Frequently asked questions

You can participate in our auctions in person at the auction hall, or via telephone, in writing, or online.

• Bidding in person: You register as a bidder on-site and receive your bidder number in person.
• Bidding via the online catalog: You can place a bid for the auction on our website with a registered account by locating the specific lot number in the online catalog. There, you have the option to submit a written maximum bid or request to bid by telephone.
• Telephone bidding: We will call you during the auction when the items you are interested in come up for sale.
• Written bid orders: Bid forms specifying a maximum bid or requests for telephone bidding can be submitted to us via email, mail, or fax.
• LIVE BIDDING: If you wish to follow the auction in real-time and place bids online, you can participate via our “LIVE BIDDING” service while the auction is in progress. Live bidding is available through the platform on our website as well as via external provider portals.

If you cannot attend the auction in person but still wish to follow it in real-time, you can participate via “LIVE BIDDING.” To do this, you can register specifically for LIVE BIDDING via the “LIVE BIDDING” section or the login area on our website; you will then receive personal access credentials that remain valid for all future auctions. Once your details have been verified, we will activate your account for live bidding. This access allows you to adjust your bids and respond immediately to counter-bids while the auction is underway.

Note: Please be aware that using the online LIVE BIDDING features via our website incurs an additional fee of 3% plus VAT on the total amount. On other platforms, the additional fee can amount to up to 5% plus VAT.

Signing up and registering for our website and for live bidding are separate processes and therefore require different sign-up fields and, if necessary, different login credentials.

With a maximum bid, you specify the highest amount you are willing to pay. Acting in your best interest, the auctioneer will place bids on your behalf – adjusting to the competitive bidding situation – to secure the best possible price, potentially up to your specified maximum limit. Depending on the circumstances, this could simply be the item's reserve price.

Telephone bidding is available for items with a catalogue price of 500€ or more. Please note that by placing a telephone bid, you automatically accept the catalogue price of the respective lot as the starting bid.

Note: Please ensure you are reachable during the auction period. You can consult our schedule to see the approximate time each lot will be auctioned; however, please expect potential deviations from the schedule during the auction.

• If participating in person: Immediately during the auction when the hammer falls.
• If participating by telephone: Immediately during the auction when the hammer falls, communicated personally by your expert on the phone.
• If participating via the online bid form: You will receive a confirmation email on the first business day following the auction if your bid was successful. If you were outbid, you will not receive a notification; however, all winning bids can be viewed on our website.
• If participating via LIVE BIDDING: You will receive an immediate on-screen notification regarding the winning bid and can check the bidding status via your personal account.

The next step is receiving an invoice for the purchased items via email and post. We ask that you settle the payment within ten days.

You may then collect the items from us in person. If you prefer shipping, we will arrange a suitable shipping solution for you. You can indicate your shipping preference for each lot on our website when placing your bid. After the auction, our shipping department will email you a shipping quote and proposal. Once the shipping costs have been paid, the goods will be dispatched to your address on your behalf.

Note: Items that have not been collected by three weeks after the invoice date at the latest, and for which no shipping order has been placed, will be put into storage at the buyer's expense.

A buyer's premium of 22% plus VAT (totaling 26.18% incl. VAT) is applied to the hammer price. For online participation via the “LIVE BIDDING” feature on our website, an additional fee of 3% is charged on top of the buyer's premium (totaling 29.75% incl. VAT). For external online live bidding channels, including Lot-tissimo, the additional fee is up to 5% (totaling 32.13% incl. VAT). You will find the total amount, including the buyer's premium, on your invoice.

Shipping requests incur additional costs based on the item's type, size, and value (e.g., contracting a shipping company, art logistics specialist, or carrier). For an estimate regarding shipping costs, please feel free to contact us at versand@auktionshaus-stahl.de. Alternatively, you can specify your shipping preference directly on our website for the relevant lot.

Yes, please note that written bids, telephone bids, or online bids submitted via the website must reach us no later than 24 hours before the auction begins. Due to verification requirements, a longer deadline of 48 hours applies to new customers.

If you are a first-time bidder with us or wish to consign items for auction, we require proof of identity and personal details for verification purposes.

