Keno Auctions

What Keno Auctions does

Keno Auctions is a privately-held, founder-owned full-service auction house headquartered on Manhattan's Upper East Side at 127 East 69th Street, founded in 2009 by antiques expert Leigh Keno. The firm conducts several major sales annually spanning 17th- through 21st-century fine and decorative arts — including paintings, American and European furniture, decorative arts, jewelry, Asian works of art, and specialty categories such as Americana and Folk Art — and has set multiple world records since inception. Distribution operates across four parallel bidding channels: live in-person auctions in New York, phone bidding via a live representative, absentee and maximum written bids, and live online streaming accessible globally via the firm's website, with additional reach through the LiveAuctioneers aggregator. The company also runs a formal Private Sales channel for discreet off-auction transactions and operates a wholly-owned adjacent subsidiary, Keno Art Advisory, which provides independent appraisal, collection management, and acquisition/disposition services.

Revenue is generated primarily through transaction-based auction commissions — a buyer's premium added to hammer price and a seller's commission deducted from net proceeds — with the manuscript auction disclosed showing a $730,000 hammer price expanding to a $912,500 total via buyer's premium (≈25%). Private sales contribute additional transaction fees, and Keno Art Advisory generates professional services fees from appraisal, brokerage, and collection management work. Pricing for auction estimates is free on submission of images, with estimates conditional on physical examination, and detailed estimates are not publicly disclosed. Customer segments include estate executors and fiduciary advisors, high-net-worth private collectors, museums and institutions (e.g., The Met, Colonial Williamsburg, Winterthur, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Morris-Jumel Mansion), and corporate clients.

Keno Auctions is sold primarily through enterprise field sales with direct outreach to consignors and personalized involvement of the founder on each major consignment. Marketing leans heavily on Leigh Keno's 20+ year tenure as an appraiser on PBS Antiques Roadshow, supplemented by owned YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter channels, email notifications, print and online auction catalogs, public previews, and earned media coverage in outlets including the New York Times and Artfixdaily. The firm is founder-operated without external institutional investment and operates from a single New York gallery with warehouse storage at the same site.

Name

Keno Auctions

Legal name

Keno Auctions

Website

https://kenoauctions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Keno Auctions is a privately-held, founder-owned New York-based auction house founded in 2009 by Leigh Keno that conducts several major annual sales of fine and decorative arts via live, phone, absentee, and online bidding, serving estate executors, HNW collectors, and museums, alongside an adjacent advisory subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Art Auction House Services

NAICS

Art Dealers (459920)

akta.pro primary industry

Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry) (CRAKAKAF)

Keywords

• Fine art auctions
• Antique furniture sales
• Art advisory services
• Private sale brokerage
• Auction appraisal services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Auction Commissions (Buyer's Premium): Standard auction house model where buyers pay a buyer's premium on top of hammer price. For the manuscript auction, buyer's premium brought total from $730,000 hammer price to $912,500 total sale.
2. Seller's Commissions: Consignor receives net proceeds after auction house deducts seller's commission from final sale price. Commission structure not publicly disclosed.
3. Private Sales: Discreet transactions outside auction setting for clients seeking privacy, immediacy, and flexibility. Uses vast network of clients to identify potential buyers for highest price.
4. Art Advisory and Brokerage Fees: Independent advisory services for collectors, corporations, executors, and not-for-profit organizations. Services include appraisals, collection management, acquisition assistance, and estate planning consultation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Keno Auctions is a premier full-service auction house founded in 2009 by Leigh Keno on Manhattan's Upper East Side, conducting live and online auctions of fine and decorative arts spanning the 17th through 21st centuries—paintings, furniture, decorative arts, jewelry, Asian works of art, and specialty categories. The firm supports in-person, phone, absentee, and live online bidding, and complements its auction business with private sale brokerage and a wholly owned subsidiary, Keno Art Advisory, that provides independent appraisals, collection management, and acquisition/disposition advice for collectors, estates, corporations, and not-for-profit institutions.

Product overview

Keno Auctions operates as a premier auction house platform offering fine and decorative arts, paintings, furniture, jewelry, and Asian works of art. The core offering is the Keno Auctions auction service, supplemented by Keno Art Advisory for independent art appraisal and collection management services. The company also offers a Bid Form for auction registration and manages shipping and payment processes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Keno Auctions Live Auction Services Premier full-service auction house offering fine art, paintings, furniture, decorative arts, Asian works of art, jewelry, and specialty categories for sale at live auction events held several times annually, accessible to in-person, phone, absentee, and live online bidders.
• Keno Art Advisory Independent art appraisal and advisory firm providing confidential appraisal services, collection management, conservation services, and assistance with acquisition or disposition of fine and decorative art, jewelry, and collectibles for collectors, corporations, executors, and not-for-profit organizations.
• Private Sale Brokerage Discreet sales conducted outside the public auction setting for clients seeking privacy, immediacy, and flexibility, leveraging the firm's international network to match consignors with qualified buyers and secure the highest price.

Quantifiable outcome

• First auction grossed just over $6,000,000 with first two years selling over $13 million in fine and decorative arts.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Keno Art AdvisorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Related company founded by Leigh Keno providing independent art advisory and brokerage services. Covers full range of services for collectors, corporations, executors and not-for-profit organizations. Provides confidential appraisal services, acquisition/disposition advice, collection management, and conservation services. Acts entirely on behalf of clients without inventory, offering unbiased assessments. Has more than 50 combined years of experience.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Phillips: Global auction house with contemporary and modern art focus; overlaps with Keno's Modern & Contemporary sale category and broader fine art auction model.
• Bonhams: International auction house with strong American decorative arts and Americana departments. Directly comparable specialty categories and consignment model.
• Sotheby's: Premier global auction house competing head-to-head with Christie's across fine and decorative arts categories, including Americana and jewelry — both of which Keno Auctions services.
• Christie's: The world's largest fine art auction house and former employer of Leigh Keno. Directly comparable full-service auction model for fine and decorative arts, but operates at vastly greater scale and global footprint.

Direct peers

• Heritage Auctions: Largest US-headquartered auction house specializing in Americana, collectibles, fine art, and decorative arts. Closest direct competitor in specialty American categories at greater scale.
• Hindman: US-headquartered auction house with strong fine art, Asian works, and decorative arts departments. Comparable mid-scale specialty auction model and client base.
• Wright Auctions: New York-based auction house with design, modern, and contemporary art focus. Comparable scale and Manhattan gallery model with overlapping buyer pools.
• Skinner Auctioneers: Massachusetts-based auction house with strong American furniture and decorative arts departments. Closely comparable specialty focus, mid-scale footprint, and Americana expertise.
• Freeman's: Philadelphia-headquartered auction house with deep American decorative arts and Americana expertise. Directly comparable specialty categories and consignment model.
• Doyle New York: Manhattan-based full-service auction house; former employer of Leigh Keno. Direct competitor in NYC fine and decorative arts auctions with overlapping consignment relationships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChE8D4FUAj-ruxICXe9wVKA
• Facebookfacebook.com/keno-auctions-owned-and-operated-by-leigh-keno-110818468969616
• Instagraminstagram.com/leigh_keno
• Xx.com/kenoauctions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/keno-auctions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Keno Auctions