Frequently asked questions

Find answers to frequently asked questions regarding Dorotheum.
If your question is not answered here, please contact our client service:

Client Service

Mon - Fri, 10.00am - 6.00pm
Tel. +43-1-515 60-200, Fax -508
customer.services@dorotheum.com

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions - Search

Under the menu “auctions” you will find our auction offerings. You can choose between “current auctions” and “online auctions.
In order to view the auctions of our motor vehicle and technology department please select “motor vehicles” from the menu.

Under “current auctions” you will find all auctions that take place on our premises.
Unlike these, “online auctions” take place exclusively online on our website.
Online Auctions are indicated with a monitor symbol on our website.

On our home page
You can view all objects on our home page. Both “current auctions” and “online auctions” are listed chronologically according to the date of the auction. By selecting a specific auction you will access its online catalogue - a complete list of all its items, accompanied by descriptions and images. 

In the printed auction catalogue
A printed catalogue is produced for many auctions (“current auctions”). You can order this catalogue from us, or subscribe to it for a reduced fee. 

In the previews at our auction house
Additionally, almost all auctions come with the option of viewing the items on offer in person in the branch of the auction house. Selected items from our highest-level auctions can regularly be viewed in our international representative offices.
Generally, the viewing opens one week prior to the auction, and takes place in the Dorotheum branch in which the auction will also be held, or in which the auction is being organised (online auctions). The precise viewing times are listed online next to each catalogue.
Please note that, for some online auctions, items can only be viewed online. These auctions are marked as such on the auction calendar on the website.
For charity auctions supported by Dorotheum, auctions and viewings may take place outside of the auction house. In such cases, this will be marked on the website.

Under “Auctions” there are three filters above the list of dates: “Categories | Branches | Auctions”.
You will always be shown “Current Auctions” as standard.
To change the type of auction, please select the appropriate option of “Online Auctions” or “Car & Vehicle Auctions” under the “Auctions” filter at the far right.

When you select the “Auctions” menu, you will be shown current auctions as standard. You can sort this information as required. You can use filters to do this.
Categories”: only shows auctions that fall within a particular category. You can select from all the categories for which a date is currently listed.
Branches”: select a branch to see only the auctions/auction dates that take place in that branch. As with “Categories”, only the branches will be displayed for which entries are currently available.
Auctions”: here you can choose the type of auction that is to be displayed (current auctions, online auctions, car & vehicle auctions)

Search across all items
Regardless of where you are on the website, there will always be a search bar (marked by the magnifying glass symbol) in the upper-right hand corner. Input your required search term, and click on the magnifying glass symbol or press “enter” to start your search.
Items that match your search will be listed and you can access the detail page for a particular item, with all the information and images, by clicking on the item in question.
The search covers all the items currently offered on the website (current auctions, online auctions, car & vehicle auctions), and past auctions (albeit with certain time-related restrictions). 

The search results will show you all the items that contain your search term either in their title or in their description.
If you would like to refine the results, you can select the “advanced search” option. 

Search in an online catalogue
In addition to the above search across all auctions, you can also target your search to look at individual online catalogues.
There are filters and search boxes at the start of the item list for every online catalogue.
The “search text” field enables you to target your search, looking at all the items within a catalogue for your chosen search term. This searches across the title and description.
If you already know the catalogue number of the item you are looking for, you can also search for the catalogue number using the “show lot no.” field.
For online auctions, please use the multi-digit lot number (e.g. 301-00325/0001) instead of the catalogue number.

To look at a particular item listed in the search results, click on the corresponding line. You will then be shown a detailed view of the item, with a larger photo and a product description.

Every item offered in our auction catalogues, whether online or in print, has a starting price (opening price in online auctions) or estimate listed.  The starting price (opening price) is the value at which auction of the item will commence.
The estimate is listed as “from - to”, and reflects the experts’ expectations in terms of price. If an estimate is given, the starting price will be between half the lower estimate value, and the lower estimate value.
For some auctions, a starting price and an estimate can be given.

