Viewing Lots
If possible always try to view a lot in person before bidding. However, with the introduction of online bidding, where you have access to lots in all corners of the world, this approach can be rather difficult. This brief guide to viewing lots will aim to give you some useful tips for viewing lots both in-person and remotely.
Your first port of call, even if visiting a local auction house in person, should be to visit the auctioneer’s website. All websites vary in appearance but have a similar site structure. They will have information on how to buy and sell with reference to their charges, news, location, departments and an auction calendar. The auction calendar should have all their forthcoming sales visible for the next two to three months at a minimum. Here you can see the sale types (Modern Design, Jewellery, Interiors etc.) and information about the viewing times. Most auction houses have viewing available for around two days before the auction date and also in the morning of the auction before it starts. This can vary however depending on location and building accessibility. In some cases, viewing is by appointment only due to these restrictions or for security and insurance reasons.
Auction viewings are a fairly informal affair, in most cases you are just shown to the saleroom and are left to your own devices to view the lots in your own time. It is not mandatory at most establishments to register to bid at this point. The auction house wants you to visit so it is in their interest to have as little barrier to entry as possible at this point. You should take your time and make sure you don’t miss an entire room, trust me I’ve done it before.
Depending on where and when you visit, the sale will either be highly curated with groupings of similar items or it will be a bit of a free for all. A specialist sale often has a clear theme (20th Century Design, Modern Prints, Asian Art, Watches etc.) and will tend to have items with higher estimates so will be laid out to make the lots as appealing as possible. These sales are quality before quantity and make viewing a much simpler affair. Clearance sales (Interiors, Chattels, General Sales etc.) are usually made up of lower value items as they have not been chosen to be in a specialist sale. These sales often have more lots and are displayed in a more ‘abstract’ way. Depending on your character these viewings can be seen as more exciting as there may be a hidden gem amongst the horse brass and Royal Doulton dinnerware.
The majority of items will be accessible however higher value items, usually jewellery, coins and silver may be behind glass or under supervision. This is because these are items that are both high in value and easy to put in your pocket. Don’t be frightened of the attendants, it’s their job to show you the items. Just ask for the lot you are interested in and they will pass it over for you to inspect. Sometimes the attendants are not specialists so if you have more advanced questions about the lots they may need to grab the specialist from their office. Don’t rely on this though. Specialists are busy people and can often be out on a valuation or speaking to another client.
My final tip on viewing lots in person is about the catalogue. When viewing an auction it is prudent to have access to a catalogue of the sale. This will give you information about the items as well as estimates and lot numbers. Most of the time there are a few copies of the catalogue in the room for you to use but these are like gold dust. If you’re just looking to browse this is fine but if you’re serious about the auction it may be worth investing in a catalogue of your own. A word of warning though, they can be rather pricey ranging from around £10-£20 for a copy. I suggest the perfect compromise is to get a simple lot listing PDF from the reception. These are often available and free to take. They don’t have as much information, usually just lot number and estimate, but can be really helpful when earmarking potential purchases. Also, if you bid successfully, most auctioneers will give you a catalogue free of charge when you pay your invoice as they no longer serve a purpose.
If you are unable to visit an auction in person to view the lots then you will have to rely on the lot listings which are visible on the auctioneer’s website or on a live bidding platform such as the-saleroom.com or Invaluable. The lots are usually published online around two weeks before the auction once the sale has been fully catalogued. A standard lot listing will include the item title, description, measurements, quantity, estimate, condition and footnotes which may include important information such as the lot’s provenance. Alongside the written text are the images. The standard of photography is quickly improving and auctioneers usually provide 3-4 images per lot. Most websites and platforms have the ability to zoom into the images for more detail but sometimes there may not be enough angles for you to fully evaluate the lot. If this is the case you can usually submit a condition request through the website. The auction house will be informed and the relevant specialist will reply to your query. This usually consists of a line or two of extra information and additional images. To read more about lot condition please read my article on the subject.
This concludes the viewing section of the Auction Guide. The next article is about catalogue descriptions.
