As I stated in my review of Christie's, you can visit many of the NYC auction houses for free, including Sotheby's. You never know what you might find here--I saw original copies of Hamilton's Federalist Papers, Paul Revere's silverware, letters signed by George Washington. Paintings and old Egyptian artifacts. I feel like there was more to see here than at Christie's and the selection was more interesting. Again, these things are likely to go into someone's private collection, possibly to never be seen again, so you shouldn't pass up a chance to see something really special. read more

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Its a club. They will sell a spot a ugly scribble. But if u hold the golden egg ur not in club .. they turn up their noses.... nice scribbles..lol read more

Sotheby's provided an estimate of $30,000-$50,000 on July 16th 2025 for a fine art painting. They were very interested and eager to get this painting asap. Because the auction would not be until 2/5/2026 we held on to the painting until closer to that date. My elderly parents were called 20 minutes before the auction and were pressured to put a reserve of $12,000 on the painting. My parents did not want a reserve so Sotheby's started the bid at $1! The auction closed out at less than $2,000 and by the time shipping and fees were taken out it was to leave my parents with proceeds of less than $500. They had my parents send their bank account information 3 times which I did not feel comfortable with. I had called numerous times only to be told that they are waiting on the buyer to pay. For $2,000? This is sothebys right? So back and forth being told today is the day you will receive your deposit. Well nothing has arrived as of 4/22/2026. This whole experience feels like a scam. This is not about a disgruntled seller being unhappy with the dollar amount. It is about the unethical practices that are being conducted by this renowned business. ****Edit..... after many phone calls asking where the laughable proceeds were and given excuse after excuse. I informed them that if the proceeds were not deposited within 24 hrs I would be securing legal counsel. Well lo and behold it showed up less than 24 hrs later. All I can say is fool me once.... Stay far away from this business and the unethical practices they pull on their co-signers. They will pretty much steal your consignment and make you fight for the measly proceeds....**** read more

Great interaction with Zev. He was both knowledgably and helped steer me in the right directions. Highly recommended.

Excellent selection of wines. Reasonable prices, their salespeople know what they're selling, and conveniently located in the auction house. Selection is more on the high end, but not many rare finds. read more

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I came here after lunch at Sant Ambroeus to inquire about a painting and I am overall pleased with my experience. The girl behind the desk was prompt to help me with my inquiry, and connected with the right person to address my questions. Everything they auction and sell here is of the highest quality and better than retail in my opinion. Captivated by the jewelry, I asked a friendly staff member to try on a ruby ring. By the feel of the band, curves, and mesmerizing sparkle you can immediately sense its true value. I'll definitely be following up on it! I'm excited to come back in the future for viewings :) read more

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I have the good fortune to deal with numerous auctions houses and galleries in Europe and the US, and Sotheby's, by far, is the most difficult of any house or gallery to use online technology systems for access, registration, even signing in. Especially the systems they use for bidding registration and payment authoriaztion. Even after years (no kidding!), they cannot deilver the requested period, online art auction catalogues to me no matter how many times they assure me that they resolved the problem. That having been said, staff on the phones are pleasant and helpful. Even if they don't always solve/reslove the issue. read more

I have been buying and selling books and autograph material for 35 years and I can honestly say that this is the worst experience I have ever had with an auction house. Upon purchasing an item they charged my credit card even though I emailed them that I was sending a wire and charged a $400 credit card fee. They then required me to completed document and supply corporate and personal information they should have no right to, including how I obtained my net worth. You can't make this stuff up.They then refused to recognize a Florida Resale Certificate, even though they had accepted it many times in the past, resulting in an additional $1400 charge. I am an attorney and their compliance department doesn't know what they're talking about, however, you can't speak to them personally. To top it off, they want over $700 to ship an 8 x 10 photograph. This has been an unbelievable experience, and I have dealt with Christie's, Bonhams, Heritage, and all the rest. Never again with Sotheby's. read more

I didn't realize they host special exhibits until a friend told me there was a Chatsworth House display while I was on vacation in NYC that she couldn't see a few weeks ago when she was in London. This home was Pemberley in the 2005 "Pride and Prejudice." There were sculptures, furniture, clothing, jewelry, and art from the home in England. They even had twelve CH British tour guides in New York for twelve weeks to share their expertise. They had several slide shows, short films and iPad experiences besides the physical objects. Lots of interaction. I could have spent hours there but didn't realize they close at 5:00 and I arrived around 3:30. Fabulous free exhibit! read more