You can order individual printed catalogues under the menu “Service / Order catalogue / Individual catalogues”. 

You can subscribe to auction catalogues in your fields of interest under the menu “Service / Order catalogue / Catalogue subscriptions”. Take advantage of our cost-effective subscription packages. 

It is easy to place your order: tell us your personal information via the order form. You will receive your personal Dorotheum auction catalogue by post, starting with the next auction date.
A subscription to Dorotheum catalogues is valid for one year. After you have received your first catalogue, you will be sent the invoice for your annual subscription, including shipping costs, by post.
You can cancel your subscription at any time.

Under “current auctions” you will find all auctions that take place on our premises.
Unlike these, “online auctions” take place exclusively online.
Online auctions are indicated with a monitor symbol on our website.

Bidding in the sale room
Register shortly before the auction to receive a bidder’s card. If you do not yet have a customer number with us, you will only need valid photographic ID.
Bid by raising your bidder’s card. Every bid represents an increase of approximately 10% on the previous bid (increments). The auctioneer knocks down the object to the person making the highest bid with the word “sold” and the ringing of a bell. 

Written absentee bid
You may submit a written absentee bid up until 24 hours before the start of the auction. Forms are available online, in the catalogue or at the viewing.
Through the online catalogue you can also submit your bid directly on the website. Please indicate the maximum limit up to which you would like us to bid on your behalf. We guarantee that we will also knock down the item to you below your limit, provided no other higher bids have been made. 

Telephone bidding
You can also bid on the telephone for items with a starting price of 300 euros and above. Write to us, or send us an online telephone bid, to tell us which item you are interested in, and make sure that you are contactable during the auction. We will call you directly from the sale room as soon as your desired item comes to auction, and you will then bid live on the telephone.

If you wish to participate in an auction (in the saleroom or online), we require the following documents to confirm your identity:

Private individuals
Official photo ID issued by a state authority indicating the name, date of birth and signature of the person as well as the issuing authority (e.g. passport, identity card, driving licence).

Legal persons
Extracts from the commercial register or comparable documents (foreign documents) confirming the existence of the company, indicating the name (company), the legal form, the registered office, and the first and last name of the managing bodies, their power of representation and the beneficial owner. Power of attorney (including official photo ID of the persons involved) authorising to bid on behalf of the organisation).

It is easy to place online absentee bids for all Dorotheum auctions. Please read the below points for further information.

You can place an online absentee bid/ telephone bid as soon as a catalogue is available on the website. The deadline for submitting your bid depends on the auction in question. Consequently, information on the deadline by which you need to submit your absentee bid via the website is provided for each item. After this deadline has passed, the absentee bid/telephone bid buttons will be faded out, and you will no longer be able to place bids online.
For online auctions, you are able to place bids until the end of the auction. 

There is a button for this on the detail view page for every item. You will be provided with the absentee bid form once you have clicked on this button. Please fill in the appropriate fields. If you are registered with myDOROTHEUM, and are logged in, your personal details will be pre-filled.
Please enter your bid limit in numerical form. Do not use special characters or letters (correct: 4500 - please, do not enter 4,500 or EUR 4600 EUR). 

Please mark that you have read and accepted the terms and conditions. Then click on “next”.
You will then be shown a summary of your bid to check over. Please ensure that the information is correct, especially the lot number and your bid limit.
If all the information is correct, please confirm your bid by clicking on the “Make a binding offer” button. Your bid will be submitted and processed.
If the information provided is incorrect, click on “Edit information” to return to the absentee bid form and correct your information.

When you make your first purchase we also require from you a copy of an identity card with a photo. Please send it to us along with your absentee bid, using the upload function available in the form. (Once you are registered as a customer, this will not be required again.)

After submitting your absentee bid, you will receive an email confirming receipt of the absentee bid / telephone bid. Once the details of your bid have been processed by our system, you will received a separate confirmation by email.

