Eppli

Eppli is a Stuttgart auction house that is also a working jeweller, and its calendar reflects both sides. Sales run from two venues — the Eppli Haus in central Stuttgart and a larger auction hall at Leinfelden-Echterdingen — with several different departments selling in the same week: designer fashion at three in the afternoon, coins and medals the following morning, art and antiques the day after.

What you can buy

• Jewellery and watches, the house's core categories.
• Designer fashion and accessories, in dedicated sales.
• Art and antiques.
• Coins and medals.
• Interiors and collectors' items.
• Insolvency and judicial estates, in special sales combining the two.

How the bidding works

These are Präsenzauktionen — sales held in the room, with an online catalogue published in advance for each. The house makes a point that recurs on every listing: all prices are quoted including the buyer's premium (alle Preise inkl. Aufgeld). That is unusual in the German market and it means the hammer figure you see is closer to what you will actually pay. A separate online shop runs alongside the auctions.

What to check before you bid

Check which venue a sale is in — the Stuttgart house and the Leinfelden-Echterdingen hall are around ten kilometres apart and both are used in the same month. Jewellery and watches are areas where the description and any accompanying certificate carry the weight; ask for the condition report rather than relying on catalogue photography. The site runs in German and English.