Online auctions

FOR provincial auctioneers, online bidding has clearly been a massive boon… and even a lifeline.

AUCTION Atrium, the online auction house based in Kensington Church Street, London, has announced that it has ceased trading.

CANTERBURY Auction Galleries are to embark on a new sales format that will double the number of fine sales held annually and offer every lot to a potential worldwide audience of Internet bidders.

ATG's www.the-saleroom.com launches the first live internet bidding sale in Beijing this Friday. The Seasonal Sale at Huachen Auctions offered an online catalogue in both English and Chinese via the-saleroom's online platform.

FRANK Wilson's Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) is generally ranked by enthusiasts of Soul music as a very good rather than a great single, but in the collecting community it has acquired legendary status. Only two copies of the original pressing appear to have survived.

A Mary Fedden watercolour is among the items for sale on the philanthropic auction site www.buyoncegivetwice.co.uk

THIS cello by William Forster, London c.1780 became the highest value lot sold through ATG's online bidding service the-saleroom.com when it brought £38,000 (plus 20 per cent buyer's premium) at musical instrument specialists Brompton's on November 3.

Auctioneer unhappy about need to opt out at short notice

Cheshire auctioneers Robert Stones and Nick Allsopp of Peter Wilson, in Nantwich, have taken part in an experiment at King’s College, London, test-driving the so-called ‘intelligent gavel’.

In a move that will impact hundreds of auctioneers worldwide, eBay are to discontinue their Live Auctions business by the end of this year.

Christie’s are to increase the number of European salerooms offering the Christie’s Live online bidding feature.

American auction houses relying on eBay Live Auctions to bolster bidding via the internet, were left frustrated on Saturday, October 21 when a server supporting the live auction portion of the site failed.

ATG's pioneering live bidding service went East on August 31 - participating in the sale of Oriental and Asian Coins, Medals, and Banknotes conducted in Hong Kong by Baldwin's in association with MA Tak Wo Numismatic Co. Ltd of Hong Kong and Monetarium Pte Ltd of Singapore.

Christie’s took a major step into the world of virtual auctioneering last week with the launch of Christie’sLIVE, a real-time online bidding facility which they are to roll out over the next six months.

Dreweatt Neate compared two different online bidding platforms side by side at two sales last week.

For those collectors of Ronson lighters and Guinness Memorabilia who were unable to make the trip to Yorkshire in person, online bidding was the perfect solution to participate in Tennants sale of Saturday, March 18.

LIVE bidding from ATG's online service the-saleroom.com got off to a smooth start on March 15 at Donnington Priory.

On March 15 Dreweatt Neate are pioneering a live auction online with a difference at their Donnington Priory salerooms near Newbury.

Surrey auctioneers Ewbank are now offering a live online bidding service and held their first such sale on July 7.

ATG have now updated the search capability of the price guide on www.antiquestradegazette.com, and it is infinitely faster than before.