Our Customer Services will be pleased to assist you with any queries you may have: Tel. +43-1-515 60-200, Fax -508, customer.services@dorotheum.com 

There is a button for this on the detail view page for items with a starting price of EUR 300 and above. You will be provided with the telephone bid form once you have clicked on this button. Please fill in the appropriate fields. If you are registered with myDOROTHEUM, and are logged in, your personal details will be pre-filled.
In the case of a telephone bid, a telephone number is required at which you can be reached during the auction.
You may also enter a top limit for your bid at the time of placing the order. We will then carry this out for you, should you not be contactable at the time of the auction.
Please enter your bid limit in numerical form (where applicable). Do not use special characters or letters (correct: 4500 - please, do not enter 4,600 or EUR 4500 EUR). 

Please mark that you have read and accepted the terms and conditions. Then click on “next”.
You will then be shown a summary of your bid to check over. Please ensure that the information is correct, especially the lot number and your bid limit.
If all the information is correct, please confirm your telephone bid by clicking on the “Make a binding offer” button. Your telephone bid will be submitted and processed.
If the information provided is incorrect, click on “Edit information” to return to the absentee bid form and correct your information. 

When you make your first purchase we also require from you a copy of an identity card with a photo. Please send it to us along with your absentee bid, using the upload function available in the form.
(Once you are registered as a customer, this will not be required again.)

After submitting your absentee bid, you will receive an email confirming receipt of the absentee bid / telephone bid. Once the details of your bid have been processed by our system, you will received a separate confirmation by email. 

Our Customer Services will be pleased to assist you with any queries you may have: Tel. +43-1-515 60-200, Fax -508, customer.services@dorotheum.com

Every item offered in our auction catalogues, whether online or in print, has a starting price (opening price in online auctions) or estimate listed.  The starting price (opening price) is the value at which auction of the item will commence.
The estimate is listed as “from - to”, and reflects the experts’ expectations in terms of price. If an estimate is given, the starting price will be between half the lower estimate value, and the lower estimate value.
For some auctions, a starting price and an estimate can be given.

Each bid is an increase of approximately 10% on the previous one. You can find the individual incremental increases here. Please note that different auctions can have different incremental increases.
If you are bidding online, the website will notify you if you select a bid that is outside the incremental increase.

A buyer’s premium and statutory VAT will be added to the hammer price, that is, the highest price. In most cases, these two will amount to 30% of the highest bid (differential taxation). Items that are subject to other forms of taxation are explicitly indicated in the catalogue, for instance with the marks “+” or “-” for items subject to full taxation.
Sales of original works can be additionally subject to a royalty payment surcharge of max. 4%. For more details, please see our Conditions of Sale

The results of previous auctions are published on the homepage under the Auctions - Past auctions menu. Of course, you can also find out the outcome of an auction by sending an email to customer.services@dorotheum.com, or by telephoning +43 1 515 60 200 

Once you have registered for myDOROTHEUM and inputted the categories in which you are interested, you can also opt to receive automatic email notifications as soon as the auction results for one of your chosen categories are published online.

If no bids are placed on an item, there is the option to purchase it during the post-auction sale, which is held on the day after the auction. To do so, please contact the branch in which the auction took place.

If you have placed a bid, and we have your email address, you will automatically receive an email after the close of the auction to inform you whether you have placed the winning bid for your desired item, or whether a higher bid was placed by someone else.  You can also find out the outcome of an auction by emailing <link>customer.services@dorotheum.com, or by telephoning +43 1 515 60, direct dial 200. 

The items you purchased can be paid for at any branch while the sale is still in progress, or on the following days during office hours. The invoice will be sent to the address specified after the auction. We gladly accept cash, money transfers or Maestro bank cards. (Please note that credit cards and cheques are not accepted).
Please see the location overview for the opening times of our branches.
If you have placed the winning bid for an item in an online auction, you can collect and pay for the item in the appropriate branch from the next day. 

