Shapiro Auctioneers

About Shapiro Auctioneers

Shapiro Auctioneers is a Sydney auction house and gallery at 46 Balfour Street, Chippendale. It sells Australian and international art, 20th- and 21st-century design, and fine jewellery and luxury items. It also offers valuations and private sales.

The firm is led by managing director Andrew Shapiro, whose auction career spans more than 30 years in New York, London and Sydney. Rohan Hawthorn is general manager and head of art, and Eliza Avellen heads the fine jewellery and luxury design department.

History

Shapiro Auctioneers dates its work with single-owner collections and estates to 1995. Andrew Shapiro joined Phillips in New York in 1984 and came to Australia in 1990 to start auction sales for Phillips Australia. In 2001 he led a management buy-out of the Phillips auction business in Australia, and the firm has operated under his name since then.

What they sell

The firm has three main departments:

• Australian and International Art: modern and contemporary painting, Aboriginal art and prints
• Design: 20th-century and contemporary furniture, studio pottery and decorative arts
• Fine Jewellery and Luxury Design: jewellery, wristwatches, silver and luxury objects

Recent sale highlights listed by the house include Shiy De-jinn's Boy in Blue (1961) at A$255,500 and Andy Warhol's Mick Jagger (1975) at A$200,000. Other highlights include an untitled 1995 work by Emily Kame Kngwarreye at A$170,000 and a set of 15 Klismos chairs by T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings at A$73,000. The house has sold named collections such as The Estate of Ray Hughes, The Sally and Shane Thompson Collection of Contemporary Art and the Estate of Peter Sculthorpe.

Selling

Shapiro offers free, no-obligation auction appraisals from photographs or in person. Once a consignment contract is signed, the team handles cataloguing, photography and marketing, which includes an e-newsletter reaching more than 16,000 subscribers. Sellers receive an after-sale report, and payment is processed within 35 days once the buyer has paid.

• Commission and fees are quoted by each department and are not published
• Formal valuations for insurance, probate and the Cultural Gifts Program start at $300 per hour plus GST
• On-site auctions for single-owner collections and estates, marketed to more than 20,000 qualified buyers worldwide

Buying and bidding

The calendar mixes evening live auctions with timed online auctions, with several sales most months. Recent examples include a Fine Jewellery, Watches and Luxury Design live sale on 25 August 2026. In September 2026 there was a two-session Australian and International Art sale, with a live evening session on 22 September and a timed online session on 23 September. A timed online sale of Italian and European design is set for 12 October 2026. Buyers can bid in the saleroom, online in real time, in timed online sales, by telephone or by absentee bid.

• Buyer's premium: 25% of the hammer price, including GST
• Payment: due within three working days by bank transfer, card (surcharge applies) or cash up to $10,000
• Collection: within three business days; buyers arrange their own delivery
• Timed sales: a bid in the final five minutes extends that lot by five minutes

Location

The saleroom and gallery are at 46 Balfour Street in Chippendale, one of Sydney's cultural precincts, and are open to the public. Specialists also travel interstate and hold valuation days in major cities, and the firm has a UK representative.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the buyer's premium at Shapiro Auctioneers?

A buyer's premium of 25%, including GST, applies to the hammer price of every successful bid.

Can I bid online at Shapiro?

Yes. You can bid in real time during a live broadcast or take part in timed online auctions. Telephone and absentee bids are also available.

How quickly are sellers paid after a Shapiro auction?

Payment is processed within 35 days of the sale, once the buyer has paid. Sellers also receive an after-sale report with the final prices.