Auction estimate
Free
What we expect the piece to make in one of our sales, based on what comparable lots have actually sold for. There is nothing to subtract from it: what the lot realises is what you are paid.
Request an estimateWhy sell with us?
Smalls Auctions runs a specialist sale each week, with registered buyers across Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, Canada and Asia. We do not charge consignors a fee, so what your item realises at auction is exactly what you get. Our buyer’s premium covers all our operating costs, and there are no hidden charges for lotting, photography or insurance.
How selling works
1
Tell us what you have
Bring your item into our gallery to be assessed, or send photographs and a brief description, noting any hallmarks, certificates or paperwork.
2
We value it, free
Jewellery is assessed by our gemmologist on staff. Coins, banknotes, Australiana and other collectables are assessed by our specialists. We keep up to date with market prices, and we want your item to sell: you get a realistic estimate, not a flattering one.
3
It goes into a sale
We photograph and describe each item to its best advantage, and place it in the appropriate sale in front of the right buyers.
4
When do you get paid?
Settlement is usually within 10 business days of the completion of the sale. Should it not sell the first time, with your consent we will rest the item for a few weeks and run it again at no extra cost to you.
Valuing your items
Three kinds of valuation, depending on what the number is for.
Written valuation
Fixed fee, agreed in advance
A formal report for insurance, probate or dividing an estate between family. Each item described, photographed and valued for its purpose. There is no requirement to sell through us afterwards.
Request a written valuationEstates and collections
One conversation
A jewellery box, a coin cabinet or a lifetime's collection. We go through it with you, sort what belongs at auction from what does not, and handle the valuation and the sale together.
Talk to us about an estateWhat is it worth?
No charge, no obligation. Send photographs and we will come back with an auction estimate, usually within two working days.
Photographs that get an answer
- The front and the back
- Close-ups of hallmarks, maker's marks, signatures and serial numbers
- Any damage, repairs or missing parts
- The box, certificate or paperwork, if there is one
- Daylight, no flash, something in frame for scale
We value: jewellery, gold and diamonds, coins and banknotes, watches, militaria and medals, Australiana, objets d'art, ceramics and glass.
Prefer to come in? Valuations are done at our rooms 9am – 3pm, Monday to Friday. No appointment needed.
Consigning your items
Once you have an estimate and are happy with the terms.
Bringing it in
Drop it at our rooms in Café Lautrec, 452 Oxford Street, 9am – 3pm, Monday to Friday. Bring the name or email address you sent the request from, and any paperwork that goes with it. You get a receipt listing every piece before you leave.
Sending it
Outside Sydney, talk to us before you post anything. We will confirm it is worth sending and how to pack it. Send it tracked and insured, and keep the receipt.
Contact us firstSale terms
Set out in writing, with your estimate, before anything is consigned. We charge consignors nothing: no commission, and no separate fees for lotting, photography, cataloguing or insurance while the piece is with us.
After the auction
What happens once your lot is in a sale.
While it is live
When the catalogue goes online we send you the link to your lots, so you can follow the bidding through the nine days the sale is open.
Your results
When the sale closes you hear what each lot made, lot by lot.
Getting paid
Settlement is usually within 10 business days of the sale completing, with a statement setting out each lot and what it made.
Estates, probate and insurance
Clearing an estate is rarely straightforward. We handle the whole contents of a jewellery box or a lifetime's collection, provide written valuations for probate and insurance at a fixed fee agreed in advance, and take the time families need.
Questions people actually ask
What does it cost to sell at auction?
Nothing. We do not charge consignors a commission, and there are no lotting, photography, cataloguing or insurance fees. Our buyer’s premium covers the cost of running the sale, so what your lot realises is what you are paid. Auction estimates are free whether or not you decide to sell.
How long does a valuation take?
Send photographs through the form and you will usually have an auction estimate within two working days. Bring the piece in and, for most things, you will have it before you leave.
Do I have to sell if you value it?
No. An auction estimate carries no obligation. A written valuation for probate or insurance is a separate paid service, and there is no requirement to sell the items through us afterwards.
When can I bring things in?
9am – 3pm, Monday to Friday, at 452 Oxford Street, Paddington. No appointment needed. For a large collection or a whole estate, call ahead so the right specialist is in the room.
What should I photograph?
The front and the back, then close-ups of any hallmarks, maker's marks, signatures, serial numbers or damage. Include any box, certificate or paperwork. Daylight, no flash, and something in the frame for scale if you can.
How long does it take to get paid?
A sale runs for nine days. Settlement follows once the buyer has paid, which is usually within two weeks of the sale closing.
Do you take single items?
Yes. One ring, one coin, one medal. There is no minimum consignment, though we will tell you honestly when something is not worth the freight to get it here.
Can you handle a whole estate?
Yes. We take complete house and estate contents in our specialities, and prepare written valuations for probate and insurance at a fixed fee agreed in advance.
Do you buy outright instead?
Our sister shop Strand Coins, at the same address, buys coins, banknotes, collectables and precious metal over the counter. If you would rather have the money today than wait for a sale to close, that is the faster route.
Prefer not to wait for a sale?
Two more of ours, at the same address.
Strand Coins
Strand Coins, our legacy business, dealing in investment grade coins and banknotes, still caters for its established clientele. If you are looking to improve your existing collection, send us your wish list: we know where the bodies are buried.
Visit Strand Coins
The Benchmark Catalogue
The standard reference for Australian pre-decimal coins from 1910 to 1964, written and illustrated by the same people who catalogue our auction. It lists all recognised types, varieties and grades, with retail price guidance.
Open the catalogue