Selling at Auction

SEEKING QUALITY CONSIGNMENTS FROM INDIVIDUALS, ESTATES, PRIVATE COLLECTIONS, BUSINESSES, TRUSTS, MUSEUMS, UNIVERSITIES

Antiques and Decorative Arts • Fine, Folk and Self-Taught Art • Chinese and Asian Arts • Ancient and Ethnographic Arts • Antique Carpets and Textiles • Americana • Modern Design • Fine Books and Manuscripts • Jewelry, Silver and Objects de Vertu

Always Seeking Quality Consignments

Click to Browse Our Virtual Consignment Brochure

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, competitive rate which takes into account our shared goal of reaching the strongest, most robust markets for your property; there are no additional charges or fees for photography, marketing, internet listings, insurance, etc.

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 50,000 square feet of naturally-lit space, are housed in the historic landmark Atwater Kent Radio Factory Building.

Consigning Made Easy

Auction Estimates: First, we need to learn about the items you wish to sell to determine which of our upcoming auctions would be the best match for them, and to provide you with an auction estimate. This assessment is free-of-charge and confidential. We can review your objects in a number of ways:

Photographs: An easy first step is to submit photographs, including any information you can provide regarding the dimensions, condition or markings, media, and provenance, which are often important factors in determining the object’s value. This will help us make our assessment, though our estimate may change on first-hand examination.

Options to submit photographs:
1. Upload photographs to our website by clicking this link: https://materialculture.com/auctions/consignments/
2. Via email to expert@materialculture.com
3. Via US Postal Service or other delivery method to:
Material Culture Auctions
Att: Expert
4700 Wissahickon Ave., Suite 101
Philadelphia, PA 19144
Tel: (215) 438–4700

Call Us: If you would prefer, you can also call us at (215) 438–4700 to discuss the details of the objects you would like to sell. Please explain to the receptionist that you have an item you would like to sell at auction, and you will be forwarded to the appropriate specialist.

Visit Us: Examining an object in person allows us to give you the most informed auction estimate. If you would like to make an appointment to meet with us to estimate the value of your auction item, email expert@materialculture.com, or call us at (215) 438–4700, with a date and time of your preference.

In-Home Visit: If you are seeking to auction off an entire estate, an extensive collection, or a large item with limited mobility, a specialist can be made available to travel to your location to make an assessment.

Transportation: If you are unable to transport or ship the items yourself, email us at expert@materialculture.com, or call us at (215) 438–4700, and we will work with you to find a solution.