What Fellowes does

Fellows Auctioneers Limited is a privately-held UK auction house founded in Birmingham in 1876, operating from a headquarters at Augusta House in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter and a regional London office at 29 Charles Street, Mayfair (opened 2018). The firm runs approximately 150 live and timed auctions per year across 14 specialist departments covering fine and antique jewellery, modern jewellery, loose gemstones (diamonds, coloured stones), luxury watches from brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, designer handbags and sneakers, silver and plated ware, coins and banknotes, clocks and barometers, decorative art, fine art and prints, furniture and rugs, medals, toys and collectables, single-owner collections, and pawnbroker disposals. The platform is anchored by the proprietary Fellows Live system, which enables real-time online bidding with live audio and video streaming, supports timed auctions of roughly two weeks in duration with automatic bid-extension logic, and is integrated with a My Fellows customer account portal that handles bidding, lot alerts, and consignment tracking.

Fellows' commercial model is transaction-based. It charges buyers a tiered buyer's premium (25% + VAT up to £100,000 of hammer price, 15% + VAT above) and sellers a 15% commission plus a £10 per-lot marketing fee and a 1.5% loss/liability charge, with no additional online bidding surcharge through Fellows Live. Free in-person and virtual valuations in Birmingham and London serve as the top-of-funnel for consignment. Customers are dual-sided — individual luxury collectors and enthusiasts (buyers) and private sellers, estate/family collections, and pawnbroking firms (sellers) — and bidding can be in-person at the saleroom, by telephone, via website absentee bids, or via Fellows Live.

The technology surface is dominated by the proprietary bidding platform rather than AI or data services; specialist teams of qualified gemmologists and horologists provide authentication and cataloguing, with an EXA machine supporting the Gemstone Department's diamond analysis. In September 2025 the firm changed ownership, with the Whittaker family selling to a new owner and Robin Hereford joining as Chairman, marking the end of multi-generational family operation.

Name

Fellowes

Legal name

Fellows Auctioneers Limited

Website

https://fellows.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1876

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Fellows is a UK private auction house (founded 1876, Birmingham) running ~150 specialist auctions a year across 14 categories including jewellery, watches, handbags, gemstones, silver, coins, art, and collectables. It serves individual collectors, private sellers, estates, and pawnbrokers through a proprietary Fellows Live online bidding platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Auction Services

akta.pro primary industry

Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry) (CRAKAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Luxury auction services
• Jewellery auctions
• Watch auctions
• Antique auctions
• Free valuations

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Buyer's Premium: Commission charged to buyers on hammer price. On first £100,000: 25% plus VAT (or 30% inclusive of VAT). On excess over £100,001: 15% plus VAT (or 18% inclusive of VAT).
2. Seller's Commission: Commission charged to sellers on hammer price. Standard seller's commission is 15% plus VAT, plus marketing fee of £10 plus VAT per lot, plus loss/liability charge of 1.5% plus VAT per lot.
3. Auction Services: Full-service auction house offering valuations, catalogue production, marketing, bidding platforms, and shipping services. Revenue derived from transaction-based fees on both buyer and seller sides.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fellows is a UK auction house founded in 1876 that conducts approximately 150 live and timed auctions annually across 14 specialist departments covering jewellery, watches, designer handbags, gemstones, silverware, coins, clocks, decorative art, fine art, furniture, medals, and collectables. The firm operates a proprietary Fellows Live online bidding platform with live audio/video streaming alongside traditional in-person saleroom and telephone bidding, complemented by free specialist valuations and an integrated worldwide shipping service.

Product overview

Fellows operates as a specialist auction house with a multi-category marketplace platform. The core offering comprises approximately 150 timed and live auctions annually across 14 specialist departments covering jewellery, watches, handbags and fashion, gemstones, silver and plated ware, coins and banknotes, clocks and barometers, decorative art, fine art, furniture, medals, toys, and pawnbroking services. The platform is powered by the proprietary Fellows Live bidding system which enables real-time online participation alongside traditional in-person and telephone bidding. Supporting services include free valuations conducted by specialist teams in Birmingham and London, an integrated worldwide shipping service, and a customer portal (My Fellows account) for managing bids, consignments, and lot alerts. The auction categories function as distinct product lines, each with specialist teams providing authentication, cataloguing, and market expertise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fellows Live Online Bidding Platform Proprietary online bidding platform with live audio and video streaming that enables buyers worldwide to participate in real-time auctions remotely, including automatic bid placement up to maximum amounts and real-time status updates.
• Timed Auctions Extended-duration online auctions spanning approximately two weeks where bidders can place and revise bids, with automatic bid proxy functionality up to maximum amounts and 30-second auto-extension on final lots.
• Live Auctions Traditional auction format with live auctioneers conducted in-person at Birmingham or London salerooms, with options for telephone bidding and real-time online participation via Fellows Live.
• Valuation Services Free specialist valuations for jewellery, watches, and antiques conducted by qualified experts in Birmingham and London offices, available online, in-person, or via virtual appointments with no obligation to consign.
• In-House Shipping Service Integrated shipping service facilitating worldwide delivery of auction purchases, including free worldwide shipping for most items with insurance coverage.
• My Fellows Account Customer portal for managing bids, viewing auction archives, tracking consignments, setting keyword-based lot alerts, accessing invoices, and managing marketing preferences.
• Pawnbroking Auction Services Specialist auction services for pawnbroking firms facilitating the sale of unredeemed pledges with secure storage and comprehensive post-auction reporting.
• Private & Single Owner Collection Auctions Specialist service for discreet handling and auction of significant single-owner or estate collections with tailored marketing strategies reaching global collector audiences.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Christie's: Global auction house with deep luxury jewellery, watches, and art categories overlapping Fellows' core departments. Operates as a much larger incumbent with broader geographic reach and higher-ticket lots.
• Sotheby's: World's largest auction house with parallel specialist jewellery, watches, handbags, and decorative arts departments. Competes for the same consignor and bidder pool as Fellows, with stronger brand recognition in the high end.

Direct peers

• Bonhams: UK-founded international auction house with closely aligned specialist departments in jewellery, watches, and collectibles. Most comparable in scale and category mix to Fellows.
• Dreweatts: UK regional auction house with comparable multi-department structure including jewellery, watches, silver, and decorative arts. Direct competitor for mid-tier consignments in the UK market.
• Phillips Auctioneers: International auction house with particular strength in watches and contemporary luxury. Comparable bidder experience, proprietary online bidding, and similar category emphasis to Fellows.
• Heritage Auctions: US-headquartered multi-category auction house with strong watch, jewellery, and luxury accessories categories. Comparable online bidding platform and global consignor base.

Emerging players

• The RealReal: Online consignment marketplace focused on pre-owned luxury including watches, jewellery, and handbags. Competes for the same consignor pool with a lower-fee, higher-volume digital model.
• 1stDibs: Online marketplace connecting buyers and sellers of luxury furniture, jewellery, watches, and decorative art. Adjacent competitor capturing share in lower-ticket collectible categories.

Regional players

• Lyon & Turnbull: Edinburgh-based Scottish auction house with overlapping jewellery, watches, silver, and decorative art departments. UK regional competitor with similar mid-market positioning.
• Halls Fine Art: Shrewsbury-based UK auctioneer with comparable fine art, jewellery, and collectibles categories. Regional competitor for consignors in the Midlands and Welsh borders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fellowes