Reference library
Guidance for collectors and institutions approaching a timed online sale: how to read a catalogue entry, how estimates and reserves function, how bidding is conducted, and what follows a successful bid.
Featured guide
A first purchase at auction is less daunting than it appears. This guide sets out the whole sequence in order, from reading a catalogue entry to collecting the property, and explains what is expected of a buyer at each stage.
Buying at Auction · 4 min read
Buying at Auction · 3 min read
Registration is the point at which an interested reader becomes an approved bidder. This guide explains the four stages, why each exists, and how long each is likely to take.
Read the guide
Buying at Auction · 3 min read
The mechanics of a timed online sale: how increments are set, how a maximum bid is executed on your behalf, what a reserve does, and why the closing time can move.
Read the guide
Buying at Auction · 3 min read
The hammer price is not the sum you pay. This guide explains buyer's premium, how banded rates are calculated, how tax applies, and how to work out the total cost of a lot before you bid.
Read the guide
Questions on Buying at Auction