Bank transfer
If you have placed the winning bid for an item and would like to pay by bank transfer, please wait until we have sent you an invoice. Please state your name and invoice number on the transfer. Transfer the purchase price, including any applicable shipping costs, to the following account: 

Bank Austria
SWIFT-BIC: BKAUATWWXXX
IBAN: AT49 1200 0150 1201 0000

Pursuant to our internal compliance regulations, Dorotheum does in general not accept payments from third parties that are not the winning bidders.

After you have paid, the items will be immediately available in the branch in which the auction took place. Please try to collect your purchases as quickly as possible, or have someone else collect them for you: after one month we will place furniture and paintings into storage, and charge a fee for this. Please also note that different timings apply depending on the type of item.

Please see the location overview for the contact details and opening times of our branches

Our employees can advise you on the best type of shipping to use (post, courier, shipping company) and can commission the appropriate company on your behalf.
Of course, you can also arrange your own shipping.
Please note that postage and packaging costs are not included in the purchase price, and that the purchaser will need to pay extra for these.
More information is available here.

Please contact the branch in which the auction took place. Please see the location overview for the contact details and opening times of our branches. 

For all questions concerning payment, please contact our team either by telephone on +43 1 515 60 288, or by email accounts@dorotheum.at. Our pay office at Palais Dorotheum is open Mon. - Fri. 9:00 am - 6:00 pm on the mezzanine floor. 

Collection
If you have any questions about collection, please contact the relevant branch. For collection at the Palais Dorotheum, please contact our office on the mezzanine floor Mon. - Fri. at 10:00 am - 5:00 pm for the categories art, antiques, jewellery and collectables. In the case of furniture, collection is available in the inner courtyard, Mon. - Fri. 10:00 am - 3:00 pm.

More information is available here.  

Shipping
For all questions concerning shipping, please contact our team either by telephone on +43 1 515 60 288, or by email accounts@dorotheum.at.

Unlike traditional auctions, which take place in a saleroom, online auctions are exclusively online on our website. You are able to place a bid directly via the website, follow the course of the auction and see if you are the highest bidder or have been outbid.
In our online auctions the item is knocked down to the highest bidder at the moment when the auction ends, rather than by an auctioneer in the saleroom. This means that online auctions purchase agreements are concluded at the moment when the internet auction ends.

In order to be able to bid in an online auction, it is necessary to register online (myDOROTHEUM) and submit a copy of official photo identification.  Activate your account during  registration for myDOROTHEUM
Register for myDOROTHEUM and upload a copy of your ID at the same time. Your account will then be activated to enable you to participate in online auctions.  Subsequent activation
If you have already registered with myDOROTHEUM but have not yet activated your account for participation in online auctions, you can send a copy of your ID to us at any time. To do so, please click on the “Request activation” link on any detail view page for an item in an online auction (you will see the link once you have logged in to myDOROTHEUM).  Registration on myDOROTHEUM and activation of your account are, of course, free of charge.  You will receive an email once the activation process is complete. You will then be able to bid in our online auctions.
Please note that it can take up to one working day for this to be processed.

Even for online auctions, items are generally presented for viewing in the branch in question. Viewing dates are listed in the auction overview and the webpages for the auction.
Please note that, for some online auctions, items can only be viewed online. These auctions are marked as such on the auction calendar on the website.

In onlineauctions the top limit is indicated in the appropriate field in the detailed view of the item. To make an offer please select the desired item and fill in the appropriate field by indicating the maximum amount you are willing to pay for the item in question. Then click on “Make an offer”. Once you have confirmed your input, your offer is processed immediately and you will be informed whether you are currently the highest bidder. Should you be outbid but another participant, you will be notified by email.
For each object the bidding history (the course of the auction) is displayed. You will thus be able to see if one or more bids are already available and how high the current bid is. We will also show you if you are the highest bidder for an object for which you made an offer, or if you have been outbid. 

Please note that purchase fees and taxes will be added to the winning bid. Detailed information can be found in the tariff of charges for auction sales.

