Bidding at Dorotheum is easy - Discover your favourite object with us!
Why buy at Dorotheum:
How do I bid at Dorotheum?
BEFORE THE AUCTION
Catalogue and the Internet
Learn about our offers on the Internet or order a printed catalogue.
You can also take advantage of our online search service myDOROTHEUM that offers you the possibility to manage your pieces of interest and purchase orders, as well.
Exhibition
Before every auction date you can view all objects in our showrooms. Our specialists give detailed descriptions of every object.
Price
For every object, you will find an estimated value or a starting price.
Further relevant links
Fixed Fees
Auction Conditions
Client Advisory Services
Purchase Process
Blank Absentee Bid
THE AUCTION
Bidding in the sales room
Register just before the auction and receive a bidder's paddle. If you do not already have a customer number with us, you will be asked to show a valid photo ID. For auctions without a printed catalogue, we request that you notify the auction team in advance about the multi-digit ID of the object you wish to bid for. Only then your requested object will be called at auction. You can find the object ID in the online catalogue and on the object's description during pre-auction viewing. Every bid increases the previous one by about 10% (bid increments). The auctioneer awards the object to the highest bidder with the announcement "Sold" and a bell signal.
Written purchase order
You can submit a written purchase order up to 24 hours before the auction. You can find the forms for this online, inside the catalogue, or at the pre-auction viewing . Enter the purchase limit up to which we are authorised to bid on your behalf. We guarantee that you will win the bid under your purchase limit if there are no higher bids.
Telephone Bids
For objects with a starting price of EUR 300 and above, you can also bid over the telephone. Let us know which objects you are interested in and ensure that you are reachable over the phone during the auction. We will call you directly from the auction room when your lot comes up so you can participate in bidding live over the telephone.
Bidding Online
To bid for a lot you are interested in, choose the object in our on-line catalogue and click on "Purchase order".
Learn more about our Online Auctions. You can enter your bids online until just before the auction.
Live Bidding
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.
Estimated value and Starting price
The estimated value reflects the price expectations of the specialist.
The starting price is the amount at which the auction begins. It lies between half of the low estimate and the low estimate.
AFTER THE AUCTION
Payment and Collection
Please note that the hammer price does not include the buyer's premium and the statutory sales tax. These will be added to the hammer price.
After you are awarded a lot, you can settle the open amount at the auction cash desk. Upon payment of the full amount, you will receive a receipt and the issue slip of your purchased object for collection. Of course, you may also transfer the amount.
We will gladly inform you by e-mail if your bid for your desired lot was successful.
Extract from the Dorotheum Fees Tariff of Charges for Auction Sales
Buyer premiums as a percentage of the hammer price for each lot
(for items subject to margin tax and consignment sales: incl. VAT; for items subject to full taxation: plus VAT on the purchase price)
Buyer's premium
In most cases, the object is subject to differential taxation. If this is the case, taxes and fees together amount to 30%. Objects subject to different tax rates are explicitly marked in the catalogue, e.g. with + or - for objects subject to full taxation.
For works of fine arts, a resale rights surcharge of up to 4% may apply. You can find more about this topic in the Dorotheum Conditions of Sale by Auction.