How does bidding work?
All lots offered on artnet Auctions have a reserve price. The reserve price must be met in order for the work to be sold.
Enter an amount that is greater than or equal to the starting or current bid. Our bidding increments are as follows:
CURRENT PRICE | INCREMENT |
Below 2,000 USD | 100 USD |
2,000–4,999 USD | 200 USD |
5,000–9,999 USD | 500 USD |
10,000–19,999 USD | 1,000 USD |
20,000–49,999 USD | 2,000 USD |
50,000–99,999 USD | 5,000 USD |
100,000–199,999 USD | 10,000 USD |
200,000–499,999 USD | 20,000 USD |
500,000–999,999 USD | 50,000 USD |
1,000,000 USD and above | 100,000 USD |
You may place a bid at the next increment, or place a maximum bid. If your maximum bid is greater than or equal to the reserve price, we will automatically bid on your behalf up to the reserve price. If there are competing bidders, we will continue to bid by increments up to your maximum bid, but will never exceed your maximum bid amount.
How do I know what an item is worth?
artnet supplies independent and verified information about the lot, when available, including past auction results. For more information on comparable works and market trends, subscribe to the
artnet Price Database.
Can I cancel or retract my bid?
All bids are binding and cannot be canceled or retracted. Mistakes can occur, in which case, you must contact a member of our client services team via
email, or call +1-800-427-8638.
Possible reasons for bid retraction or cancelation may include entering the incorrect bid amount (for example: $10,000 instead of $1,000) or changes to the lot description, if those changes were made after the bid was placed.
How do I view the lots I'm currently bidding on?
Go to your
My Auctions page, click "All Buying," then select "Active Bids."
How do I add or delete lots from My Watchlist?
You can hover over any lot and click "Add to My Watchlist," which will appear in the top left-hand corner of the image. To see the lots you are watching, go to your My Watchlist page.
If you would like to remove a lot from your watchlist, you can do so by clicking "Delete."
How do I manage notifications for lots on My Watchlist?
Log in to your artnet Auctions account and go to your My Watchlist page. You will be able to select a type of alert for each lot. You can choose between being alerted when the lot closes in 6 hours, 1 hour, or whenever someone else places a bid on the lot.
If you do not want to receive any notifications for lots on your watchlist, unselect all alert options.
I have a question about an auction lot, what should I do?
artnet specialists are available to answer your questions. To inquire about a particular lot, simply click the "Contact Specialist” link on the lot page and enter your message.
What are My Artist Alerts, and how do I subscribe to them?
My Artist Alerts provide automatic email notifications. Choose the artist(s) you want to follow, and receive email alerts as soon as these artists come up for sale on artnet Auctions. Add the desired artist(s) to your alerts from any lot detail page, and update your artist(s) any time. This service is free of charge.
How do I add or delete artists from My Artist Alerts?
Log in to your artnet Auctions account and go to the My Artist Alerts page. From there, you will be able to select the artist(s) you want to follow. After making your selection, you will receive notifications by email whenever artworks by the selected artist(s) come up for sale on artnet Auctions.
You can select up to 30 artists to follow on artnet Auctions. If you would like to follow more artists, or receive notifications when artworks by your favorite artists come up for sale in all auction houses worldwide, you can subscribe to
artnet Market Alerts.
How do I keep track of which lots I purchased?
To keep track of the lots you purchased, go to your My Auctions page and click "Items Won" or "Items Not Won."
What is your shipping policy?
Every seller is required to post detailed shipping information for his or her lots. This includes the location from which the item will ship. Typically, buyers are responsible for paying all shipping and insurance costs, which in turn may depend on the distance the artwork will travel and the final hammer price/final bid amount.
Why did the auction end after its original close time?
If a bid is placed 5 minutes before the auction is set to close, the auction closing will be extended by 5 minutes. When an auction is extended, bidders are notified via email.
As the winning bidder, how can I pay for an item I've won?
After the close of an auction, you will receive an automated email from artnetauctions@artnet.com if you are the winning bidder. Within that email, there will be a link to log in to your artnet Auctions account and begin the post-sale process.
On your "Items Won" page, you will be prompted to enter your location as well as any applicable tax information, such as a resale certificate or VAT number. Based on this information, the seller will then send you the total cost, which includes the hammer price plus any applicable taxes. In addition, they will send you payment instructions based on their preferred payment methods.
Once you confirm that payment has been sent, you will have access to the Shipping Tools page. On this page, you may request quotes from artnet's preferred art shipper. Please note that it is your responsibility to pay the shipper directly for all shipping and insurance costs.
Is there a fee to buy?
artnet collects a Buyer's Premium on all lots based on the hammer price of the lot:
25% for works up to $500,000
20% for works $500,001 to $1,000,000
15% for works $1,000,001 and above
What is Buyer's Premium? How am I charged for this?
This is a commission that the buyer pays on all winning transactions. artnet Auctions collects a Buyer's Premium on all lots based on the hammer price of the lot which may include of any/all applicable taxes on either the Buyer's Premium and/or the hammer price. If you are the winning bidder, your credit card on file will be charged with the Buyer's Premium when the auction closes.
If the charges are declined, artnet will contact you via email. Please make sure your email address is accurate, as it is the primary means by which the artnet Auctions team communicates with you.
Should you have any questions, contact us via
email, or call +1-800-427-8638.
artnet Auctions is in US dollars ($), how do I convert currencies?Currently, all items must be listed in US dollars ($). For currency conversion, please visit
xe.com.