Invaluable

About Invaluable

Invaluable is the world's leading online auction marketplace and aggregation platform, connecting millions of collectors, dealers, and enthusiasts with live and timed auctions from thousands of auction houses around the globe. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Invaluable has played a pivotal role in transforming the traditional auction industry by bringing the bidding experience online, making it possible for anyone with an internet connection to participate in auctions happening in salerooms from New York to London, Paris to Hong Kong.

The company's origins date to a time when the internet was still in its infancy, making it one of the longest-running technology companies in the auction space. Over the years, Invaluable has evolved from a price database and information service into a fully integrated bidding platform enabling real-time participation in live auctions, driven by advances in technology and the auction industry's recognition that online bidding is essential to reaching new buyers.

The aggregation model

Invaluable's core value proposition is aggregation. Rather than operating its own auction house, the platform partners with thousands of auction houses worldwide, providing them with the technology infrastructure to offer online bidding alongside their traditional in-room and telephone bidding channels. For auction houses, this partnership provides access to Invaluable's massive audience of registered bidders, expanding the potential buyer pool for every lot offered. For bidders, the platform provides a single, unified interface for discovering and bidding across a vast range of categories, locations, and price points.

Categories and price database

The platform covers categories including fine art, decorative art, antiques, jewelry, watches, coins, stamps, collectibles, fashion, Asian art, military memorabilia, Hollywood memorabilia, and sports memorabilia, among many more. Users can search for specific items, browse upcoming auctions by category or location, and set alerts for items matching their interests, with filters for category, price range, auction house, location, and date.

One of Invaluable's most powerful features is its historical price database, containing more than 58 million complete auction results totaling more than $204 billion in value. Users can search by artist, keyword, category, or auction house to access detailed information about past sales, including images, descriptions, and realized prices. Access to the full database requires a subscription, though basic search functionality is available to all registered users.

Buying and bidding

The bidding process on Invaluable is designed to replicate the excitement of an in-room auction while providing online convenience. For live auctions, the platform streams audio and sometimes video from the saleroom, allowing online bidders to follow the action in real time and place bids relayed instantaneously to the auctioneer. The platform also supports timed online auctions, where bidding is open for a set period and lots close sequentially or simultaneously. Absentee bidding is available for both formats, letting users leave maximum bids that the system executes on their behalf.

Registration on Invaluable is free, though some auction houses may require additional registration or credit card authorization before allowing bids. The platform handles the technology side of bidding, while the auction house manages the lot catalog, condition reports, payment, and shipping. After winning a lot, the buyer deals directly with the auction house for payment and collection, following that house's terms and conditions.

The fee structure includes a surcharge for online bidding, typically an additional percentage added to the auction house's standard buyer's premium, generally in the range of 3-5%. Bidders should always check the specific terms for each auction, as the total cost includes the hammer price, the auction house's buyer's premium, and any applicable online bidding surcharge.

Services for auction houses and locations

Invaluable also offers services for auction houses, including white-label technology solutions that let houses offer online bidding through their own branded websites, marketing tools to promote upcoming sales, and analytics to help houses understand their buyer demographics and optimize sales strategies. These B2B services represent a significant part of Invaluable's business and have helped cement its position as the technology backbone of the global auction industry.

The platform maintains an office in the United Kingdom in addition to its Boston headquarters, reflecting the importance of the European auction market to its business. Its technology team continuously updates the platform, improving the bidding experience, search functionality, and mobile accessibility.

Who Invaluable suits

For collectors and buyers, Invaluable's key advantages are the sheer breadth of auctions available through a single platform, the ability to discover items from auction houses they might never have encountered otherwise, the historical price database for research and valuation, and the convenience of bidding from anywhere in the world. The platform is particularly valuable for collectors interested in niche categories or who want to monitor multiple auction houses simultaneously.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is bidding available on mobile devices?

Yes, Invaluable offers bidding through its iOS and Android apps.

Is the price database free?

Basic access is free; full access to the more than 58 million auction results requires a subscription.

Does Invaluable guarantee the authenticity of items?

No, authentication is the responsibility of the individual auction house.