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Rather negative experience with Sotheby's customer support overall. I bought way over 100 works of art from them in New York, London, Paris, and Hong Kong, just in the past 2-3 years. Condition reports were inaccurate in several cases. Two items were outright fakes. VAT or import tariff refunds were a nightmare with up to 50 e-mails exchanged for a 4-digit refund. Their shipping fees are outrageous. It is hard to get them to stop spamming you with their emails and their printed catalogues. I could go on and on. It seems to me that their support has gotten much worse since they went private (off the NY stock exchange), and it is now really bad when compared with Christies, Bonhams, or Heritage, to name just a few competitors. I hope that some day they will be able to improve it, and I will certainly update this review in case this happens. read more

When entering, one can be sensing the presence of being in luxury! Auctions on fancy and historical items! Nice cafe rooftop view and to lounge for awhile! Enjoy! read more

I purchased a pair of legendary shoes through the Sothebys website. Amid Covid-19 and Fedex delays during the holidays I received my order in a timely fashion. Item was packaged very well. And when I say well, an egg in the box would probably not crack. For the price I paid for the auction, I believe they really went above and beyond the consumer expectations and I must say that I will definitely order from them again. Although probably not because Im not rich like that. LOL. This was my first ever purchase from them. I would say my only gripe is that after I made the purchase, the confirmation that I made the purchase took too long. Other than that! 5 STARS! Here is what I bought from Sothebys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTKJqDimcec read more

I had a very unsatisfactory experience with this firm. It took an unreasonably long period of time to obtain a pre-sale estimate on a small item. I do not recommend this firm. read more

BUYER BEWARE! Sotheby's may say they are in NY but when buying a handbag you are responsible for the transportation and taxes to get it INTO the U.S. Not only did I receive a fed ex bill for $1,700 on a $5k handbag but the sales associate was abusive when I spoke with her about it. Complete neglect and false advertising. read more

The Best Auction House In NYC . I have been doing business with Sotheby's for 25 years . Seller be warned , The "Experts" get it wrong regularly. Sotheby's has global professionals . A second opinion is sometimes required . I took a bronze statue in and was told it was a repro . I requested a 2nd opinion by Sotheby's London and was rewarded for my presistance. The Bronze was 100% real and now sits in a Museum. Don't ever be discouraged and surcome to bad information provided by entry level staff. Most Importantly Never Ever Rely On Photograph Appraisals. A expert must handle and examine your item . Walk it in , Pictures are preliminary. Sotheby's is great , but make mistakes regularly. Commissions are never etched in stone for a seller with an exceptional item or collection . Do your homework ! read more

Their online appraisal services just tells you they aren't interested but no appraisal or clue what or why not. It's quite frankly rude and hurtful. read more

Growing up, I used to always love looking through the Sotheby's and Christie's catalogs, daydreaming from where the wonderful mystical trinkets came, where they were destined to go.... and of the magical buzz of an auction. I always imagined the auctioneer to be an Englishman, mustachio-ed, with the ends waxed into little curly-cues, shouting in excitement as the prices climbed (and maybe sometimes spitting on the front row) higher and higher. Well, I was finally able to realize my fantasy today. I got to watch a Sotheby's auction. It was very cool! Seeing money fly around and the intricacies of the actual bidding process is all very interesting. Although, some of the glamor is lost when the auctioneer seemingly bids against himself (absentee bids). Plus, he didn't have a curly mustache :(. The building itself is a sight to behold - it's like a very eclectic museum, only all the pieces have price tags on them. Side note: the bathrooms are really quite charming - try to stop in. (see accompanying photo) read more

Sotheby's - Sotheby's powder room... so cute! - Auction Houses Near Me - New York, New York

Going to try Christines. We went to Sotheby's first because we have some friends that recommended it. The website has huge function problem, I tried different phones and computers. When contacting them they just told me to retry what I had already done. They gave me no information and I found them to be useless and rude. We will be going elsewhere. read more

