# Catalogue

> The publication that presents the lots of a sale in order, with lot numbers, descriptions, images, estimates and the conditions of sale. It exists in print, as a PDF and online, often on several platforms at once.

- URL: https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/catalogue
- Language: English
- Also known as: Sale catalogue, Auction catalogue
- Last updated: 2026-10-07
- Français: https://www.selloff.auction/fr/glossaire/catalogue-de-vente.md

## Definition

The publication that presents the lots of a sale in order, with lot numbers, descriptions, images, estimates and the conditions of sale. It exists in print, as a PDF and online, often on several platforms at once.

The catalogue is the auction house's main sales tool and a lasting reference: collectors and researchers consult old catalogues for decades. Producing it means describing and photographing the lots, ordering and numbering them, and laying out the printed version.

In Selloff, lots are assigned to a catalogue, ordered by rules or by hand, numbered and checked for errors. The catalogue can then be printed as a PDF, exported for InDesign, as Excel or as image files, and published online.

## Related features

- [Catalogue building & numbering](https://www.selloff.auction/features/catalogue-building.md): Assign lots to a sale, order them by category or any field, number them automatically or by scanning, and check the catalogue for errors before it goes live.
- [PDF catalogue generation](https://www.selloff.auction/features/pdf-catalogue.md): Produce a PDF catalogue straight from your lots, or export texts and images for InDesign and other layouts, with image sizes and grouping by category.
- [Online catalogue publishing](https://www.selloff.auction/features/online-catalogue-publishing.md): Publish catalogues on your own website through the Selloff API and WordPress plugin, with instant updates, online bidding, client accounts and platform exports.

## Related terms

- [Lot number](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/lot-number.md): The number under which a lot appears in a given sale catalogue and is called by the auctioneer. It follows the catalogue order and changes from one sale to another, unlike the lot's permanent inventory reference.
- [Lot](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/lot.md): An object or group of objects offered for sale as a single unit under one lot number. A lot is described, estimated and sold as a whole, for a single hammer price.
- [Conditions of sale](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/conditions-of-sale.md): The terms that govern an auction: buyer's premium, bid increments, payment deadlines, collection and shipping, liability for descriptions, and the rules for absentee, telephone and online bids. Bidders accept them when registering.
- [Pre-sale viewing](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/pre-sale-viewing.md): The period before an auction when the lots are on public display so that prospective bidders can examine them in person. Viewing times and location are published with the catalogue.