Industry data

Auction house Bonhams has bought Scandinavian firm Bukowskis.

Auction house Christie’s reported preliminary total sales of $7.1bn (£5.2bn) including fees for 2021.

Auction house Sotheby’s has reported total sales (including associated fees) for the year to date at $7.3bn (£5.5bn).

Rising sales of second-hand goods are helping to boost the UK's economy.

Online art sales reached $6.8bn (£5bn) in the first six months of the year, up 72% on the first half of 2020 according The Hiscox Online Art Trade Report.

Dealers’ sales improved during the first part of the year according to a new report sponsored by Art Basel and UBS, though the results were less positive for smaller businesses.

Stamp and coins dealership Stanley Gibbons reported its full year results highlighting the impact the pandemic had on sales.

Global trade widely affected by pandemic but online sales double in value

Despite the challenges of a tough 2020, private and online sales have boosted the major auction houses

A report into art auctions has found online sales have been boosted by the coronavirus pandemic and predicts the growth in digital sales is permanent.

During the coronavirus pandemic, art galleries focused attention on online growth to try to mitigate the impact of closures globally.