Selling | Phillips

How to Sell

  1. 1

    Valuation Estimate

    Phillips provides complimentary estimates for items which are suitable for sale with us. Please submit items from your collection through our online consignment form. One of our representatives will then contact you to discuss your item and, where appropriate, to see the item in person.

  2. 2

    When & Where to Sell

    Phillips conducts live and online-only auctions and exhibitions in New York, London, Geneva and Hong Kong throughout the year. A specialist will discuss with you the most appropriate timing and location to ensure the successful sale of your property. If you prefer not to sell your property at auction, we can also sell your property privately.

  3. 3

    Consigning your Property

    Our consignment agreement sets out the terms and conditions upon which your property will be offered for sale. For auctions, our specialists will recommend an estimate range and a reserve (minimum) price for your property. We can also advise you on how to transport your property to us using your own shipper or one of our shipping partners.

  4. 4

    Charges

    For every item, Phillips charges the seller a vendor’s commission and sale-related expenses which typically include insurance, transport (when using our shipping partners), any restoration costs and catalogue photography. Our specialists will discuss these charges with you at the time of consignment.

  5. 5

    Payment

    After the auction or exhibition, Phillips will notify the seller as to the status of each item offered for sale. Provided payment has been received from the buyer, we will pay net sale proceeds (the hammer price less the vendor’s commission and sale-related expenses) to the seller approximately 35 calendar days after the auction. In the unlikely event that your property does not sell, we will be in touch to discuss next steps.

FAQ’s

Phillips focuses on 20th century and contemporary art and design. We sell the following categories in our auctions and exhibitions and by private sale:

We are no longer able to revalue or consign items from any category which is not listed above.

When submitting a consignment, we ask that you provide as much information as possible on the item in question. This includes the following: medium, artist/maker, title, execution date, location of item. Should you also have the provenance, literature or any price history, please add this information in the Additional Details box.

We will do our best to respond to your enquiry within ten business days. Where your property is being reviewed by a number of departments or specialists, we may take a little longer. Please contact our Client Services Department if you have any questions.

For your property to be reviewed as quickly as possible, we suggest you submit a separate enquiry for each item. If you would like to submit more than six items, please contact our Client Services Department.

If you cannot find the artist or maker on our list, please contact our Client Services Department who will be able to assist.

We do not accept direct artist submissions. As an auction house working in the secondary market, we only accept items that have already sold via a gallery or advisor on the primary market.

Phillips is happy to provide complimentary auction estimates for items that we propose for auction.

Once your submission has been reviewed, one of our specialists will be in touch to confirm whether your item is suitable for one of our auctions and if so, discuss the fees and terms for consigning.

We advise you to use our online submissions form to ensure that the appropriate specialist reviews your item as quickly as possible. However, if you would prefer your property to be seen in person, please contact our Client Services Department to arrange an appointment.

Please get in touch with our Client Services Department in London, New York or Hong Kong.

We treat all client information as confidential. Please see our privacy policy for further details.