Buy What You Want
There are several ways to find pieces that most interest you:
We have our auction calendar published to explore our upcoming sales, in which you can register early access interest & viewings.
You can register with Kew Auctions to track upcoming sales & lots and request condition reports in advance of the sale, you can also record your interest with our client services department to ensure you never miss an item.
Most of our sales are strictly viewing by appointment, rarely when we hold mass viewing days lots will be available to view a few days prior to the auction date. We encourage all clients to book viewing appointments as early as possible with our client services team.
Register For Bidding
To bid you will need to create an account with Kew Auctions. Once you have created an account you will have to register for that sale in advance, through the upcoming auction page or via our auction calendar.
When registered to bid we require all bidders to provide the following documents to verify our client’s identity:
A copy of:
- Your passport or other government-issued photo ID.
- Proof of residential address, this could be a bank statement or a utility bill, it must be dated within the last 6 months.
Upon uploading these documents, your account will be verified, and your profile will be completed, you will be then approved to bid and given a bid limit.
You can also email your documents to [email protected].
If you are Bidding on behalf of an Organisation
- The organisation’s incorporation certificate.
- The organisation’s registered office & business address.
- Its director(s).
- Any shareholders and beneficial owners.
- A letter of authorisation for a particular individual to bid on behalf of the organisation, we will require a copy of a government-issued photo ID for each individual authorised to bid on behalf.
All documentation can be emailed to [email protected].
Financial Reference & Deposits
You may be asked for a financial reference and/or a deposit to bid on particular lots or to take part in the sale, this goes for all clients.
How To Bid
Kew Auctions hosts live auctions mainly taking place in our main showroom in London, broadcasted across the globe. Please visit our auction calendar to explore all upcoming auctions.
Online With Kew Auctions Live
Kew Auctions online bidding platform has live streaming video and live bidding services, we bring the excitement of the sale right to your computer or mobile device. You can bid on the sale from the comfort of your home or even if you are on the go.
New clients are encouraged to register at least 24 hours prior to the sale to allow sufficient time for your information to be processed and approved. Once you are approved you will be able to join the live sale and bid live, if you are registered but not approved, you will only be allowed to watch the sale.
You may place your bid in one of two ways, submitting a max bid, which is essentially a live absentee bid, which the auctioneer will try to win at the lowest possible price, or submitting a live bid.
Telephone Bidding
If you prefer to bid by telephone, Kew Auctions can call you directly from the saleroom during the live sale to bid on your behalf with the auctioneer. If Kew Auctions cannot reach you whilst the sale is happening, we encourage bidders to leave an emergency absentee bid to avoid disappointment.
To register for a telephone bid, please contact our client services at [email protected].
Absentee Bidding
If you are unable to attend our auction, you may place an absentee bid at least 24 hours prior to the sale and the Kew Auctions auctioneer will bid on the item for you. An absentee bid left in advance takes priority over the same bid amount in the room or on the telephone, if your bid is more than the seller’s minimum reserve, the auctioneer will try to win the item for you at the lowest possible price.
You may place an absentee bid via your account or by emailing client services, if you are logged into your account and approved to bid, on the website, find the sale you wish to participate in and the lot(s) you will bid on, and enter the maximum bid amount you wish to go up to.
Additional Information
When registering to bid, you will be prompted to register credit card information, should you be successful in the sale, your credit card will not be automatically charged. As a security measure, Kew Auctions does not store your credit card information for future transactions. Before bidding, you can inquire through our client services team to see all associated costs with each lot, this includes buyers’ premium, shipping costs, sales tax, VAT and any additional fees, excluding customs and import fees.
Please note:
- Once a bid has been placed, you cannot cancel or withdraw the bid. By placing a bid, you enter a binding contract with Kew Auctions
- Kew Auctions uses predetermined bidding increments, please refer to our bidding increments for each sale, in rare circumstances the auctioneer may alternate the bidding increments depending on the price of a lot.
Bidding Increment Table
Increment | Amount |
£1 to £100 | £5 |
£100 to £200 | £10 |
£200 to £500 | £20 |
£500 to £1,000 | £50 |
£1,000 to £2,000 | £100 |
£2,000 to £5,000 | By £200, £500, £800 (£2,200, £2,500, £2,800) |
£5,000 to £10,000 | £500 |
£10,000 to £20,000 | £1,000 |
£20,000 to £30,000 | £2,000 |
£30,000 to £50,000 | By £2,000, £5,000 £8000 (£32,000, £35,000, £38,000) |
£50,000 to £100,000 | £10,000 |
£100,000 to £200,000 | £20,000 |
Above £200,000 | Pattern Continuation/ Auctioneer Discretion |
Please note: Buyer’s Premium will be set at 25% + VAT.
Arrangement Of Payment
Congratulations on becoming a successful bidder at Kew Auctions!
Your purchase information will be available to view in your online account where you can view invoices.
We accept all major credit and debit cards, amounts over £8,500 bank transfer is the easiest way to pay.
We accept cash up to £8,500 GBP, any amount over we encourage all buyers to pay via bank transfer.
If you require any assistance with the payment process, our client services team is more than happy to assist you.
For live auctions, you will also receive the following information from Kew Auctions Post-Sale Services via email:
- An invoice setting out the hammer price plus all other applicable charges, such as the buyer’s premium, taxes, postage and any other charges that may apply. In certain events, Kew Auctions is required to collect a resale royalty (′droit de suite‵).
- VAT refund rules for artwork exported from the UK have changed from 1st January 2021. Private buyers (those who have bought as an individual, not on behalf of an organisation) wishing to export and secure the cancellation of UK VAT charges must instruct only Kew Auctions to arrange shipment on their behalf.
- Shipping information, including a shipping quote will automatically be added to your invoice.
- Goods must be paid for first, then collection can be permitted through booking an appointment, or on the day of paying & collecting.
- We have the right to refuse to hand over goods if the requested funds have not been received or cleared in our bank account, this includes not clearing the full balance of the invoice.
- Bidders must complete their due diligence and clarify all questions about the objects before the auction. After the auction, Kew Auctions reserves the right not to answer questions from bidders unless the purchase price has been paid in full.
Kew Auctions would like to remind you that a sale cancellation of any kind after the fall of the hammer is not possible. The only exception to this rule is our guarantee of authenticity.
Please note that for live auctions, payment is due within three days of the auction, failure to pay will involve the permanent blacklisting of the client and not be welcomed by Kew Auctions.
Unfortunately, Kew Auctions does not accept third-party payments from an individual or organisation that is not the winning bidder.
