BidLots allows you to participate in auctions hosted by leading Canadian dealers in art, luxury items and collectibles.
Auctions are organized monthly based on category and hosting auction house or dealer. Every lot is inspected and catalogued by a specialist. Participating in our auctions just takes a few simple steps:
Creating a collector profile with BidLots is easy and secure. At a minimum a collector profile requires only a verified email address and basic contact details.
Note: All your information is private and secure. Any credit card or billing information added to your account is fully encrypted and never visible to BidLot staff or participating auction houses.
Every lot listing provides you the option to follow that individual lot or the artist/creator attributed to that item. When you are following items you will receive notifications when similar items are added to future auctions and advanced notification before an auction closes.
You are also provided with an enhanced real-time view of all items you are following, allowing you focus your bidding efforts on only the items you are interested in.
You will receive real-time updates and notifications during the entire scheduled auction. Notification are sent for the following events.
An item you are following is open for bidding.
A bid you have placed is accepted.
You have been outbid by a competing bidder.
An item you are following or bidding on is closing.
You were unsuccessful in winning a lot.
You were the successful high bidder on a lot.
To actively bid on an auction item you must first request a paddle number. A paddle number provides you with a unique ID number for every auction you are participating in ensuring your anonymity during the bidding process.
In most cases your paddle number will be instantly assigned when you have a verified email address and up-to-date billing profile. You may wish to register in advanced on an auction closing in case any assistance is required.
Every lot has it's own bidding schedule with a defined start and end time. When a lot is open for bidding you are provided with two ways to bid.
All bidding is done at pre-determined bidding increaments. The Current Bid Amount and the Next Bid Amount will be visible on all auction listings.
Place a single bid
Click the "Bid Now" button on any auction listing to place a bid at the next bidding increament. When you place a single bid you will see all real-time activity on the lot and choose when to place the next bid.
Place a maximum bid
You can place a maximum bid at any time during scheduled bidding. When you place a maximum bid your bid stays at the lowest bid amount required to keep you in the lead and only increases when another bidder places a competing bid. Automatic bidding will stop once your maximum bid has been reached.
Note: All lots follow a delayed closing schedule. When a bid is received in the final 5 mins of scheduled bidding, the closing time will be extended to 5 mins. This ensures that you will never miss an opportunity to place a new bid if you are outbid by a competing bidder.
After every lot has closed you will be able to review all of your bidding results from the "Bidding Results" section of your collector profile. Your "Bidding Results" section will show you items you successfully won as well as any items you were outbid on.
Note: You will NOT be automatically charged for the full amount on items you have won. In some cases a 10% deposit may be charged to secure your purchase. This is up to the discretion of the auctioneer.
After all lots in an auction have closed, the results will be verified by the auctioneer and shipping or payment instructions will be confirmed before a final invoice is provided.
Once you have received your final invoice payment can be made online or alternative payment arrangements can be coordinated withn the auctioneer.
Becoming an approved bidder takes three simple steps:
1. Create a Bid Lots account
2. Confirm your email address
3. Add a valid billing profile
Note: Bid Lots or the auctioneer reserves the right to revoke bidding privileges if your account is not in good standing or violates our terms and conditions of sale.
A buyer's premium is an additional fee charged to winning bidders, typically ranging from 10% to 20% of the winning bid amount. The specific premium for each auction is clearly displayed on lot listings and paddle registration forms.
Bidding starts at the reserve price and increases by predetermined increments based on the current bid range. These increments are clearly shown on each lot's detail page. All bids (including maximum and single bids) must follow these preset increments to prevent duplicate bids.
Single bid cancellations are at the auctioneer's discretion. For maximum bids:
You can increase your maximum bid amount
Decreases require auctioneer approval
Changes won't be permitted if the lot closes within 24 hours or has significant activity
To request bid changes, use the "Ask a question" button on the lot's detail page
You'll be notified of winning bids in three ways:
Email notification (or Text notification if enabled)
Listed on your "Bidding Results" page
Highlighted message on auction pages when logged in
Shipping options vary based on item size, weight, and location. You'll select shipping preferences during auction registration. The auctioneer will provide specific shipping quotes after auction close. For special shipping requirements, please contact the auctioneer before bidding.
After the auction closes, you'll receive a detailed invoice including shipping costs. Payment options include:
Credit card (online)
Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT)
Bank draft
International wire transfer
Note: Credit cards on file won't be charged automatically unless you've pre-authorized payments during auction registration.
We welcome consignments of Canadian and international artworks, rare collectibles, and memorabilia. Submit your items for review through our secure online platform.
Join our mailing list to receive updates on future auctions and events.