Auctionet

Auctionet is a shared shop window rather than an auction house: independent salerooms across Europe list their lots here, and you bid in one account instead of registering separately with each. The operator is Auction Network Sweden AB in Stockholm, running online since 2011.

What you can buy

• Furniture — the backbone of the site, from Nordic mid-century to period pieces.
• Art — paintings, prints and works on paper.
• Design objects, glass and ceramics.
• Collectibles of most kinds, including jewellery and watches.
• Household goods from ordinary estate clearances.

How the bidding works

Sales run as timed online auctions with a single registration covering every house on the platform. The important consequence of the marketplace model is that the seller is not Auctionet: each lot belongs to the auction house that catalogued it, and that house sets the buyer's premium, handles payment and holds the item until collection.

What to check before you bid

Check which auction house a lot belongs to before you bid, because that determines where you collect from and under whose terms you buy — a platform-wide account does not mean platform-wide conditions. Shipping across borders is arranged with the individual house, so a cheap lot in another country can cost more to move than to win. Condition reports come from the selling house, not from Auctionet, so ask the house directly if a report is thin.