To give you the option of bidding on several items within one auction, we phase out the items within an auction. The remaining time for the individual items is displayed in the list of objects and in the detailed view of the relevant object.
Bids for items in online auctions are accepted until the end of the auction. Bids within the last 2 minutes before the end of the bidding time extend the remaining time of the relevant auction automatically by another 2 minutes.

You will receive a notification by email as soon as your maximum bid has been outbid. You will then be able to place another bid before the end of the auction.

In online auctions your bid is processed immediately after it has been placed online. The Dorotheum’s increments are also applicable to our online auctions.
If a bid is not in keeping with our incremental increases, the website will notify you of this and suggest the correct increment.

Bids and absentee bids submitted are net prices. Each bid is subject to the Dorotheum GmbH & Co KG’s Procedural regulations and charges for auction sales. That means that where an item has been knocked down, the successful bidder must pay, in addition to the final bid, the Dorotheum buyer’s premium and, where applicable, taxes due.
Tariff of Charges for Auction Sales

With a top limit you can determine your maximum bid for a specific object. The website will bid on your behalf up to this amount. If you are outbid, the website raises your offer by one incremental step, but only as far as your maximum amount. Once your top limit has been reached, no other bid will be automatically submitted for this object.
Please note that purchase fees and taxes will be added to the winning bid. Detailed information can be found in the tariff of charges for auction sales.

Your maximum amount will be used only to the extent that is necessary in order to secure you the highest bid. 

Example: Your top limit for an object with a opening price of EUR 600 is EUR 1,000. Another bidder offers EUR 650. The system automatically submits the next bidding increment on your behalf, and, as long as no further offers are made, the item will be knocked down to you for EUR 700.
Bidding increments

Please note that purchase fees and taxes will be added to the winning bid. Detailed information can be found in the tariff of charges for auction sales.

After the end of an auction, you will be informed automatically by email as to whether you managed to acquire an item.
You can also request information from our client service either by telephone at the number +43 1 515 60 200 or by email at <link>customer.services@dorotheum.com.

We gladly accept cash, money transfers or Maestro bank cards. Please note that credit cards and cheques are not accepted. 

Cash payment/Maestro bank cards
After the auction, an invoice will be available under your name at the relevant branch. Please see the location overview for the opening times of our branches.

Bank transfer 
If you have placed the winning bid for an item and would like to pay by bank transfer, please wait until we have sent you an invoice. Please state your name and invoice number on the transfer. Transfer the purchase price, including any applicable shipping costs, to the following account: 

Unicredit Bank Austria
account no. 150 120 10000
bank code: 12000
Swift Code: BKAUATWWXXX
IBAN: AT491200015012010000

Pursuant to our internal compliance regulations, Dorotheum does in general not accept payments from third parties that are not the winning bidders.

 

This depends on the method of payment you opt for. After the end of the auction, and after you find out you have placed the winning bid, you can either pay for your item at Dorotheum’s cash desk  before you collect it, or you can pay by bank transfer after you have received your invoice.
Please see the location overview for the opening times of our branches.

You can collect the item you have purchased from the location in which the auction took place. Upon request, we are happy to send your item to you once we have received payment. We can advise you on the best type of shipping to use (post, courier, shipping company) and can commission the appropriate company on your behalf. Of course, you can also arrange your own shipping.
Please note that postage and packaging costs are not included in the purchase price, and that the purchaser will need to pay extra for these.

In addition to the possibility to bid in our auctions, objects for immediate purchase are also available to you to choose from.
In the list of online auctions, you will also find dates featuring the heading “shop offer” and the button “buy it now”.
By clicking on the “buy it now” button of your choice, you can visualise the list of matching offerings. With one more click you can select the object you are interested in. By clicking on the “order" button, your order will be sent to us and confirmed following a successful examination on our side.
The “buy it now” price includes all fees and taxes. The object purchased is ready for you to collect at the point of sale. In the case of a shipment, additional shipping and handling charges apply. 

