eBay and Sotheby’s have launched their joint venture live auction website: find it at ebay.com/sothebys
You can start browsing the goods and bid in advance of their first proper live auctions on eBay on April 1st.
eBay and Sotheby’s originally announced plans to partner on live auctions last July. Sotheby’s first live auctions on eBay will be a themed New York sale and a Photographs sale.
“We’re very excited to bring live Sotheby’s auctions to an exponentially larger audience of millions more collectors around the world through this partnership,” said Bruno Vinciguerra, Sotheby’s Chief Operating Officer.
“This experience truly captures the best of both Sotheby’s and eBay. The rich, smart new design and bidding technology, coupled with exclusive features like taste-maker curation, engaging video and articles, and the knowledge of Sotheby’s experts on a tech-friendly and intuitive site will offer collectors a unique, welcoming experience.”
Devin Wenig, President of eBay Marketplaces, says: “We’ve had a great response from our global community of buyers since launching live auctions last October — including sales of high-ticket items such as Elvis Presley’s first record, which sold for $300,000. Granting this kind of unprecedented access to art and collectibles, using an innovative technology platform, has opened the door for more people to appreciate and participate in bidding on exceptional works of art, antiques and collectibles.”
It’s a huge coup for eBay. Back in the day, the old guard, like Sotheby’s, dismissed internet sites like eBay as tawdry upstarts doomed to failure. I’m happy to see eBay having the last laugh versus the fusty giants of yesteryear.