In June 2011 I took my wife on a birthday trip and took a private jet to Charlottesville VA, for the Patricia Kluge auction. We had a great time had a great lunch and bought several items at auction. One was a supposed Chinese Export Table , 19th Century Qing Dynasty. I paid $32,500 with the hammer price. It stood in ouR hallway for 10 years until we gave it Christies to auction. At that time they quoted me a $4000 Minimum bid. There reasoning was that it was 20th century Japanese table top with Chinese cabinet legs. I tried for 6 months to have Ms. Christina Prescott-Walker come to my home or send someone to take a look and prove to me the it is what they said it was. After 4 emails of being told she would attend to my issue, no one ever showed up. Her recent excuse was that there were no shippers during Covid. That was a lie since I know Locksons transporters who are a bonded firm came to my home 2x during the pandemic to pick items up for Christie's. She then had the AUDACITY to tell me they are only liable for 5 years from date of sale. So I bought a supposed Qing Dynasty 200 year old desk for $32,500 and 10 years later it is Japanese 20th century and worth $4,000. WOW THE MAGIC OF SOTHEBYS!!! read more

Happily, Sotheby's seems to have upgraded its auction viewings. The curators seem to have made a good effort to class-up the rooms where the art objects are shown. While it used to be that only the 10th floor had any design flair, the 2nd through the 6th floors looked very good today- almost up to Christie's standards. read more

What do you do when you run out of contemporary art to see at major museums and galleries? Head to the Upper East Side and check out Sotheby's! I've been saving this one for a while and am so glad I did. It is an absolute hidden gem with a tremendous body of work to appreciate before they go in for auction. If you visit the auction house's website, you will notice that it provides minimal information regarding what is being exhibited at its NY headquarter; it does not even state clearly what time it opens. So mysterious and exclusive! A friend and I went there on a Saturday. I called to confirm the hours. The lady (of course with a British accent) on the phone had an extremely pleasant voice. Based on the website, there was only information about two small exhibitions, so we only accommodated an hour before its closing time. And boy, were we wrong!! This place was huge and I believe all of the six floors were all opened for different exhibitions to the public! Being crazy art enthusiasts, we felt like little kids going into a new toy store with unlimited supply of gadgets to play with! In the lobby, three huge cast iron Miró sculptures, BOOM! Then we headed to the tenth floor, a spacious and massive gallery of contemporary art comprised of paintings and sculptures by famous or less-known artists that continued on the third floor, BAM! The second floor gallery displayed their most recent items for auction. The sixth floor had a jewelry collection that was probably reserved for the UES fancy ladies. The lighting design and space layout were on point, not at all crowded. Visitors were limited. Knowing all this artwork each costing at least in tens of thousands of dollars, we were able to take pictures of everything! Security and staff were also super friendly and helpful. There was an outdoor café/restaurant on the top floor that looked like a good spot to chill. Unfortunately, we only had an hour and there was at least an afternoon of goodness to digest. We know we are definitely coming back, maybe to buy something! NY never ceases to surprise us! read more

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Came for a private event where they were showing the works to potential buyers. Usually you can view these works for free on other nights. The show space I saw was on the 10th floor, and they were serving champagne and hors d'oeuvres. The space, which consisted of 3 rooms, got crowded toward the end. It was pleasant, although there is nothing I can buy at this point in my life. Paintings can run you $20 million. It is a chance to see private art collections when usually you can only see public ones at the museums. I suggest checking out an auction, as I've heard it's quite an experience. read more

Sotheby's - Auction Houses Near Me - New York, New York

I bought a B&B Italia sectional couch from a Sotheby's subsidiary called Sotheby's Home. It was a 1973 Erasmo 3 piece couch that was supposed to be in leather and it is in a leatherlike vinyl, for $3375.00, that the seller recovered it in. They couldn't recognize the difference between real leather and vinyl and they won't take it back. I have been scammed by them and recommend no one buy from them and pass the work that they sell fake stuff and don't know what they are doing. This is a disreputable business. read more

Sotheby's - 1973 B&B Italia couch recovered in vinyl!!!! - Auction Houses Near Me - New York, New York

This is such a great spot for a quick lunch or business meeting. Their coffee and food is delicious read more

Many people don't realize that Sotheby's and Christie's galleries are open to the public. For no cost, you can view some of the finest works of art across history. It's also a wonderful way to develop your palate for contemporary works of art by taking a look at estimates on works side-by-side. It can be intimidating to enter an auction house, but the standards for decorum are the same as what you would expect from any art gallery. The advantage of visiting an auction house is that not only can you experience works of high caliber and significant importance, but they also change all the time. There is a coat check on the ground floor to the left. There is also a cafe where you can sit and enjoy a cappuccino and a bite to eat. Don't feel out of place if you're not there to drop $4 Million on a painting; there is no expectation that you are there to buy. Enjoy the beautiful art on view... once it's purchased, it may go into a private collection for the next century! P.S. Shout out to the doorman who works the evening receptions. I have never felt so welcome walking through a door. He's the jolliest. read more

