General Question RE Different Auctions & Auction Houses.....

I was wondering if anyone can answer....What is or HOW is "1st DIBS" different from the bigger Auction Houses? Is it more like a 'clearing house'? or what........just curious..... I seem to see many items posted on 1st Dibs that are already posted on....say, Christie's or Sotheby's, or so............thanks for any replies!!

 

1stDibs is more like a very upscale eBay. But sometimes sellers both offer an item on one or more sales platforms as well as through an auction house, if the value is high enough to warrant it. I have known cameos that didn't sell on eBay but did sell through Bonhams.

 

Various possibilities, they bought the item from the auction house and are now offering it retail. They are testing the market to see if there is any interest then they may buy it at the auction to sell on. As @Bronwen says they have it up at multiple locations. They have consigned it for sale at auction and stick a huge price on their 1stDibs account hoping it will raise the price when it goes through auction.

 

Thanks, @Bronwen & @Ce BCA, still cornfuses me, though......do you mean the seller has it on multiple sites AT THE SAME TIME??????? THAT can't be......

 

You can list your items on as many sites as you want, it may become a bit of a headache keeping track but there is nothing to stop you doing it. If you are on good terms with an auctioneer you can even consign them to a rl sale while having them online, if it sells before the auction just call the auctioneer and ask them to pull the item for you.

 

I think I'd be getting a headache!!!!!!!

 

I think that the big houses wouldn't allow that. If an item shows up on multiple auction sites, I would expect those listings to originate from a single auctioneer, not from a single seller using multiple auction sites.

I think the big houses have a problem with items online anywhere else (unless they're historic).