Selling with Hotlotz is a straightforward and simple process.
As the only auction house holding regular sales across multiple categories in Singapore, we combine local knowledge and valuation expertise with online bidding and international marketing. For more information about what we sell and how we market our auctions, please click on the links.
We are delighted to welcome experienced sellers as well as sellers who are new to auctions or who may have previously found working with auctioneers intimidating.
We hold a wide range of auctions throughout the year and will advise on the best sale category for your item. We also hold Home Contents and Private Collection sales and sales for Estates and Businesses.
Our friendly, experienced valuers can be contacted in the first instance by telephone on (+65) 6254 7616 or by email at hello@hotlotz.com. Follow up meetings may be scheduled in our saleroom or at your home or office, where necessary.
If you have up to six items, of the kind we typically sell, you may also use our online sell with us valuation service to request a free appraisal by our valuers. You will need to create an online Hotlotz account to access this form, which takes a minute or two to complete.
Once we have determined that your item is suitable for auction we will ask you to create an online Hotlotz account, if you have not already done so.
We physically ‘take in’ every item we sell, so that it can be valued, catalogued and photographed, and then exhibited in our saleroom prior to the auction. If you need assistance with transporting items to our saleroom we can provide you with a quote from our trusted, cost effective suppliers.
Our valuers will provide you with an auction valuation. This includes an estimated selling price range (the ‘low to high estimate’) and an opening bid amount (the ‘reserve’), which is also the lowest or minimum price that the item can be sold for. Once agreed with you, these are published in our auction catalogues.
Valuations are based on our experience and on other factors including auction records for similar items, condition, rarity, certification and available provenance.
Due to the competitive nature of auctions, setting opening bid amounts which are as attractive as possible to buyers is recommended as this usually generates more bidding, leading to higher sale prices.
We will email you a link when your sales contract is ready to be reviewed and e-signed.
The sales contract is a record of our agreement with you and includes the item’s description, the auction that the item is being offered for sale in, the estimated selling price range (the ‘low to high estimate’), the opening bid amount (the ’reserve’), our seller’s commission rate and any other applicable fees, and your instructions if the item is unsold.
If you are a new client we may also ask you to provide additional identity information in your Hotlotz account to comply with our AML (anti-money laundering) and KYC (know your customer) policies.
Copies of your signed sales contracts are filed in your Hotlotz account.
All of our auctions are advertised on thesaleroom.com. Selected sales also take place on liveauctioneers.com. These partner bidding platforms are trusted by collectors and dealers across the globe and receive over 7 million visits per month.
We also use electronic direct mail, platforms such as Google, Facebook and Instagram and newspaper and trade publication advertising. In addition, we adopt specific marketing campaigns for particular auctions.
The day following the auction for your items, you will receive an email notifying you whether (or not) the items sold and the closing bid prices achieved.
Once we have received payment for your item from the buyer, we will send the settlement payment to your bank account. We aim to do so within 21 working days of the sale date.
You will receive an email notifying you that the bank transfer has taken place. A settlement statement will be sent with the notification and a copy will also be filed in your Hotlotz account.
Please ensure that you have provided up-to-date bank account details in your Hotlotz account and note that we can only make settlement payments to the individual or organisation that is named as the registered seller on the sales contract.
We will follow the instructions given by you and recorded in your sales contract for any unsold items, which may include offering the item for sale at a fixed price in the marketplace, re-offering it in another auction, or contacting you to collect your item.
Our fees are simple and transparent. Items are accepted with no upfront fees, so there is no cost to you unless an item is sold and we are highly motivated to deliver the best possible results.
We charge seller’s commission:
- For auction items, at the percentage rate we agree with you and record in your sales contract.
- For items sold in the marketplace, at a uniform rate of 21.8% (including GST).
- In any event, at the rate of $45.00 (including GST) as a minimum amount. This is to cover our costs of sale, in case the % fee ends up being lower and therefore does not cover our costs.
- Which applies to each lot and includes all valuation, cataloguing, photography, and marketing costs.
We charge a uniform insurance fee of 1.64% (including GST) on all sold lots (whether at auction or in the marketplace), unless you provide us with evidence you have satisfactory insurance in place and you sign a liability waiver.
We charge a withdrawal fee of $60.00 (including GST) on any lot that is withdrawn from sale (at auction or in the marketplace), or listed for sale with another auction business, after you have signed your sales contract. If the item is so withdrawn or listed after the relevant auction catalogue has been published, an additional amount of 20% of the low estimate amount for the item specified in your sales contract will apply. This fee will be invoiced and must be paid before you collect your item.
All sales in Singapore are generally subject to GST, which is the buyer’s responsibility. To meet price display rules, the price of each item has to have that GST applied and the GST has to be included in the auction ‘closing bid’ price or marketplace ‘buy now’ price.
The price of the item will therefore be less than the auction ‘closing bid’ price or marketplace ‘buy now’ price once that GST is removed. This GST exclusive price is the amount we settle to the seller for the item, after deductions for our commission and fees. The seller’s commission and insurance fees that we charge are calculated on the GST exclusive price.
Where a seller has agreed to be named, Hotlotz may not have to charge GST on the item – in which case the buyer will still pay the auction 'closing bid' price or marketplace 'buy now' price and the seller may need to account for the GST. In this case, Hotlotz will settle the full amount of the auction 'closing bid' price or marketplace 'buy now' price to the seller for the item, after deductions for any commission and fees. The commission and fees that Hotlotz charges are calculated on the full amount of the auction 'closing bid price' or marketplace 'buy now' price.
Our commission and fees are also subject to GST, which is the seller’s responsibility.
We are committed to providing a fully transparent experience so after every sale we publish the auction results on our website.
Newcomers might also find it helpful to read our glossary of auction terms and our FAQs.
Our Terms and Conditions also apply.