How to Bid

Register to Bid

You can register to bid online or in person by creating an account and providing a government-issued proof of identity. A bank reference may be required to increase your bid limit. For additional information or questions, please contact our Bids Department at 212-427-4141, ext 242.

Once you have an account, you can register for sales in advance online or in person.

You are able to place your bids in the methods outlined below.

Live Auctions

BidLive!
You can bid in real-time on your computer or mobile device. Doyle’s online bidding platform has live streaming video of the auction to bring the excitement of the saleroom right to you. You can bid in the sale from anywhere in the world.

Telephone
Clients unable to attend the sale may still participate live at the auction by bidding on the telephone with a trained staff member. Please note that we reserve telephone bidding for lots with a minimum estimate of at least $2,000. The completed and signed bid forms must be received by Doyle no later than 4 pm (EST) on the evening before the auction. You must arrange telephone bids before the day of the sale. Download the telephone bid form here.

Doyle does not guarantee that remote phone bidding will be uninterrupted or without error. Overseas bidders and clients bidding from a cell phone are encouraged to leave a safety bid which will function as an absentee bid should the call fail.

Absentee
Absentee Bids, also known as left bids or order bids, work the same as if you were in the salesroom bidding up to a predetermined price limit, except that you give Doyle a confidential price limit. Our auctioneer will bid on your behalf alternately against other bidders until the bidding ends. If the other bidders drop out before reaching the maximum amount of your left bid, you will purchase the lot at the next increment.

Two Ways to Submit Absentee Bids:

• Buyers may conveniently place absentee bids through our online catalogues. Internet absentee bids may be submitted until 8 am (EST) on the morning of the sale. First-time Internet bidders must register before bidding. This process can take up to 24 hours. 
• Doyle offers the option of leaving Absentee Bids with our Client Services department during our exhibition or by fax at 212-369-0892. The completed and signed bid forms must be received by Doyle no later than 5 pm (EST) on the evening before the auction.

In Person
Doyle’s saleroom may be open to in-person bidding for certain sales. Please check the auction details page to determine whether Doyle’s saleroom is open to bidders for a specific sale. 

How to Bid in Timed Auctions

Doyle’s timed auctions are online-only, meaning browsing, bidding and buying take place exclusively online. Sales are open to bidding for a fixed period, after which the timed sales end in a soft close. Important notes on timed auctions are outlined below:

• If you place a bid within three minutes of the lot closing, an additional three minutes will be added to the designated closing time. 
• If you enter a maximum bid, Doyle will execute your bid at the lowest possible amount, as determined by competing bids. If two or more bidders leave identical bids, the first bid will take precedence. 
• Due to the structure of timed auctions, you cannot cancel a bid once you submit it. Doyle uses predetermined bidding increments for live and timed sales – please refer to the Terms & Conditions for more information.