Have you ever wondered how our experts evaluate the thousands of objects that are offered up for auction every week? Firstly, it's important to know who our in-house experts are. They are all nationally and internationally recognised specialists in their fields. They are passionate about their specialities and always excited to see what special objects are offered up for auction every week. We'd like to introduce you to a few of them, share their passions with you and explain how they work. Read on as we tell you a bit of each of their stories and share with you how they evaluate objects for auction.
Meet Our Books Expert Mark Harrison
First we'd like to introduce you to Mark Harrison who curates our Books auctions. After 20 years in the book trade, Mark’s passion for books is still strong. He is a former Chairman of the PBFA (a leading UK trade association), and is currently a member of ILAB, and runs the second largest book fair in the UK. And he uses his knowledge and experience to evaluate the books offered up for auction on Catawiki and curate our weekly Books auctions together with his team. He says the strength of his team lies in that they all have their own specialisations. Their backgrounds mean that they can look at a book title and generally know whether it’s suitable for auction or not, or if further research is needed.
In addition to curating our weekly Books auctions, Mark Harrison is a member of ILAB and runs the second largest UK book fair
How Does Mark Evaluate Books Offered up for Auction?
Mark identifies the author, title, publisher, year of publication, edition and condition of every book offered up for auction as the start of his evaluation. He checks resources such as Vialibris to determine the current value of the book based on other examples of the same book of the same edition and, most importantly, in the same condition. When a particularly old, rare or expensive book is offered up for auction and more research is needed, Mark searches on Rare Books Hub. This will show where a book sold, for how much and what was unique about that copy (e.g. signed by the author). This helps Mark and his team provide an auction estimate for rare books. For even rarer books, Mark checks the 'library holdings' to find out how many copies of the book are held in the serious libraries. This will show true scarcity. For example, a book which is not currently available for sale online, has only 2 auction records in the last 20 years, and is only available in the British Library is going to be valuable - assuming there is demand for it.
One the whole - we are looking for anything which makes a paper object unique, unusual, interesting and rare. Then we start to get excited!
For books estimated at over €10,000, Mark will often travel to visit the seller, take additional photographs and perhaps a video. He’ll also properly collate the book himself - that means checking that it is complete and that the condition is as described - and do further research about the context of the book, history of owners etc.
A copy of 'Un capitaine de Quinze Ans' signed by Jules Vern sold at our Books auction for €1,100 in 2015
Meet Our Model Trains Expert Marijn Zeevalk
Next we'd like you to meet Marijn Zeevalk, one of our in-house model train experts to see how he curates an auction. His passion for model trains started when he was 11 years old, when his father took him to a fair and he brought home his very first starter set. Over the years he made purchases through fairs and online, and as his collections grew, he developed a preference for Märklin model trains. Later he kept certain models for himself and sold the rest. All that experience led Marijn to make a career out of his hobby.
Marijn hopes that Catawiki will attract a model train-loving crowd of all ages, so he can further share his enthusiasm for his passion
How Does Marijn Evaluate Model Trains Offered Up for Auction?
Marijn starts by checking the authenticity and quality of the model train that’s offered up for auction by making sure there are photos of all parts. He notes that especially smaller details such as ladders tend to break off so he carefully ensures that all parts are intact. He also checks the numbers on the model and the box to make sure they match. Sometimes it can happen that a model train is offered up with a box that belongs to another train. If this happens, Marijn sends the lot back to the seller and asks them to include the original box if possible and if not, to remove the box from the lot.
Marijn also uses online resources such as the Märklin website to check accuracy. For example, he’ll check that the model number on the train offered up and the numbers in the description correspond to that model on Märklin’s website. By doing this, he ensures that potential bidders have all the necessary information to place an informed bid.
Marijn checks the smallest details on the model trains offered up for auction so you can bid with confidence
The Online Wine Auctions of Patricia Verschelling
Next up is Patricia Vershcelling, one of our in-house wine experts. She discovered her passion for wine while working for a restaurant which allowed her to taste various wines in order to properly advise guests. She discovered that she had a real knack for it and soon was involved in the wine selection process for the restaurant. She went on to complete wine education and work for several wine auction houses before coming to Catawiki.
For Patricia, wine is future history in a bottle, to invest, share, learn and enjoy
How Does Patricia Evaluate Wine Offered Up for Auction?
To properly evaluate lots, Patricia and her team need as many clear photos as possible, including a close-up of the label(s), a close-up of the capsule(s) and an angle from above. This is because the top of the capsule gives much information about who bottled the wine and if the wine was stored well. With some high value bottles known to be counterfeited a lot, Patricia and her team also ask for clear photos of the bottom (the soul) of the bottle of wine. If they still have doubts they ask the seller to reveal the print on the cork below the capsule. Here the chateau name and vintage must be visible. She gives sellers specific details on how to do this as she doesn't want them to cut above the thick part of the neck in order to keep the bottles sealed. Patricia has seen cases where the cork was original but was placed upside-down in the bottle which proves that the wine inside the bottle is probably not what the labels says and therefore is a fake bottle. If there are further doubts regarding the authenticity, she also contacts the producers or chateaux.
We are educated experts with many years of experience and are constantly updating our knowledge through education (WSET), study trips, visiting many wine events, and reading about the current market.
Patricia also asks seller about the provenance of the bottle(s), including how and when they were obtained, how they was stored, etc. And finally, she uses the results of past auctions on several platforms and of course our own database of past revenues to accurately estimate the value.
To properly evaluate lots, Patricia and her team need as many clear photos as possible from the seller
Meet Our In-house Motorcycle Expert John Searle
Lastly let's take a look at how our in-house motorcycle expert, John Searle, evaluates objects for auction. Coming from a motorcycle family, John has been collecting mopeds since he was 16 years old. His grandad was a lover of BMWs and his uncle and godfather were Triumph fans, so those were his first two motorcycles. John has visited many motorcycle auctions in the UK and has bought many classic motorcycles from all over the world via the internet. Originally John's profession was filming motorcycle events for television, before he looked for a new challenge and brought his skills, knowledge and passion to Catawiki.
For John, classic motorcycles from the 1930s represent a beautiful period
How Does John Evaluate Motorcycles Offered Up for Auction?
When a motorcycle is offered up for auction, John and his team ask for pictures of the vehicle from all sides and angles, plus close ups showing all relevant details so they can properly judge the condition, originality and therefore also the market value. He also prefers that the seller provides a video so he can hear the motorcycle running and a 'walk around' so he can examine all angles. John checks if the motorcycle has its original parts - like the tank, engine and gearbox - as these will increase the value of the motorcycle.
If a model was groundbreaking in it's day with a lot publicity, but was expensive or made in small numbers, you have a good recipe for a collectable motorcycle.
He checks the frame and engine numbers which he can use to research the build year, history, identity and originality of the motorcycle. John also checks the condition, which can be expressed on a scale from condition 1 (concours or very original, low mileage machines) to condition 5. The price is dependant on the condition as well as the popularity of a model. History shows that when a motorcycle was popular in its day, it is still popular today!
As you can see from these 4 examples of how our experts evaluate objects for auction, there are many similarities across the various categories. All experts are specialists in their field and have the necessary knowledge and experience to properly review submissions and curate auctions. And when they need help, they have the necessary resources to further investigate. You can read all of their stories and learn about their experience in their fields on our Meet Our Experts page or consult them for help with your own special objects that you're looking to sell by offering your objects up for auction. Our experts are always looking for new and exciting lots to include in their auctions and they can't wait to se what you have to offer!
You might also like these articles: