How to sell works of art at auctions

Our qualified team guides you through the entire sales process. Our team is made up of the best art historians, conservators, and experts with many years of work experience in the art market. Thanks to this, you can be confident that your items are under the care of the most experienced specialists. As the largest auction house in Poland, we have been dealing with professional estimates and sale of artworks for years. We guarantee safety and full professionalism at every stage of the sale process.

We are the largest and most dynamically developing auction house not only in Poland but also in Central and Eastern Europe. The most important sales records on the Polish art market were broken at our auctions.

We organize the largest number of auctions in Poland - over 200 a year in all the most important sectors - successfully selling almost 7,500 items per year. We are the leader in live auctions, online auctions, and private selling. Thanks to the possibility of selecting the most suitable sales platform, your work will achieve the highest price.

In order to submit your item and receive a preliminary estimate of its value, please send us basic information and images of your item via:

• estimate form on our website
• email address: wyceny@desa.pl  
• by post - send images and information to the following address: Biuro Obsługi Klienta DESA Unicum, Piękna 1A, 00-477 Warszawa 
• via DESA Unicum mobile application available in the Appstore and Play Store
• in person - bring the item to the Customer Service, open from Monday to Friday 11 to 19 and on Saturday 11 to 16.

You do not pay anything for the preliminary estimate of your item, what's more - you do not even have to leave the house to get it!

We accept artistically valuable paintings, sculptures, jewelry, photography, handicraft works, porcelain, silverware, posters, original drawings, prints, artistic photographs, as well as other antique and unique items that may be of interest to collectors. 

Our experts will contact you within a few days of sending your request. If we see the prospect of selling your item through DESA Unicum, we will ask you to deliver it after the preliminary estimate. If necessary, we will help in organizing transport. 

We do not provide estimates or additional information if we do not see the possibility of selling your item.

After the item is delivered to our headquarters, it will undergo professional valuation. During the Evaluation Commission, a group of our experts carefully checks and confirms the authenticity of the work and determines its market value. On its basis, the estimate is made. 

Valuation is free of charge as part of the sales process. Even if you choose not to sell the item through us, you will not be charged any costs related to the valuation. 

While your item is examined by the commission in order to qualify it for auction, it remains securely stored and insured for the amount specified in the deposit document. Thanks to this, we guarantee full protection of your item during the process of preparing it for the auction. 
 

If the condition of your item is not good enough, we will advise you on additional services that will help restore its shape. We provide assistance in conservation, restoration, and changing the frame of your painting, as well as renovation of sculptures and handicraft works. We make sure that the item is put up for sale in the best possible condition as it increases the chances of selling it for the most attractive price. If we recommend renovating or replacing the frame of your item, we encourage you to take advantage of our help and advice. The fees for all additional services are charged after the sale or upon picking up the item. Each step of renovation and conservation will be consulted with you individually.
 

When delivering a painting to DESA Unicum, do not remove the frames, clean it on your own, scratch the exhibition and auction labels on the reverse. Do not glue broken sculptures or porcelain together yourself, silverware does not need to be cleaned. Each item should be delivered in its original condition. If necessary, our specialists will take care of cleaning or maintenance upon your consent.

We will gladly accept unframed works such as drawings, graphic works, and photos for valuation. If qualified for sale, they will usually require framing. This service can be commissioned and performed with our assistance. 
 

In order to provide even more comfortable and safe sale process for each work of art, we offer the possibility of meeting with our specialists in selected cities throughout Poland. You can check the current travel schedule of our experts below:

February 2022

•    02.02, Wendesday – Cracow
•    09.02, Wendesday – Wroclaw/Lower Silesia
•    16.02, Wendesday – Cracow
•    23.02, Wendesday – Gdansk

March 2022

•    02.03, Wendesday – Cracow
•    09.03, Wendesday – Bydgoszcz/Torun
•    16.03, Wendesday  – Cracow
•    23.03, Wendesday – Poznan
•    30.03, Wendesday – Cracow

April 2022

•    06.04, Wendesday  – Szczecin
•    13.04, Wendesday – Cracow
•    20.04, Wendesday – Katowice/Upper Silesia
•    27.04, Wendesday – Cracow

May 2022

•    04.05, Wendesday – Gdansk
•    11.05, Wendesday – Cracow
•    18.05, Wendesday – Wroclaw/Lower Silesia
•    25.05, Wendesday – Cracow

June 2022

•    01.06, Wendesday – Poznan
•    08.06, Wendesday – Cracow
•    15.06, Wendesday – Katowice/Upper Silesia
•    22.06, Wendesday – Cracow
•    29.06, Wendesday – Gdansk

In order to book a meeting with Joanna Tarnawska, Expert of the Assessment and Valuation Committee, please contact us by phone (+48 698 666 189) or e-mail address (j.tarnawska@desa.pl). 
 

After the valuation, we will contact you to provide you with the results of the examination and agree on the terms of sale. After that, we will draw up the Commission Agreement. You can sign it in person, at our headquarters, via e-mail or by post, as well as using e-signature. After signing the commission contract, the item is ready to be auctioned.
 

Your property will be auctioned at a public auction. It will be sold to the bidder who offers the highest price accepted by the auctioneer. The sale will be subject to the Auction Sales Terms and Conditions.

On the day of the auction, you can follow the course of the bidding in person at DESA Unicum headquarters or follow the auction in real time via the Internet.
 

Your property will be auctioned at an online-only auction, via the bid.desa.pl platform or the DESA Unicum mobile application available in the Appstore and Play Store. It will be sold to the bidder who offers the highest price until the end of the auction.

Your property will be sold outside the auction, in a discreet, non-public transaction directly between you and the buyer, for the amount compliant with the Terms and Conditions, independently of the auction calendar.

Payment for the sold item is made by bank transfer within 28 days from the auction date, provided that the buyer has fully paid for the item. Payment is made in PLN to the given account unless another payment method was agreed. If payment in a different currency is required, the costs of purchasing and paying in that currency will be covered by the customer. We will inform you about sending the payment via e-mail.