In short. Sotheby's adds a 28% buyer’s premium to the hammer price. The seller’s commission is not published — it is negotiated per consignment.
No house pays to appear here or to appear higher. What follows is what Sotheby's publishes, or has told us directly, with the date we last checked. It is not a recommendation, and nothing here is a view on what your cards are worth. We also buy cards ourselves; that has no bearing on anything written here.
The buyer's premium at Sotheby's is 28% of the hammer price. New York rate, and tiered rather than flat: 28% on hammer up to $2m, 22% from $2m to $8m, 15% above $8m. Effectively 28% for anything card-sized. London, Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore and Switzerland each run their own thresholds in local currency. Excludes local taxes and any artist resale right.
It is paid by the winning bidder, not by you — but bidders know it is coming, so it shapes what they are willing to bid.
Know roughly what is there first — which cards matter, and which are graded. Ask for the seller's commission in writing, ask whether anything else is charged (photography, insurance, return of unsold lots), and ask when you will be paid. Then ask at least one other house the same questions.
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