Veilinghuis Van Spengen

About Veilinghuis Van Spengen

Veilinghuis Van Spengen is a general art and antiques auction house in Hilversum, in the Gooi region south-east of Amsterdam. It holds five large art and antiques auctions a year and offers more than 18,000 lots annually. The house is a member of the Federatie TMV, the Dutch trade association for appraisers and auctioneers of movable goods.

All of its main sales are now run as timed online auctions, preceded by several public viewing days at the saleroom. Buyers come from the Netherlands and abroad, and the house describes its audience as a large international buying public.

History

The auction house was founded in 1946 by Kees van Spengen, who gave it his name, and was originally based on the Kerkbrink in Hilversum. Since 1995 it has occupied a purpose-built auction building at Koninginneweg 25, opposite the town hall designed by the architect Willem Dudok.

In 2012 Patrick van Huisstede and Martijn Janssens took over the business and professionalised it further. In 2026 the house marked eighty years of art and antiques auctions with a jubilee sale in September.

What Van Spengen sells

Van Spengen is a broad-based house rather than a single-category specialist. A typical sale is divided into sessions by department, spread over several evenings. The September 2026 sale, for example, included the following sections:

• Paintings from the 17th to the 21st century
• Sculpture and applied arts, including a large group of 19th- and 20th-century sculpture
• Antiques and miscellaneous objects
• Furniture and interiors, including design furniture
• Carpets and rugs
• Silver
• Jewellery and watches
• Asian art, including Chinese porcelain
• Clocks and smaller collectables

Results highlighted by the house include Chinese porcelain with Yongzheng marks, Dutch silver and a painting by Petrus van Schendel that was acquired by the Stedelijk Museum Breda in 2024. In February 2025 a 17th-century view of Nyenrode Castle by Jacobus Storck sold for 72,890 euros including costs.

Selling at Van Spengen

Sellers can bring items to the office by appointment or request a valuation for auction. The house publishes a standard seller's commission of 18.15% including VAT on the hammer price, which it says covers photography, marketing and insurance. Any extra costs, such as transport, expert research or certification, are agreed with the seller in advance.

If a lot does not sell, no commission is charged. Proceeds, minus the commission, are paid to the seller's bank account six weeks after the last day of the auction.

Buying and bidding

Buyers register on the Van Spengen website and bid in the timed online auction, which opens when the catalogue goes online and closes lot by lot at set times. Bidders can enter a maximum bid and let the system bid on their behalf in steps of 10 euros. A bid placed in the last three minutes extends that lot by three minutes, and all bids are binding.

The buyer's premium is 29% on top of the hammer price, plus a lot fee of 0.50 euros per lot. According to the house, no VAT is shown on the invoice because the margin scheme applies. Artist's resale right (volgrecht) may be added for qualifying works selling above 3,000 euros, and this is marked in the catalogue.

Location and viewing

The saleroom is at Koninginneweg 25, 1217 KR Hilversum. Each sale has several viewing days, usually from 10.00 to 17.00, where every lot can be inspected in person. Purchases are collected by appointment on set days after the auction, and the house also provides information on shipping and transport.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the buyer's premium at Veilinghuis Van Spengen?

Van Spengen charges a buyer's premium of 29% on the hammer price plus 0.50 euros per lot. Artist's resale right may be added for qualifying works, which is noted in the catalogue.

How often does Van Spengen hold auctions?

The house holds five large art and antiques auctions a year, all run as timed online sales with viewing days beforehand. Together they offer more than 18,000 lots a year.

What does it cost to sell at Van Spengen?

The standard seller's commission is 18.15% including VAT, covering photography, marketing and insurance. Nothing is charged if a lot does not sell.