Even when you’re constantly on the move, whether traveling for business or pleasure, you want to find something unique and personal for your space. If you’re looking to buy a special retro lamp for your new home or a cool piece for the rented space – whether it’s a piece of art, vintage furniture, (or even a retro car) — online auctions are the perfect place to start. That’s what Catawiki is here for.
We stumbled upon Catawiki here at LocalsInsider while searching for cool design shops and online marketplaces online. This internet platform showcases cool, rare items and lets you bid on one-of-a-kind pieces, from art and antiques to watches and cars, all in one app.
The catch? The price is set by the seller, and you’ll need to meet their expectations to win the bid. Bid too low, and you’ll likely lose out, but with hundreds of items in categories like jewelry, art, stamps, interiors, and even wine, there’s always something interesting to discover.
As we said, Catawiki is an online marketplace for collectibles, ranging from vintage comic books to luxury watches. But how does it work? What fees can you expect? And are there any alternatives?
What is Catawiki?
Established in 2008 by Rene Schoenmakers and Marco Jansen, Catawiki (its name derives from ‘catalog’ and ‘wiki’) is a leading online auction platform for buying and selling collectibles, special items, and art.
Schoenmakers is a prolific comic collector and saw a gap in the market for a reputable online marketplace to buy and sell vintage comics. After humble beginnings, Catawiki has expanded to offer lots of different items, including watches, jewelry, fashion, coins, stamps, cars, and wines.
Catawiki is a little like eBay, but for collectibles and high-value pieces, rather than everyday items. Anyone can buy and sell on the platform.
If you want to sell, you sign up for free, submit a detailed description and photos of your items, and wait for them to be evaluated by in-house experts (there are hundreds of Catawiki experts across various disciplines to ensure authenticity).
You then need to decide on the starting price for your item if you put it up for auction. Most items start at €1, but you may also begin at 50% of the reserve price, if you’re selling a particularly high-value collectible (must be valued at €200 ($235) or more).
Buying is also simple. Create your account and start bidding on any item that takes your fancy. There’s a handy option to set a max bid to stay clear of the competition automatically, until your max amount is reached.
Some items also have a ‘buy-it-now’ option, which you can offer to remove the bid from the auction.
What Can You Buy & Sell on the Site?
Though it started life primarily as a platform for collectible comics, Catawiki now auctions thousands of different high-value items every week, including:
- Art (including digital art collections)
- Interiors
- Jewelry and watches
- Coins, stamps, comics, & trading cards
- Cars & bikes
- Wine & spirits
- Toys, models, & sporting items
- Books, history, music, & camera items
- Specialty items (Asian & tribal, archaeology, etc.)
Catawiki Fees: How the Site Makes Money
You don’t pay anything to join Catawiki. Everyone is eligible for a free account, and the sign-up process takes a few seconds.
The site makes money through upfront fees. Buyers pay a 9% commission plus a fixed 3% fee for buyer protection. Sellers are charged a 12.5% commission and an additional fixed amount (unspecified), excluding VAT. Shipping costs are paid by the buyer in addition to the purchase price and can be arranged independently.
Crucially, Catawiki holds the money that you pay for an item until you receive it and have verified that you’re happy with it, based on the description given.
Is Catawiki Legit? Reviews & Ratings
Catawiki isn’t the only online auction platform, but it’s one of the most trusted and highly rated marketplaces for collectibles. It has a 4.4/5.0 rating from 131,765+ reviews on Trustpilot. The mobile app is also highly regarded, with a score of 4.7/5.0 (3,800+ ratings) on Apple and 4.5/5.0 (14,600+ ratings) on Google Play.
The majority of reviewers agree that Catawiki is safe and that its customer service is great, should any issues arise.
One major thing that stands out after reading between the lines is the fee transparency. While a little high at 9% for the buyer and 12.5% for the seller, reviewers tend to agree that, because Catawiki is upfront about this, with no hidden fees, it’s fair, and can easily be budgeted for when deciding how much to pay for an item.
Trustpilot Review: “I’ve already bought quite a few things on Catawiki and haven’t had any bad experiences at all – quite the opposite. Beautiful, high-quality items that would normally cost several times as much, bought at a great price.” Nikolas Hunsturfer.
Alternatives to Catawiki? Artsy, Auctionet & LiveAuctioneers
Catawiki is one of the top-rated auction sites for collectibles and high-value objects, but there are a few others to consider.
Auctionet is the main one, as it’s a very similar concept to Catawiki. The main difference is that Auctionet partners with dozens of auction houses, mostly in Europe, to present a range of collectibles and high-value items.
Like Catawiki, Auctionet charges buyer and seller fees, but they vary by auction house and aren’t flat like those at Catawiki.
You can also check out LiveAuctioneers as an alternative online marketplace. It primarily focuses on luxury watches, art, and fine jewelry, and isn’t as broad as Catawiki. But, like Auctionet, it brings you collectibles from auctioneers like Doyle, Freeman’s, and Bonhams, rather than independent sellers.
Another place to buy modern art and objects by real artists around the world online that we like is Artsy.
