Both Live Auctioneers, who offer auctioneers access to the millions of eBay users and the-saleroom.com, ATG’s new online service, were asked to participate in the head-to-head experiment at auctions in Bristol and Godalming.
The results were, perhaps, unexpected. The tried and tested eBay platform posted sales totalling £2840 (from 13 lots) at the Dreweatt Neate Bristol’s sale of Clocks, Scientific Instruments, Models and Railwayana on Tuesday, April 4, followed by modest figures of £380 (from two lots) at the Jewellery, Watches and Objects of Vertu sale at the Godalming Salerooms the following day.
Launched less than three weeks previously – and drawing upon the ATG online database of proven art and antiques enthusiasts rather than the millions of eBay users – the-saleroom.com saw rather more serious action at both sales.
Not including a handful of successful commission bids tendered through the site, sales on the-saleroom.com totalled £7598 at Bristol and £16,336 at Godalming.
The 14 live internet sales (plus four commission bids) at the latter included successful bids of up to £7500, paid for a single stone brilliant cut diamond ring.
Online platforms go head-to-head
Dreweatt Neate compared two different online bidding platforms side by side at two sales last week.