Out of the world! Attended a food tasting event by the art of food that benefit Presbyterian hospital few days ago. The room was filled with exotic people and live music(violinist). Not to mention that the food was well presented by great restaurants that matched every painting on the wall. My favorite restaurant of the night was IL mulino. The only drawback was the food stop serving at 9:1opm which is supposed to be 10pm. read more

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picture of the item on their website showing Blue pen. I received a Black pen. Sotheby's stating that in description it says that pen is made from Black Resin. But it's a metal pen.... so photo is inaccurate and description is wrong. Please be careful what you're ordering read more

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I put in an offer on one of their listed sale/auction items, Sotheby's sent me an email accepting my offer. When I attempted to purchase the item--I found out that they had sold it to someone else. I can't believe they can do this--agree to a sale and then cheat the buyer. Stacey--Sotheby's employee who explained how this happens via chat--told me they can sell anything to anyone at anytime--that they regularly commit to sell one item to multiple buyers and their only responsibility is to the seller--getting them the most money possible. Their business practice involves cheating and lying to the buyers for the sole benefit of the seller. Consider me a former buyer who will not go through this stressful and awful experience again. read more

I sent them a painting and they said they would auction it 6 months go by and still nothing I send them a message and they finally responded to me and say they can't auction it so they send me a bill for three times what it cost to ship it to them never again. read more

Terrible experience. Offered buyer terms without our approval that were not in accordance with the consignment agreement, making my family wait months for payment. Only by threatening did we finally collect. read more

Until recently, my auction experience beyond eBay was limited to watching bags of worthless electronic goods being palmed off to unsuspecting Londoners in Covent Garden, for little more than a quid and tuppence, in the familiar "going-going-gone" setting. I was therefore quite excited about going to Sotheby's for a live auction, with two fellow NYelpers -- Ahu S. and Nami Z. Picture the village bumpkin that is me, sandwiched between two well-attired socialites. Auctions are a curious mix of theater and game theory, making them equally interesting to casual observers as well as active participants. Whether you are bidding on a Dutch painting in an English auction or an English painting in a Dutch auction, there are some basics that you should master before registering for an all-powerful paddle that signals both your willingness to buy and your ability to pay. For one thing, bids could come from a variety of sources -- absentees, phone callers, or even that poker-faced guy in Lee dungarees, sitting right next to you, playing with his disheveled hair. You never know. Our auctioneer was English, and mechanically went about showcasing lot after lot, having them knocked down at well above their reserve prices, each time issuing a fair warning before bringing down the gavel in a final blow to the losing bidders. Be prepared to pay a buyer's premium of as much as 25% over the hammer price. Better still, run the numbers ahead of time, based on the auction estimates from the catalog. And before you leave for the event, pop in whatever it is from your medicine cabinet that would keep your emotions in check, since payment is expected right after the auction ends, and pleading that your check will be in the mail will not pass muster. When you visit Sotheby's for an auction, leave some time to check out their public exhibition of other items, typically open a week in advance of their live auction. And feel free to ask the specialists on hand any searching questions you might have. In summary, you have nothing to lose. Go experience the vicarious thrill of a live auction at Sotheby's. Nothing compares, except perhaps Christie's. Nami Z. Srini V. Ahu S. $10,000! ??? $11,000! () /o\ 'O' /o\ () \ // \\ /( . )\ // \\ / ||| ' | | | ' ||| ~---------------------- ' ' --------------- ' ' ---------------- ' ' ----------------------~ In the final tally, one star has to come off for making the auction so accessible to the likes of me, yet keeping the bidding well beyond my wallet's reach. read more

