAP machines, oxygen equipment and hearing aids.

Children's products

• Any product under a safety recall. Check cpsc.gov/recalls before listing children's items.
• Cribs, bassinets, cradles and inclined infant sleepers.
• Car seats and booster seats.
• Baby walkers.

Dangerous materials

• Fireworks, explosives and flares.
• Gas cylinders, including oxygen, welding, helium and scuba tanks. A standard barbecue propane tank is allowed.
• Fuel, pesticides, pool chemicals, solvents and paint, whether opened or sealed.
• Liquid mercury, and anything containing asbestos that is damaged or crumbling.

Food

• Food and drink of any kind, including canned and sealed goods and pet food.

Personal and financial items

• Identity documents, passports, driver's licenses, checks, bank cards, and papers with someone's personal information on them.
• Counterfeit money, and coins or bars sold as gold or silver that are not.
• Keys, remotes and access cards for the property or any other property.

Fakes and property the owner cannot sell

• Counterfeit or replica designer goods, and copies of branded items.
• Bootleg or home-copied music, films and software.
• Anything the owner of the goods does not have the right to sell, including items still under a loan or lease.

2. Allowed only as described

• Knives and swords. Kitchen knives, folding pocket knives, hunting knives and decorative swords are allowed. Automatic (switchblade) knives are not.
• Taxidermy, furs, hides and leather. The lot must say what animal it comes from, and it must not be an animal named in section 1.
• Electronics and appliances. List them as untested unless you have tested them. Anything hardwired, plumbed in or connected to gas must be disconnected by a qualified person before pickup. Buyers may not disconnect anything.
• Computers, phones and tablets. Reset to factory settings and removed from the owner's accounts before cataloging. If that cannot be done, list the item for parts only, with the storage removed.
• Vehicles, boats and trailers. The title must be in the owner's or the estate's name with no loan against it, and the lot must say so. In California the seller must give the buyer a smog certificate for most vehicles.
• Used mattresses. Clean and free of stains, photographed without bedding, and described as used.
• Empty alcohol bottles and decanters. Photographed empty, with the lid off.
• Appraisals and certificates of authenticity. Only for the specific item in the lot, with any dollar value covered or removed. Do not state a retail price or an estimated value in a lot.
• Signed items and prints. Describe an item as signed only if it is signed by hand. A printed signature is described as printed.
• Toys, sports helmets and children's furniture not listed in section 1. Allowed, with a note that they have not been checked against current safety standards.
• Boxes of mixed items. Photograph enough of the contents that a bidder can see what is in the box. Closed "mystery" boxes are not allowed.

3. Not allowed by our choice

These items are legal to sell, but Going Once does not sell them.

• Sexually explicit material. Art with nudity is allowed.
• Nazi memorabilia, and items whose purpose is to promote hatred of a group of people.
• Body armor.
• Used underwear and socks.