An auction is usually a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from the lowest bidder. Some exceptions to this definition exist and are described in the section about different types. The branch of economic theory dealing with auction types and participants' behavior in auctions is called auction theory.
Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, and it has additional salerooms in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Amsterdam, Geneva, Shanghai, and Dubai. It is owned by Groupe Artémis, the holding company of François Pinault. In 2022 Christie's sold US$8.4 billion in art and luxury goods, an all-time high for any auction house. On 15 November 2017, the Salvator Mundi was sold at Christie's in New York for $450 million to Saudi Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud, the highest price ever paid for a painting.
Sotheby's is a British-founded multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, and maintains a significant presence in the UK.
Bertha Matilde Palmer was an American businesswoman, socialite, and philanthropist.
Shōji Hamada was a Japanese potter. He had a significant influence on studio pottery of the twentieth century, and a major figure of the mingei (folk-art) movement, establishing the town of Mashiko as a world-renowned pottery centre. In 1955 he was designated a "Living National Treasure".
Caribou Ranch was a recording studio built by producer James William Guercio in 1972 in a converted barn on ranch property in the Rocky Mountains near Nederland, Colorado, on the road that leads to the ghost town of Caribou. The studio was in operation until it was damaged in a fire in March 1985. The ranch hosted some of the most prominent acts of the 1970s and 80s and was closely associated with the band Chicago, who recorded five consecutive albums there between 1973 and 1977.
George Herbert Palmer was an American scholar and author. He was a graduate, and then professor at Harvard University. He is also known for his published works, like the translation of The Odyssey (1884) and others about education and ethics, such as The New Education (1887) and The Glory of the Imperfect (1898).
Parke-Bernet Galleries was an American auction house, active from 1937 to 1964, when Sotheby's purchased it. The company was founded by a group of employees of the American Art Association, including Otto Bernet, Hiram H. Parke, Leslie A. Hyam, Lewis Marion and Mary Vandergrift. By 1964, the company was the largest auction house in America, with 115 employees and total sales of $11 million. That year, Sotheby's purchased a controlling interest of 75% in the gallery for $1.5 million.
Heritage Auctions is an American multi-national auction house based in Dallas, Texas. Founded in 1976, Heritage is an auctioneer of numismatic collections, comics, fine art, books, luxury accessories, real estate, and memorabilia from film, music, history, and sports.
The Palmer Mansion was a large private home constructed 1882–1885 at 1350 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois. Once the largest private residence in the city, it was located in the Near North Side neighborhood, facing Lake Michigan. It was designed by architects Henry Ives Cobb and Charles Sumner Frost of the firm Cobb and Frost and built for Bertha and Potter Palmer, a prominent local businessman responsible for much of the development of State Street. The construction of the mansion established the "Gold Coast" neighborhood, still one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Chicago. The home was demolished in 1950.
Hilary Marion Kay is a British antiques expert, author and lecturer, probably best known for her many appearances on BBC TVs Antiques Roadshow programme on which she is a member of the team of experts.
Abram Simon Léonor Christian de Pury commonly known as Simon de Pury is a Swiss auctioneer, art dealer, curator, collector, dj and photographer In 2002, he acquired the majority control of the auction house Phillips. He has appeared in several television programs and films, including the Bravo network reality series Work of Art: The Next Great Artist. His book The Auctioneer: Adventures in the Art Trade was published in 2016.
Freeman's-Hindman is an American auction house founded in 1805 by Tristram B. Freeman, a British print seller, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The house operated under Freeman family ownership until 2016 when it was sold to a private partnership. In January 2024, Freeman's was merged with Chicago-based Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, and now operates under the name Freeman's-Hindman.
High Noon is a retailer, and auction consulting company. They specialize in Western American art & antique Americana, including cowboy and American Indian artifacts and western art. The company is known for founding the High Noon Western Americana Auction and Antique Show in 1991, which is held every January at the Phoenix Mesa Marriott in Mesa, Arizona.
Profiles in History was an auction house in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1985 by Joseph Maddalena, who is an auctioneer and dealer of authentic and original collectibles, including Hollywood memorabilia, historical autographs, letters, documents, vintage signed autographs, and manuscripts. Maddalena was the company's president and CEO. It became defunct in January 2021 when Maddalena joined former rival Heritage Auctions.
Wilbur G. Adam was an American painter and illustrator who divided his career between Cincinnati and Chicago. He was known for his portraiture and landscapes of western United States. In the latter part of his career he focused on Biblical illustrations.
Peter Joram Batkin was an English auctioneer known for his activities in Russia. He sold the book collection of the spy Kim Philby and was instrumental in the creation of the space memorabilia auction market.
David Normand Redden was an American auctioneer. He spent his entire career, from 1974 to 2016, with Sotheby's where he was a vice-chairman and was Sotheby's longest serving auctioneer. He has also chaired the boards of several American and British preservation and educational organizations.
Kerry Taylor is a British businesswoman and London-based vintage fashion auctioneer. She created and owns the auction house Kerry Taylor Auctions, which she founded in 2003.
