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Best Auction Houses & Dealers in Denmark

Compare Danish auction houses: Bruun Rasmussen, Holstebro Auktioner, Svendborg Auktionerne and VF-Auktion. Fees, online bidding and specialties.

5 Auction Houses
0 Dealers
5 Total Listings

Denmark's Auction Market

Denmark's best-known saleroom is Bruun Rasmussen, founded in 1948 by the art dealer Arne Bruun Rasmussen. It is based in Lyngby, north of Copenhagen, with branches in Aarhus and Glostrup, and sells more than 75,000 items a year across art, design, jewellery, watches, antiques, wine, books, coins and stamps. The house was bought by the British auction group Bonhams in 2022. Its records include a 15th-century Ming dish sold for DKK 35.5 million in 2021 and Vilhelm Hammershøi's Interior from Strandgade 30 sold for DKK 31.5 million in 2019. The other national name is Lauritz.com, a pioneer of Danish online auctions with salerooms in Hørsholm, Brøndby, Roskilde, Odense, Vejle, Aarhus and Aalborg.

Much of the rest of the market is made up of regional houses and specialists. Holstebro Auktioner in West Jutland has held hammer sales since 1985. Svendborg Auktionerne on South Funen combines live sales in its own saleroom with online auctions. VF-Auktion in Hvidovre, outside Copenhagen, calls itself the largest stamp auction house in Denmark and also runs a coin and banknote sale every four weeks.

Danish modern design, which peaked between the 1940s and the 1960s, is one of the market's strongest categories. Svendborg Auktionerne reports steadily rising demand for architect-designed furniture by Poul Kjærholm, Hans J. Wegner, Finn Juhl, Børge Mogensen and Arne Jacobsen, and for PH lamps, 1920s and 1930s stoneware and Royal Copenhagen figurines. Porcelain from Royal Copenhagen, the royal manufactory founded in 1775 and known for its Blue Fluted pattern and Flora Danica service, turns up at nearly every general sale. So does silver from Georg Jensen, the silversmithy founded in Copenhagen in 1904.

Online bidding is now standard. You can follow Svendborg Auktionerne's live sales on a video stream and bid in real time, VF-Auktion's sales are held entirely online, and Holstebro Auktioner takes online commission bids before its hall sales. Buyer's premiums at Danish houses normally include 25% VAT on the fee and fall roughly between 22% and 30% on top of the hammer price. VF-Auktion adds 22%, Svendborg Auktionerne 25% and Holstebro Auktioner 26%. Artworks by protected artists may also carry a 5% resale royalty collected for Copydan.

Danish auction houses at a glance

5 houses compared by city, age, specialties and buyer's premium. Seller commission is usually agreed per consignment, so ask each house for a quote.

Auction houseCityFoundedKnown forBuyer's premiumOnline bidding
Holstebro Auktioner Holstebro 1985 Fine Art & Paintings, Antique Furniture, Ceramics & Porcelain 26% on top of the hammer price, plus 5% on lots marked /CD (artist's r... Yes
Lauritz.com Hoersholm 1885 Fine Art & Paintings, Antique Furniture, Fine Jewelry & Gems Buyer's premium applies; see auction terms for current percentage Yes
Svendborg Auktionerne Svendborg — Ceramics & Porcelain, Antique Furniture, Silver & Gold 25% including VAT. Via Invaluable.com: DKK 70 + 25% below DKK 1,400; 3... Yes
VF-Auktion Hvidovre 1995 Coins & Currency, Vintage Collectibles 22% added to the hammer price, plus postage. Used items are sold under... Yes
Bruun Rasmussen Copenhagen 1948 Scandinavian Art, Design, Silver 30% incl. VAT (24% + VAT) for most lots; 25% incl. VAT for coins; 15%... Yes

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Browse Denmark Specialists by Category

Find auction houses and dealers in Denmark specialising in your type of item.

Fine Jewelry & Gems 4 Fine Art & Paintings 4 Antique Furniture 4 Silver & Gold 3

Frequently Asked Questions

Bruun Rasmussen, founded in 1948 and owned by Bonhams since 2022, is the largest and sells more than 75,000 items a year from Lyngby, Aarhus and Glostrup. Lauritz.com is the other national name, with salerooms in seven Danish cities. Regional houses such as Holstebro Auktioner and Svendborg Auktionerne, and specialists such as VF-Auktion for stamps and coins, cover much of the rest of the market.
Seller's commission varies from house to house. Svendborg Auktionerne charges 18.75% including VAT plus a DKK 50 cataloguing fee. Holstebro Auktioner charges 20% of the hammer price plus VAT and a DKK 100 plus VAT fee per catalogue number, and VF-Auktion charges 15% on its monthly stamp auctions.
Yes. Most Danish houses now take bids over the internet, although the format differs. Svendborg Auktionerne streams its live sales and accepts real-time bids, while VF-Auktion runs timed online auctions. Holstebro Auktioner accepts online commission bids, which are then executed in the saleroom.
Danish modern furniture by designers such as Hans J. Wegner, Finn Juhl, Børge Mogensen and Arne Jacobsen is in steady demand, as are PH lamps and 1920s and 1930s stoneware. Royal Copenhagen figurines, silver, gold and jewellery also sell well. Stamps and coins have their own specialist sales, such as those at VF-Auktion.
Many houses offer free valuations when you are thinking of selling. Holstebro Auktioner holds free walk-in valuations every Thursday from 13:00 to 16:00, and Svendborg Auktionerne values items online or at home free of charge when the valuation is for an auction. Valuations for insurance, probate or estates are usually charged by the hour.