Detailed information can be found in our Online “Buy it now” Terms of Sale

Live bidding enables you to be virtually present in the auction room, no matter whether you are travelling, at home or in the office. You can follow the auctions from anywhere, bid on items or just watch the proceedings.

Live bidding is available for selected Dorotheum floor auctions. Under ‘Current auctions’, saleroom auctions with live bidding are marked with a building icon and ‘Live’.

You need to register for myDOROTHEUM to use our live bidding service. You can register for live bidding on the website for the auction in question approximately three weeks before the auction date. A button marked ‘Register for live bidding’ is displayed for the auction, and you can access the registration form by clicking on this button. All registrations are reviewed by our employees during the activation process.

In order to confirm your registration, we need information from you about the upper amount you plan to bid in the auction (see next point). You also need to accept our regulations for live bidding. In addition, you will be asked for your shipping preferences in the event you place a successful bid for an item, and your address and telephone number will be requested, too. Please check that these details are correct before sending the activation form and amend them in your myDOROTHEUM account if necessary. An additional checkbox enables you to give the auctioneer permission to state the country you come from in the auction room, which makes it even easier for you to know when the auctioneer is addressing you in the event that there are multiple live bidders (‘20,000 euros for the live bidder from Germany’).

If your myDOROTHEUM online account has not yet been activated, you will need to send us a copy of your ID card. In this case, the field for this is also displayed in the form, and you can add the copy of the ID card to the form as an attachment.

Your application will be checked by us once you have sent the form. You will receive a message as soon as the activation has taken place. The live bidding activation is only valid for the auction in question: you need to arrange separate activations for each additional auction.

Your data will, of course, be treated with the utmost security and confidentiality and will not be passed on to any third parties.

In the form, you can tell us the maximum amount up to which you intend to bid in the auction. This amount is the maximum amount for the entire auction and will be checked by our credit department during the activation process. We may ask you to provide us with further documents/confirmations. Upon completion of the activation, we will confirm the maximum bidding limit that we have approved. This is permanently stored in the live bidding software and the technology renders it impossible for you to make a purchase that would lead to the limit being exceeded. For example, if you have been allowed a limit of 30,000 euros and have already bid on objects with a total uppermost bid of 25,000 euros, you can only bid up to a maximum of 5,000 euros.

If you have been successfully activated for live bidding, you will see a ‘Bid live now’ button in the auction calendar shortly before the auction starts. Alternatively, you can also access the live bidding room via your myDOROTHEUM account, under the menu item ‘Live bidding auctions’.

In addition, you will receive an email with a direct link to the virtual live bidding room about 30 minutes before the auction.

Anybody can follow the auction without registering and being activated. A ‘View auction’ button is displayed in the auction calendar shortly before the auction starts, which takes you to the virtual live bidding room. In this instance, the bidding function is removed from the live bidding room so it is impossible to place a bid.

In the auction room, the items under auction are called out one after the other. In the virtual live bidding room, you can see which item is currently under the hammer, and what price is currently bid for it. The bid button indicates the next step to be bid. You also have the option of following the auction process by watching the live video stream. 

If you want to bid, click on the bid button. Your binding bid will be transferred to the auction room and displayed to the auctioneer. He can accept the bid or, if there was a faster bid from the floor, reject it. You will be informed of both these situations online in your live bidding room. If your live bidding room shows that you are the highest bidder, you cannot place another bid. The bid button will only be reactivated after you have been outbid.

Make sure you place your bids early so that the auctioneer can see them in time and take them into account!

You will have the best live bidding experience on a desktop computer/laptop (PC or Mac) with a modern operating system and an up-to-date browser, using a wired Internet connection such as DSL or cable. We particularly recommend the latest browsers from Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

Please note, that the browsers Internet Explorer and Edge (up to version 18) are not supported. Please use either Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox for an optimized bidding experience.

In principle, you can use live bidding wherever you are on your smartphone or tablet. Please note that you will still require a modern operating system and an up-to-date browser.
We recommend that you use live bidding via a computer (PC or laptop) with wired Internet access.