At a glance
| What's sold | Paintings, prints, jewellery, watches, furniture, design, photography, stamps, coins, antiques |
| Lots located in | Austria: Vienna, plus branches such as Linz, Salzburg, St. Pölten and Klagenfurt |
| Who can bid | Private buyers and companies with a verified myDOROTHEUM account |
| Buyer's premium | 30% incl. VAT on most lots; 25% plus VAT on fully taxed lots (up to EUR 1m) |
| VAT on premium | Included on margin and "V" lots; 20%, 13% or 10% added on "+", "–" and "#" lots |
| Payment deadline | Due at the hammer; online lots are paid in the following days |
| Pickup deadline | Collect at once; storage after 14 days, re-auction possible after 90 days |
| Storage after deadline | 1% of the hammer per started month, plus 1% a month insurance |
What's sold
Dorotheum was founded in Vienna in 1707 and holds about 700 auctions a year across more than 40 departments with 100 experts. It runs saleroom sales at the Palais Dorotheum, many with live bidding, and timed Online Auctions, where on 12 Oct 2026 jewellery (1,727 lots) and paintings (1,017) led the listings. Lots sold in Dorotheum's own name carry its guarantee; "V" lots are sold as agent for the consignor and carry no such guarantee.
Who can bid
- Private buyers: Allowed with official photo ID, such as a passport or ID card, uploaded at sign-up. No deposit is published for online sales; for live bidding you state a maximum for the sale, which Dorotheum's credit team checks. The sign-up form lists 250 countries and no restriction is published.
- Businesses: Allowed with a company register extract (or foreign equivalent), proof of the beneficial owner and authority for the person bidding. EU companies based outside Austria buy "+", "–" and "#" lots free of Austrian VAT if their VAT ID (UID) reaches Dorotheum before the hammer; margin lots are excluded.
Registration
- Create a free myDOROTHEUM account; two-factor login is optional and worth switching on.
- Upload photo ID, plus company papers, to be cleared for Online Auctions.
- EU business: add your UID before your first bid.
- Pick a channel: online bid, written bid (up to 24 hours before a saleroom sale), phone (lots with a start price of EUR 300 or more) or live bidding (apply per sale, at least 24 hours ahead).
- Pay from your own account: Dorotheum generally refuses payments from third parties.
Fees and real total cost
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer's premium, margin and "V" lots | 30% incl. VAT | 25% above EUR 1m, 15% above EUR 5m |
| Buyer's premium, fully taxed lots | 25% plus VAT | 20.84% above EUR 1m, 12.5% above EUR 5m |
| VAT on fully taxed lots | 20% "+", 13% "–", 10% "#" | Private EU buyers who have the lot shipped pay their home rate |
| After-sale (Nachverkauf) | 32% incl. VAT / 26.67% plus VAT | Lots bought after the sale closes |
| Resale right (Folgerecht) | 4% of the hammer, falling with value, max EUR 12,500 | Lots marked "*", hammer EUR 2,500 or more |
| Broker (Sensal) | 2.4% up to EUR 720, then 1.2% (min EUR 22) | Optional |
| Storage | 1% of the hammer per started month after 14 days | Plus 1% a month insurance |
| Shipping | Quoted per order | EUR 30 transport support, packing at cost, 1% transport insurance on request |
| Export papers / invoice change | EUR 50 / EUR 24 |
Worked example. Basis: the Online Auction "Aquarelle und Miniaturen" of 30 Sept 2026 sold 115 lots at a median hammer of EUR 800. Across five hammer-price result lists from 25 Sept to 12 Oct 2026 (881 lots), the median was EUR 340.
| Step | Margin lot | "+" lot, collected | "+" lot, shipped to a private buyer in Germany |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hammer price | EUR 800 | EUR 800 | EUR 800 |
| Buyer's premium | EUR 240 (30%, VAT included) | EUR 200 (25%) | EUR 200 (25%) |
| VAT | Included | EUR 200 (20%) | EUR 70 (7%, German rate for hand-made pictures and original prints) |
| Total | EUR 1,040 | EUR 1,200 | EUR 1,070 plus shipping |
Other "+" lots shipped to Germany, such as furniture or jewellery, pay 19%: EUR 1,190.
Leave the lot uncollected for three weeks and add EUR 8 storage plus insurance.
How bidding works
- Bidding opens at the start price, usually half the low estimate and at most the low estimate. Steps are 5–10%, e.g. EUR 50 between EUR 500 and 1,000.
- Online, you can enter a maximum; the system bids for you one step at a time.
- A bid in the last 2 minutes extends that lot by 2 minutes.
- A hidden minimum price (Mindestpreis) can apply, and a win can be made conditional.
- Written bids are free, and the earlier of two equal bids wins. If a phone call fails, your bid counts at 75% of the low estimate.
- Bids are binding. Dorotheum may cancel a win within 3 working days and offer the lot again.
Pickup and transport
- Lots wait at the branch that held the sale. At the Palais Dorotheum, small and medium items and jewellery are released Mon–Fri 10:00–18:00; large pictures, furniture and carpets Mon–Fri 10:00–15:00.
- Pay first: cash, bank transfer or debit card (Bankomat); credit cards and cheques are refused. A transfer takes 2–3 working days, so check with accounts before you come.
- On request, Dorotheum books post, courier or a freight forwarder for you, at your cost and risk. Ask for the quote before you bid.
- Free storage ends after 14 days. After a month, furniture and paintings go to paid outside storage, and after 90 days Dorotheum may re-auction the lot at your cost.
Watch out
- "V" lots come with no warranty and no authenticity guarantee.
- Descriptions leave out value-raising restorations and any defect that does not seriously affect the artistic value. Ask for a condition report, which the terms say may be charged.
- The 2026 terms say there is no distance-selling withdrawal right, yet a notice on dorotheum.com gives consumers 14 days from delivery for Online Auctions, with return postage at your cost. Ask in writing before you rely on it.
- On Trustpilot, dorotheum.com scores 2.6 from 44 reviews (12 Oct 2026). A reviewer in Feb 2026 reported that emails went unanswered during a return dispute.
Verdict: A serious expert house with a 3-year authenticity guarantee on lots sold in its own name. Expect 30% to 50% over the hammer before shipping and resale right, and keep written records of every request after the sale.
Before you bid
- Check the mark: none or "V" means 30% all-in; "+", "–" or "#" means 25% plus VAT; "*" adds resale right from a EUR 2,500 hammer.
- EU business: put your UID on the account before the hammer.
- Ask for a condition report and a shipping quote.
- Plan to pay by transfer, debit card or cash, from your own account.
- Arrange collection or shipping within 14 days.
- Set your maximum from the all-in price, not the hammer.