Very disappointed in Sotheby's Auction House. Several months ago via their website I submitted a rare and unique pair of Nike running shoes for evaluation and possible sale. I followed the submission guidelines to the letter. Their website states that I should have heard back within 7 days. I waited patiently for about a month and never heard back in any manner. I finally placed a call to their office. They acknowledged receiving my submission and explained that the next sneaker auction will be in February 2020. Was told that someone would get back to me in a few weeks. Once again the time passed without any communication from Sotheby's. I placed several more phone calls over a period of a few weeks and was basically given the run around. Left messages as well as being told that an email was created during a phone call and sent to the proper person. I still have not heard a word from Sotheby's. Their website states that I should have heard from them within 7 days unless an outside expert needed to be consulted. But it has been at least 3 months or more since my submission. The website also states that if they are not interested in an item they will inform the person and possibly suggest alternative venues that might be appropriate for that item. Have not heard anything at all from Sotheby's. read more

Sold a Cartier watch with Sotheby auction. The watch sold in beginning of November 2021. Payment was promised to be wired to my bank on December 21st. No wire came. After many e mails and telephone calls the money was finally wired to me on January 12, 2022. Dealing with Sotheby's as to the after sales follow up was horrible. read more

Forget MOMA or Christie's (apologies to my former Chelsea Antiques Building colleagues that work there)... I *heart* Sotheby's. A friend and I were walking up First Avenue on a lazy Saturday afternoon, and he mentioned that there's no charge to walk through a preview/exhibition of items to be auctioned at Sotheby's. It was one of those impromptu opportunities --- and it turned out to be so much fun. We noticed that there were hardly any tourists (the crowd looked pretty distinguished -- looked like there were some serious buyers staking their claims). The art showcased was amazing -- Picasso, Dufy, Miro, Dali, Chagall. I love the layout of the space, the architecture and the opportunity to see some amazing pieces of art that will likely end up going to the private collection of some wealthy family's residence. The cafe on the 10th floor is pretty lovely, too. Illy coffee -- prices cheaper than Starbucks, nothing too outrageous. There's even an outdoor terrace. The best part of an afternoon at Sotheby's --- it's FREE! read more

Don't waste your time. The so called experts are not correct in their evaluation. They don't give you the time of day unless they know you. read more

If you're looking for a cup of coffee and a quiet respite while waiting for a patient in surgery at a nearby hospital, then St. Ambrose on the 10th Flr of Sotheby's', is your place. Not open til 9am...but lovely pastries and an outdoor terrace to spend some time outside. read more

Sotheby's - The chocolate croissant - Auction Houses Near Me - New York, New York

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My husband & I are often in the City because we have a timeshare at The Manhattan Club; so we look for different things to do and neighborhoods to explore. I bought a book, "The Best Things to Do in New York" by Caitlin Leffel & Jacob Lehman (awesome book, by the way!) which recommended going to Sotheby's to visit their exhibits of soon-to-be-auctioned items in their galleries, so we went today. It's amazing! It's FREE! We were welcomed by a very gracious reception host, who gave us a great description of what to see in what galleries, and then handed us 2 coupons for free coffees in their café. It was SO cool to see incredible art that will soon be in the homes of private collectors. On display today were Impressionists and important modern art that will be auctioned in London in early Feb. There was a Miro that had a planned price of $15-20 MILLION!! There was an exhibit of fine embroidery by 18th century schoolgirls, really interesting to me as an educator at the CT Historical Society, and we also saw the sword carried by George Washington for the first half of the Revolution, other fascinating swords, and the very first Talmud ever published in printed (not handwritten) form, 16th century. By the way, Sotheby's also has it's own diamond jewelry boutique, selling it's own jewelry designs in diamonds coming directly from the mines to their designers. The lowest price item was $30K. Wow!!! We liked the café, too, on the 10th floor, where we had our complimentary coffee at the end of our visit. read more

I worked with Elizabeth Goodridge, at Sotheby's to sell a painting. Liz was very professional and a good communicator and I would work with her again. I think Sotheby's is a top auction house with professional people. read more

Awesome and overwhelming. Exceeded my expectations. I have bid online, but never stepped foot in the place until my recent NY trip. Worth a trip to check out this iconic place and to tour upcoming auction items when they allow. Its totally cool and a surreal experience. I think the best part for me and something I was not aware of is that they have a wine store in the lobby where you can buy some incredible and hard to find supper quality wines. I could have spent all day in the wine store alone had I known it was there. If you love buying wine, put this on your list to visit. read more

Sotheby's art and antique previews are always an education. Staff are very well-versed, and on-point in their fields, and enjoy sharing their knowledge and expertise with visitors. "Important jewelry" previews are a true "swoon fest!" Even if you're not bidding, it's nice, and free to look. There's a nice cafe, with great coffee, on the 10th floor. read more