Selling at auctions

Hôtel des Ventes’ primary function is to organise voluntary auctions. 4 sales are held throughout the year in the months of March, June, October, and December, each with over 3000 lots.

Each sale is published in a catalogue with 4000 subscribers in Switzerland and abroad, as well as being consulted online by over 30,000 viewers worldwide. The value of the items is enhanced by exquisite descriptions and a gallery of professional photographs illustrating each lot. Due to highly efficient publicity generated by our PR office and partner sites, our sizeable collectors’ network grows each year. The network guarantees a high rate of sales: each year several world records are attained and an average 83% of lots are sold per sale.

piguet-domenico-moglia-temples-paestum
Domenico Moglia (circa 1810-1860), Les temples de Paestum, rare micromosaic, 57x149 cm
Estimate: CHF 50,000-80,000
Sold for: CHF 195,000
World record for a micromosaic by D. Moglia

The entire team is ready to help clients find the right sale solutions to fit their requirements. The consultants handle a file from start to finish: from the first contact, through the auction process, to payment for the sale. No fewer than 15 specialists with knowledge and experience in their own particular fields painstakingly appraise and assess the items a client would like to part with.

A written contract guarantees the seller a minimum sale price. The growth and financial stability of Hôtel des Ventes over the last 10 years are proof of the level of confidence it has earned with clients.

Three ways to receive a free, no-commitment valuation on items you would like to sell:

  1. 1. Send photographs via email or regular post of the items you would like to sell to the valuation department, listing their dimensions;
  2. 2. Make an appointment to have your items appraised at the auction house office, 51 Rue Prévost-Martin, Geneva. Free and confidential valuations are offered with no obligation;
  3. 3. Set up an appointment at your home with one of the specialists.

Contact: expertise@piguet.com

Selling at auction

Hôtel des Ventes organizes 4 sales per year in March, Juin, October and December. Each auction sale typically includes aproximately 3000 lots:

Hôtel des Ventes is here to guide you through the entire auction process. Once you have decided to trust our auction house with the sale of your precious objects, our specialists will orchestrate every detail, from researching, establishing estimates to cataloguing your property and marketing it to prospective buyers all over the world.

For all the lots that are sold, we will send payment within 35 days from the end of the auction sale, provided we have received the buyer’s payment. All payments to the seller will be calculated as follows: hammer price less vendor premium and VAT and any other agreed-upon expenses.

Your property will not sell at auction if it fails to reach the pre-established reserved price. The lots that have not been sold at auction will be once again publicly exposed during the three days that follow the last auction sale. During these days, a buyer get a second chance and can decide to purchase your property at reserve price.

Terms & Conditions of sale

Everything you need to know about the legal aspects in our auction sales.

Click here to access the Terms & Conditions