Auction glossary
Pre-sale viewing
Also known as · Viewing · Pre-sale exhibition · Preview
- Definition
- 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.
Viewing is when many bidding decisions are made: clients inspect condition, ask for condition reports, leave absentee bids and book phone lines. For small, high-value objects such as coins or jewellery, viewing is often by appointment. Staff should be able to answer questions and register bids on the spot, which is easier when the catalogue, the bids and the client records live in the same system.
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