Auctions

Material Culture has always believed that art—in the fullest sense—is for everyone, and aims to make participation in the auction business easier and more accessible to a wide spectrum of the public, for the convenience of the local community, and to the benefit of collectors and enthusiasts worldwide.

With over four decades of experience in the fields of art, decorative arts, antiques and collectibles from around the world, Material Culture brings a discerning eye and a careful hand to the marketing and selling of your property at public auction. We conduct many heavily-advertised theme, general estate, and single owner/estate auctions throughout the year, covering a vast and eclectic array of diverse material, periods, styles and price ranges.

Whether you are an individual or a business seeking to consign a single object, a collection, or an estate; or a museum seeking to de-accession items, our specialists and experienced staff will provide you with individualized attention and service through the entire auction process, from pre-assessment inspection to post-auction payment.

Material Culture provides auction consignors a transparent, no-surprises, low flat % rate which takes into account our shared goal of reaching the strongest, most competitive markets for your property; there are no additional charges or fees for photography, marketing, internet listings, insurance, etc.

The internet has leveled the global auction playing field: the times when it may have made sense to send items to New York or London are long gone!  All our auctions are accessible to an international audience through online platforms that inter-face in real time with the in-house sales.  Our auctions regularly attract thousands of online bidders from 50+ countries, and we place the highest priority on achieving the best results by reaching a global audience.

Our spacious auction and exhibition areas are among the finest in the country, and our central, convenient location in Philadelphia (just 11 minutes from the Philadelphia Art Museum, Center City and 30th Street Station) has free, unlimited parking 7 days a week, including easy access loading and unloading for every size vehicle and truck.  Material Culture’s exhibition galleries, nearly 15,000 square feet of naturally-lit space, are housed under the same roof as Material Culture’s 30,000+ square foot retail store and event space.