Choosing an auctioneer to sell at auction :
1. First and foremost, get a quick, well-argued estimate of the item you want to sell.
2. Prefer a multi-specialist auction house with art departments run by certified and insured clerks and experts.
3. It is often disappointing to see one's works of art placed in sales where there are all sorts of unrelated objects. The risk is obviously greater that it will not sell well.
4. Before entrusting an estate, a collection or simply an object of art to an auction house, make sure that the auctioneer is authorised to sell at physical auctions using the hammer and at online auctions, also known as "time auctions".
5. Try to take part in video auctions to judge the auctioneer's professionalism before entrusting your work of art to him or her. A friendly, approachable and unhesitating hammer will help you sell better. After all, auctions are all about life and competition, and you don't want them to be boring!
6. Take a look at the history of the auction house you select. It's preferable for the auction house to have been in existence for several decades - or even centuries - and to have a modern, "no-frills" website.
7. Similarly, a quick glance at the auction house's calendar will tell you about the pace of its sales. The more varied and numerous the sales, the more diverse the buyers.
8. Some auction houses offer to sell where the market is best for your work of art or collection. An auction house with several sales rooms in several cities (or several countries) and several auctioneers has a better chance of reaching buyers.
Do you have a question?
A question that often comes up is: "Do you have auctions tailored to my collection or my estate? It's varied and made up of different types of objects (jewellery, sculptures, paintings, European furniture), all from different civilisations such as China and pre-Columbian art..."
Ask the auctioneer or expert:
- Do you have the sales speciality that concerns my work of art, my painting or my collection / estate?
- Do you have a qualified file that you know personally to help me sell my work of art better?
- Do you use digital platforms to relay auctions in order to reach as many art lovers as possible?
- Are auctions broadcast live?
- Is the auctioneer specialised and.... Friendly?
- Is the expert properly insured and accredited?
- Do your auction fees include the appraisal?
- How do you calculate transport costs?
- Do you take care of delivery to your buyers yourself?
To sum up, when choosing an auction house, make sure it offers :
- All possible specialities in catalogued, physical, live and online sales.
- Each of these disciplines should be in the top 5 in Europe
- Several auction venues and towns with different auctioneers
- A steady flow of sales throughout the year (at least 4 a week, as this requires a perfectly qualified and up-to-date file).
- A long-established auction house that is constantly innovating.
- Approved experts who support the art departments
- A policy of prestige sales, of course, but also sales categories offering solutions for ALL my works (large and small)
- Free estimates.
- Rigorous but friendly auctioneers
- Sales fees adapted to the client's profile
- An advisory role throughout the sales process, alerting me to tax issues
- Monitoring of the various stages before and after the sale, thanks to a seller's 'client account'.
I might as well tell you straight away that there's no such thing as a house that meets all these criteria... except one... THE MILLION HOUSE!