Drouot auctions

drouot.com is a technical platform run by Drouot SI; the contract is always between you and the auction house. You register for each sale, and the house alone approves you. Expect an identity check, a small card check that is not charged and, for higher bid limits, a card authorisation or deposit. Fees are paid to the auctioneer, often with an extra live or internet fee; drouot.com charges buyers nothing directly.

The site is in French, English, German, Chinese, Spanish and Italian and works with nearly 800 partner auction houses. Live bidding started in 2009 and online-only sales in 2011.

Drouot SI does not handle transport. Its shipping partner is ThePackengers, and Drouot Logistic delivers only in Paris and its region. In the UK, qualifying works of art, antiques and collectors' items can benefit from a reduced effective import VAT rate of 5%. BuyHub searches Drouot from the web, sorts lots by ending soonest, sends auction alarms and lets you paste a lot's link to follow it.

Drouot takes its name from the Hôtel Drouot in Paris, a public auction venue that has been operating since 1852. Its website, drouot.com, brings together the sales of a large number of auction houses, mostly French, so they can be followed in one place. Bidding takes place either live online, in real time alongside the saleroom, or in online-only sales, and the catalogues cover everything from paintings and furniture to jewellery, watches and books.

Collectors will also find silverware, Asian art, scientific instruments, prints, drawings and photographs, period furniture and entire collections coming up for sale. Lot descriptions are usually in French, although the site has an English version too, and prices are in euros. Each auction house adds its own buyer’s premium to the hammer price and sets its own terms for payment, collection and shipping, which are worth reading before placing a bid.