Two types of Auctions
Memorabid is an official auction house, duly registered as such with the Chamber of Commerce.
There are two types of auctions:
1- "Memorabid Auctions" - identified by a gold graphic design
These auctions are promoted and authenticated by our auction house, which guarantees every aspect of the item as described in the accompanying text, including its authenticity.
All the items presented in this section are stored in the Memorabid warehouse and are photographed by the in-house team.
When a customer wins a “Memorabid Auction” will have the chance to purchase a COA “Certificate Of Authenticity”, an official document in which the authenticity of the purchased product is guaranteed as well as every detail described or any images shown, at the cost of 25 euros.
2- "Marketplace Auctions" - identified by a blue graphic design,
These auctions are the ones uploaded directly by suppliers who choose to award a lot using Memorabid technology.
As these items are not physically handled and are therefore not in the possession of Memorabid’s professionals, the auction house cannot guarantee the absolute authenticity of every specific characteristic.
Nevertheless, the Memorabid team carefully reviews and approves each prospective seller, as well as every auction listing submitted, rejecting any listings that present formal issues, evident authenticity concerns, or require revision (for example, insufficient or low-quality photos and descriptions).
This ensures that this section remains controlled and reliable, although users are required to independently assess all aspects and characteristics of each item.
As an additional safeguard for the customer, all items - including those won through Marketplace auctions - are shipped directly by Memorabid.
In fact, once the lot is awarded, the Marketplace seller ships the item to Memorabid, allowing the team to carry out a full consistency check between what was described and shown in the listing and the actual item.
Users interested in a Marketplace auction may contact the seller through the platform’s internal messaging system in order to clarify any doubts or request further information regarding the lot.
All messages are moderated and monitored by the Memorabid team, providing an additional layer of protection for buyers.
When a customer wins a Marketplace auction they will have the chance to purchase a COO “Certificate Of Origin”, a document that guarantees that the item was purchased on Memorabid.com, at a cost of 19 euros at check out.
These certificates are linked to a serial code and to a pair of NFC tags:
- one applied on the paper version
- one applied in/on the object
So buyer will have the chance to access to the digital version of his super-innovative certificate, were all the images of the product and its description are stated and shown.
Autographs: authenticity guaranteed
Every autographed collectible offered on Memorabid is submitted to a meticulous verification and authentication process to provide our users with maximum transparency and peace of mind when purchasing.
Each autograph listed must meet at least one of the following three criteria:
1. A photo or video showing the exact moment the item was signed;
2. Direct provenance from the athlete, club, or federation;
3. An authenticity certificate issued by a leading and internationally recognized authority such as Beckett, PSA/DNA, or JSA.
If a supplier provides us with an item that does not meet any of these three conditions, the autograph will be submitted, prior to auction, to the analysis of a Forensic Graphologist registered with A.G.I. (“Associazione Grafologica Italiana”) and A.G.P. (“Associazione Grafologi Professionisti”), the only italian graphology associations recognized nationally by CoLAP.
Memorabid has chosen this highly qualified professional as a trustworthy and impartial expert, with no commercial ties or conflicts of interest in the memorabilia market.
Only if the Forensic Graphologist confirms the autograph as genuine will the item be accepted for auction.
Furthermore, the expert will issue a certificate officially attesting to its authenticity, which will always be included and delivered free of charge to the auction winner, considering the cost of this certification entirely covered by the item’s supplier.
Charity Auctions
Memorabid has always managed its charity auctions according to the principles of transparency, fairness and full disclosure towards users and Charitable Organisations.
Auctions identified by the wording “Charity initiative supporting…” are organised to raise funds for the Charity Organisation indicated on the auction page.
Memorabid guarantees every user and participant that the only deduction made from the funds raised is its service fee, with no exceptions.
Memorabid is not exclusively a charity auction house; it is also a charity auction house, and it manages this aspect with the utmost transparency.
There are no partial amounts allocated to non-profit organisations: whenever an auction is identified as a charity initiative by the wording “Charity initiative supporting…”, users can be certain that 85% of the proceeds will be allocated to the relevant Charity Organisation, while the remaining 15% represents Memorabid’s service fee for auction management, user support, payment collection, administrative management and logistical support.
Memorabid will transfer the funds due to the Third Sector Organisation 16 days after the successful bidder has received the shipment.
With regard to charity auctions organised through our MemorabidNOW Silent Auction service, 100% of the funds raised are allocated to the Charity Organisation.