As a first-time bidder, you can use our online “Initial Bidder Registration” form for Auktionshaus Stahl Hamburg. You can also conveniently submit a copy of your national ID card (front and back) or passport via our proof-of-identity form or by email to info@auktionshaus-stahl.de. For commercial clients, an extract from the commercial register or a business registration certificate is also required.

When placing high-value bids, additional proof of creditworthiness, security, or references may be required.

For questions or concerns regarding bidder activation or your bidding limits, please contact buchhaltung@auktionshaus-stahl.de.

We generally recommend viewing the items at our premises during the preview times in the auction week or during the post-auction sale. You also have the option to arrange a private appointment to examine auction items discreetly. If you are unable to visit our Hamburg premises in person, you can request condition reports as well as detailed photos or videos of the items. Simply use the form located below the items in our online catalog.

• Bank transfer
• Cash payment (up to €5,000)
• Debit card (please check your daily account limit)
• Credit card (subject to a surcharge of 4.2% of the invoice amount)

Note: Collection or release of the goods is only possible after we have successfully received payment.

Auktionshaus Stahl offers a curated selection of exclusive items across a wide range of art and luxury categories. These include art from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, Old and New Masters, bronzes and sculptures, decorative arts and design, as well as high-quality jewelry, exceptional watches, designer handbags, rare collectibles, and selected fashion pieces and accessories.

Contact us via email or WhatsApp with information and photos of your items to receive a free initial assessment, or use our item appraisal form. As a next step, we can arrange a personal appointment, or you can send us your items for a final valuation and contract preparation.

In general, we recommend visiting us in person with the items so that we can examine their condition together and discuss the next steps. However, you are not required to visit us in person; you can, of course, also send your items to us.

We are happy to assist you with arranging insured shipping or to cover the costs for particularly high-value items.

We are happy to provide a free estimate of the starting price for an auction, provided the items are suitable for sale.

As a seller, a sales commission based on the value of the consignment is charged on the hammer price achieved at auction. The standard commission rate is 20% plus VAT (totaling 23.80%). For higher-value or larger consignments, we offer individual, specially negotiated commission rates. The commission is payable only upon a successful sale at auction and covers all costs associated with cataloging, insurance, marketing, and storage for the duration of the auction period. We do not charge for illustrations in print or online media. You incur no costs if the item does not sell.

• Free initial consultation: Contact us to schedule an appointment for an on-site appraisal in Hamburg, or send photos of your items via email (angebot@auktionshaus-stahl.de) or WhatsApp (+49 1522 1597155) for a preliminary assessment. For larger collections or high-value estates, we also conduct home visits. We are happy to organize insured shipping for your items to our premises for consignment and appraisal.
• Expert assessment: Our experts examine and verify the actual items and provide you with suggested auction price estimates.
• Contracting: We agree on the reserve price for your items in the contract. This serves as the starting and minimum price for bidding, which generally proceeds in 10% increments. The term of the auction contract is typically four months.
• Global presentation: Once the contract is signed, we begin the scholarly description, photography, and cataloging of your items. Your item will also be extensively promoted internationally – in our high-quality catalogs, the press, and on leading online platforms – to attract the widest possible range of interested buyers.

You can follow the auction in person in the auction hall or live online. You will receive a written statement detailing your sold items and their hammer prices via email shortly after the auction.

Settlement and payment of the auction proceeds (via bank transfer) take place – subject to receipt of payment from the buyer – within four to six weeks after the auction.

If an item does not sell during the auction, we offer it for approximately three more weeks in our subsequent post-auction sale (private treaty sale), where it remains available for purchase at the agreed reserve price. We will forward reasonable offers below the contractually agreed reserve price to you; however, a sale will only take place with your approval.

A user account on our website allows you to place bids conveniently, directly request condition reports and detailed photos, view your bidding history, create a watchlist of items, and maintain an interest list with an “artist alert” feature (automatically notifying you when artists you are interested in appear in our auctions). It also enables you to edit your personal details and directly upload proof of identity.

Registration and login for our website and for live bidding are separate processes; therefore, they require different login fields and, potentially, different login credentials.

You can independently reset your password for both the website account and the live bidding account using the email address you have on file.

• Reset website password
• Reset live bidding password

If you require further assistance, please contact us at schwere@auktionshaus-stahl.de.

Note: Access credentials for the website account and the live bidding account may differ, as they are two separate accounts. Please ensure you use the correct email and password combination associated with the specific account you are accessing.