How to track auction calendars across multiple houses

Start with the calendar problem, not the catalogue

Most collectors begin with a house newsletter, then add saved searches, private-sale emails, specialist alerts and WhatsApp notes from advisers. That works until the same sale appears three times and another sale disappears entirely because it came from a smaller regional room.

A cleaner system separates discovery from bidding. Discovery asks what is coming up, when, where, and in which field. Bidding belongs later, on the auction house catalogue page, once the sale is worth proper research.

Use three views: house, field and region

The house view is best for auctioneers you already trust: Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, Phillips, Drouot, Heritage, Dorotheum and the regional rooms you follow closely.

The field view is better when you are comparing objects. Jewellery, watches, wine, Asian art and modern art often cluster across houses in the same week. The regional view matters when viewing windows, shipping, time zones or local salerooms decide whether a sale is practical.

Keep a weekly review rhythm

A Monday calendar pass is enough for most collectors. Open the week ahead, mark the sales that deserve attention, and leave detailed lot research for the house catalogue. This keeps the calendar useful without turning it into another inbox.

HammerAlert's weekly insight follows that pattern: a short editorial read from the live calendar, then links into the house and category pages where the work can continue.

Common questions