Indeed, Memorabid provides this service for a fixed fee, covering the complete supply of the service and positioning Memorabid’s contribution in the same way as any other event service provider (such as catering or venue hire).
Therefore, no commission or variable fee is applied to the funds raised.
Whether the charity initiative raises €100 or €100,000, the cost of the service remains exactly the same, having been contractually agreed in advance with the Third Sector Organisation according to the size of the event and the level of effort required from the Memorabid team to manage it.
In the case of a charity initiative organised through a Silent Auction, Memorabid will transfer the funds due to the Third Sector Organisation 16 days after the successful bidder has received the shipment of the last lot dispatched, once all logistical operations related to the event have been completed.
Our business model is consistent with the principles of transparency introduced by Italian Law No. 120 of 15 July 2026, entitled “Provisions concerning the allocation of proceeds derived from the sale of products, as well as the promotion and strengthening of consumer confidence in charitable activities carried out by Third Sector Organisations.”
Memorabid is among the signatories of the Manifesto for Responsible Partnerships, promoted by Italia non Profit, an initiative bringing together companies and Third Sector Organisations committed to building collaborations based on transparency, integrity, responsibility and mutual trust.
By signing the Manifesto, Memorabid has undertaken a concrete commitment to adopt best practices in managing collaborations with charitable organisations, including:
- defining clear and transparent agreements;
- communicating accurately how the funds raised will be allocated;
- ensuring maximum transparency regarding the financial aspects of each initiative;
- acting responsibly towards partner organisations, donors and auction participants.
For Memorabid, these principles are not merely a regulatory commitment, but an integral part of its identity and the way it conducts its business.
Every charity auction is therefore managed according to the principles of transparency, fairness and responsibility, with the aim of ensuring the highest level of trust for Charitable Organisations, sellers and all participants.
Beyond current auctions: the direct purchase proposal
At Memorabid the user can consult the complete list of all the previously closed auctions and has the exclusive opportunity to send a direct purchase proposal to the winner to attempt to buy directly he item that has already been sold at auction at a price equal to or superior to the winning bid, an action protected by Memorabid as intermediary.
If the auction closed under the reserve price, user can also send a direct purchase proposal to the seller to met it and win the lot not awarded previousely.
The catalogue of items that can be bought on Memorabid will be constantly updated and expanded.
The winner of each auction will be sure of their investment, having the chance to receive offers on the item that they won automatically and with no commitment to sell.
If said offer or successive bids are accepted Memorabid will take possession of the item from the first winner, who in turn becomes the seller, to ascertain that the item still conforms perfectly to the text / photographic description of the original auction; in this way the client will be able to make a risk-free purchase with the guarantee that the item will be in exactly the same condition as it was in for the original auction, even if years may have passed.
To win a lot the user can:
- Bid immediately by offering the listed price;
- Insert a maximum amount to raise automatically: The system will automatically bid for the user (making an offer equal to the minimum raise) to outbid all bids made by other users until the maximum automatic raise amount has been reached. If the amount you enter exceeds the reserve price, at the end of an auction closed under reserve, you will win with a bid equal to the reserve price.
To bid is necessary to register a credit card trough Stripe (https://stripe.com)
Stripe totally cares about any data or infos, Memorabid never store your credit card data or any infos, using an International and extra-safe online payment provider is the best way to respect your privacy and keep you safe.
The buyer has 48 hours to pay for the lot he won. If he will not proceed himself through the checkout within this time we will proceed ourself charging, thruough Stripe, his credit card for the total amount.
Auction values and prices:
- The minimum reserve of every lot is set at 30 euros, no auctions can have a lower reserve;
- The starting price is the opening amount for the auction, bids start at this amount
- The auction reserve is the price chosen by the seller as the minimum sale price for the lot. The auction cannot be won with bids below this figure.
Only users who have made at least one bid on the auction will be able to see whether the reserve has been met or not.
Only the user who is the highest bidder will receive a notification/email revealing the auction reserve if said auction closes below the required figure.
They will then have 48 hours to decide whether to make up the difference to reach the reserve price to win the lot.
The Timer:
Our timer shows remaining time before an auction opening or its closure.
If a user bets when an auction ends within one minute, the timer will be extended by another minute; this feature gives to our digital auctions a traditional auctions background, let user imagine a physical auctioneer who gives to all interested bidders the chance to make a last-minute raise at their turn.