Auctionet

Way back in 2011, a bunch of auctioneers, valuers, and tech-enthusiasts, deep in the trenches of a prestigious Swedish auction house, realised that the auction world was struggling to keep up with the fast-paced, tech-driven demands of the 21st century.

Warren Platner coffee table for Knoll

As charming as the classic auction model is, with someone shouting from a rostrum and banging a gavel, it was clear this setup was no longer cutting it in the fast paced world of ‘Meta’ and with rising costs for storage, staff, and buildings making traditional auctions less profitable.

Auctionet thought what if every day could be an auction day?

Helmut Magg WK furniture

No more hoarding of items for those one-off sales on special dates, Auctionet’s auction houses now process, upload, and sell items daily. The team revamped their internal processes to match this new dynamic and built a custom transport and logistics system to ensure goods would flow smoothly and swiftly out of the door leaving the auction houses free to focus on what they do best: getting more fantastic items in. And looking at logistics continues to be a constant with improved ways to get items to the UK according to Managing Director of UK Operations Andy Sagar (seen below) who Lucy Ryder Richardson, co founder of Midcentury Modern® and modernshows.com interviews here:

Lucy: Hi Andy! So, what’s the story behind Auctionet? How did it all begin?

Andy Sagar: Picture this: a group of auctioneers, valuers, and tech geeks sitting in a Swedish auction house in 2011, sipping coffee and scratching their heads over why the auction world seemed stuck in the past. We realized that the classic model of auctions—a guy yelling “Sold!” from a podium—was as outdated as dial-up internet. Rising costs for storage, staff, and buildings were squeezing profits, and something had to change. So, we rolled up our sleeves and decided to flip the script.

Lucy: Flipping the script sounds risky. What did Auctionet do differently?

Andy Sagar: We did a 180-degree spin. We ditched the old-school stockpiling for scheduled sales and went for a lean, mean, continuous online selling machine. Instead of waiting for big sales days, our partner auction houses list and sell items daily. We built a logistics system from scratch to keep the flow of goods smooth, making sure auction houses could focus on bringing in more treasures. It’s like turning a sleepy antique shop into a bustling online marketplace.

Bruno Rey 33 chairs for Kusch & Co.

Lucy: Speaking of treasures, does Auctionet own any auction houses?

Andy Sagar: Good question! While our mission is to partner with auction houses for mutual growth, we’ve picked up a few along the way to showcase our model. It’s like we’re the friendly neighborhood tech upgrade squad. Most of our partners remain independent, but when we see a chance to integrate our lean model fully, we go for it!

Bruno Mathsson lounge chair with Josef Franc textiles on the site at time of print.

The owner’s parents, living in Gislaved, bought the armchair from Bruno Mathsson in the mid-1940s

Lucy: Any success stories from your auction house adventures?

Andy Sagar: Absolutely! Let’s take Lawrences in the UK, for instance. Before joining Auctionet, Lawrences held weekly ‘General’ sales that were well-regarded but not exactly raking in the dosh. Auctionet swooped in, sprinkled some online magic, and turned those weekly sales into daily hits. Plus, we upped the ante on the quarterly Fine Art sales, marketing them to a global audience. Now, they’re reaching more buyers and selling items speedily.

Lucy: That sounds like a game-changer. What’s next for Auctionet in the UK?

Andy Sagar: We’re on a mission to spread the joy of online auctions. We’re inviting more UK salerooms to join our tech-savvy revolution, shifting from traditional formats to online sales. What you are doing with your events we are doing online. We’re bringing a splash of Scandinavian Mid-Century and Vintage charm to the UK. And guess what? There’s a growing appetite in Europe for classic UK items like brown furniture and British oil paintings. It’s a win-win across the board.

Signe Persson-Melin Hoganas Studio ceramic teapot

Lucy:Thanks Andy. We would love to hear about some of Auctionet’s top-selling items?

Andy Sagar: We’ve had some showstoppers! Here are a few:

Hans Coper Studio Vase – £82,000

Christian Berg, ‘Torso’ (below) – c. £94,000

Alvar Aalto Metal Table – c. £97,000

and more recently

Carl Milles, ‘Girl With Falling Leaves’ – £120,000

Lucy: And where do you see the future of auctions heading?

Andy Sagar: We’re moving away from the traditional auction formats and embracing the flexibility and reach of continuous online sales. This not only meets the modern demand for speed and convenience but also opens up a global stage for treasures that used to be local stars. We’re excited to keep pushing the boundaries and making auctions more accessible and exciting for everyone.