Leski Auctions

About Leski Auctions

Leski Auctions is one of Australia's most respected and longest-established auction houses, specializing in Australiana, historical documents, rare books, sporting memorabilia, stamps, coins, and fine and decorative arts. Founded in 1973 by Charles Leski in Melbourne, the house has spent over five decades building a reputation as the destination for collectors of Australian history and culture, operating from premises on High Street in Armadale, a Melbourne suburb widely recognized as the city's hub for art, antiques, and collectibles. This location places Leski at the heart of Melbourne's collecting community and provides convenient access for both consignors and buyers.

Specialists

Charles Leski, the house's founder and principal, specializes in stamps, coins and postal history, sporting memorabilia, Australian history and rare books, aviation and travel memorabilia, fine wines, and general collectibles including trading cards. This unusually broad range reflects the distinctly Australian character of the house, where categories like cricket memorabilia, convict-era documents, and colonial-period artefacts are as important as traditional fine art. Second principal specialist Harry Glenn brings complementary expertise in antique furniture, Australian and international ceramics and pottery, glass, silver, Australian and international art, goldfields memorabilia, maritime memorabilia, and general collectibles. Together they give the house a broad knowledge base that can assess and sell virtually anything related to Australian cultural heritage.

Sale categories

Leski organizes regular sales across its core categories:

• Australian history, including colonial documents, early maps, exploration journals, photographs, and ephemera
• Australian and colonial furniture
• Historical documents and rare books
• Australian and international art, and European decorative arts
• Chinese and Asian art
• Stamps, coins, and banknotes
• Sporting memorabilia

The sporting memorabilia department is a particular standout, given Australia's passion for cricket, Australian rules football, rugby, horse racing, and tennis, with items ranging from early cricket bats and test match programmes to football guernseys and Olympic memorabilia. The stamps and postal history department, reflecting Charles Leski's personal expertise, attracts bidders from around the world. The house has also handled early colonial documents, important philatelic collections, landmark sporting artefacts, Indigenous Australian material, goldfields-era items, and material from both World Wars, and offers medals, uniforms, documents, and battlefield relics for collectors of military memorabilia. The numismatic department covers Australian colonial and pre-decimal and decimal coins and international numismatics, with particular strength in Australian gold coins and early colonial tokens.

Buying and selling

Leski provides detailed printed and online catalogues with thorough descriptions and photographs. Bidding is available in the saleroom, by telephone, by written absentee bid, and online through the house's own platform and third-party aggregators. The buyer's premium is generally around 22 to 25 percent inclusive of GST, though buyers should confirm the rate for specific sales.

Free appraisals for sellers can be arranged in person at the Armadale premises or by submitting photographs and descriptions; the house's specialist knowledge means items are accurately described and placed in the most appropriate sale category to maximize results, and commissions are negotiated individually based on the value and nature of the consignment. Consigning Australiana and historical material is particularly advantageous given the house's long-established collector base. Its online presence has grown significantly, with comprehensive catalogues, live bidding for major sales, and an active programme of online-only auctions that complement the traditional saleroom events.

Leski's reputation for integrity and specialist knowledge has made it a trusted partner for institutions, estates, and private collectors, and for major Australian institutions and libraries as a source for rare documents, maps, and printed materials of national significance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Leski Auctions specialize in?

Australiana, historical documents, rare books, sporting memorabilia, stamps, coins, and fine and decorative arts.

What is Leski's buyer's premium?

Generally around 22 to 25 percent inclusive of GST, though buyers should confirm the rate for specific sales.

How do I consign to Leski Auctions?

Free appraisals can be arranged in person at the Armadale premises or by submitting photographs and descriptions; commissions are negotiated individually.