Traditional Auction Houses Flock to Artfact to Host Live Auctions Ten esteemed auctioneers have joined Artfact since mid-July to host their live auctions on the Artfact Live!, Invaluable Live!, and Infinite Bidding™ platforms.
News-Antique.com - Sep 29,2009 - Artfact has had a busy summer signing on new auction houses eager to host their live auctions on the world’s premier online bidding platform. Since mid-July, ten auction houses have partnered with Artfact to host their online auctions exclusively on the Artfact Live! and Invaluable Live! platforms. Seven of the ten houses made the decision to switch to Artfact after testing out other post-eBay Live auction platforms.
After just one auction on the Artfact Live! platform, Colin Vickers, Director at Vickers & Hoad in Sydney, Australia, points out that joining Artfact was a smart move. “We had a great auction thanks to online bidding pushing prices up….we have concluded that it was a very good decision to go with Invaluable and Artfact. We look forward to the next auction!"
The list of trusted, international auction houses that have just recently joined Artfact Live! and Invaluable Live! includes:
- Shanghai Auctions: Shanghai, China
- Vickers & Hoad: Sydney, Australia
- Waddington’s: Toronto, Canada
- Uniques & Antiques: Aston, Pennsylvania, USA
- Poulin Antiques: Fairfield, Maine, USA
- Blyth & Company Auctioneers & Valuers: Cambridgeshire, UK
- Cordier Antiques & Auctions: Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, USA
- Vintage Galleries Auction and S&S Auction Inc.:Stamford, Connecticut, USA
- Dennis Auction Service: Stewartsville, New Jersey, USA
- California Auctioneers & Appraisers: Venture, California, USA
Over 155 of the world’s leading auction houses, which hail from twenty different countries, host their live auctions on the Artfact Live! and Invaluable Live! online platforms. Since September, many of Artfact’s partner houses have started hosting their live auctions directly on their own websites using Artfact’s Infinite Bidding™ platform.
Infinite Bidding™, Artfact’s customizable, privately branded live auction platform built specifically for auction house partners, enables auction houses to manage their online auctions through a single interface. Fully integrated with the Artfact Live! and Invaluable Live! bidding marketplaces, auctioneers can manage three simultaneous live bidding channels with just one saleroom clerk.
Kinga Bender, Fine & Decorative Arts Department Director at Charlton Hall, expressed her approval after using Infinite Bidding™ for the first time on September 13, 2009. "We are extremely excited about the large volume of online bidders delivered through Infinite Bidding™. Throughout our two-day auction, live bidders from Artfact Live! and Infinite Bidding™ were extremely active, consistently driving up prices on the auction floor. After just our first auction using Infinite Bidding™, I am convinced it is a major breakthrough for us!"
Infinite Bidding™ appeals to new bidders unable to make their first trip to the auction room and unwilling to leave absentee bids while providing an additional selling venue for consignors. According to Rod Funston, Artfact’s President, “This technology is exactly what auction houses have been asking for, and we are confident it will greatly exceed their expectations.”
About Artfact
Founded in 1989, Artfact is the largest global marketplace of fine and decorative arts, antiques, collectibles, and estate auctions. On January 1, 2009, Artfact launched Artfact Live! and Invaluable Live!, its proprietary live auction bidding platforms, enabling users to
