Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden OHG

What Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden OHG does

Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden OHG is a privately held German fine art and antiques auction house established in 2004 and headquartered at Bautzner Str. 99, Dresden. Structured as an OHG partnership owned by managing directors and licensed auctioneers Annekathrin Schmidt M.A. and James Schmidt, the firm conducts two to three numbered fine art auctions per year (Auktion 01 through Auktion 86 scheduled for November 2026), with Auction 85 (June 2026) cataloguing 697+ lots spanning 16th–21st century paintings, works on paper, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, porcelain, jewellery, and Asian art. Its curatorial differentiation lies in specialist coverage of Dresden Romantics, East German (Ostdeutsche) art, and Saxon/Silesian regional schools, supported by a seven-person in-house team of auctioneers, art historians (including a doctoral-level specialist), and a photographer.

The company operates a traditional auction model: consignors submit works via a documented Einlieferer-Leitfaden (minimum object value ~€400); the house handles insurance from acceptance, photography, and printed/online catalogue production; buyers participate through in-person bidding, written absentee bids, or telephone bidding (€200 minimum). Revenue is generated from a 25% buyer's premium inclusive of VAT, tiered consignor commissions (25%/15%/13% + VAT by estimate band), a €28 minimum cataloguing fee per lot, catalogue sales, and ancillary shipping/insurance services through DHL, DPD, and ARTIMA via Mannheimer. International shipping is offered to 90+ countries.

Technically, the company operates a standard website (schmidt-auktionen.de) with online catalogues, results pages, a public auction archive dating to 2004, and an email newsletter — there is no proprietary technology platform, no API, no mobile application, and no AI/ML capability. Distribution is exclusively direct: live auction sales at the Dresden premises, written/telephone remote bidding, and a two-month post-sale gallery (Nachverkauf). The firm has no subsidiaries, no external funding, no parent company, and no disclosed revenue figures; it functions as a stable, family-partnership regional auction house with a curatorial niche rather than a technology-enabled marketplace.

Name

Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden OHG

Legal name

Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden OHG

Website

https://schmidt-auktionen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden OHG is a Dresden-based German fine art and antiques auction house, founded 2004 as a partnership, conducting two to three numbered auctions annually with specialist focus on regional German art and a seven-person in-house team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Art Auction Services

NAICS

Art Dealers (459920), Used Merchandise Retailers (459510)

akta.pro primary industry

Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Fine art auctions
• Antique auction services
• Consignment auction house
• Art valuation services
• Regional art auctions

Headquarters

HQ city

Dresden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Buyer's Premium (Aufgeld): On the net hammer price, buyers pay a 25% buyer's premium inclusive of VAT (MwSt). For lots marked as regularly taxed (regelbesteuert), the VAT is applied to both the hammer price and the buyer's premium at 7% or 19% depending on the item category. Additionally, a droit de suite (Folgerecht) charge of 2.5% is levied for works by certain 20th-century artists, split equally between buyer and consignor.
2. Consignor Commission (Einlieferer-Provision): Commission charged to consignors on the net hammer or sale price, tiered by estimate: 25% + VAT on hammer prices up to €399; 15% + VAT on estimates up to €1,499; 13% + VAT on estimates from €1,500. A minimum cataloguing fee of €28 per lot applies. Folgerecht of 4% of the hammer price is charged by VG Bild-Kunst for eligible artists, half borne by the consignor.
3. Catalog Sales: Physical catalogues are available for order (Katalog bestellen), generating additional revenue. The company publishes both printed and online catalogues for each auction.
4. Shipping and Insurance Services: The company organises domestic shipping via DHL (from €18) and DPD (€24), and international shipping via DHL Express Premium Air with rates by zone and weight. Artima insurance is offered up to €25,000 for domestic shipments. These services generate ancillary revenue from buyers and consignors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden OHG is a traditional fine art and antique auction house based in Dresden, Germany, conducting approximately two to three live numbered auctions per year covering fine art from the 16th to 21st centuries, including paintings, works on paper, sculpture, decorative arts, porcelain, jewellery, and Asian art. The auction sales are complemented by a two-month post-sale gallery (Nachverkauf) for unsold lots, a public auction archive spanning more than 85 sales since 2004, full consignment services for sellers, and domestic/international shipping and art insurance arrangements for buyers.

Product overview

Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden OHG is a traditional fine art and antique auction house based in Dresden, Germany, operating since 2004. Its core product is the numbered fine art auction (Auktion), held two to three times per year, offering paintings, works on paper, prints, photography, sculpture, European decorative arts (porcelain, glass, jewelry, silver), Asian art, and decorative arts. These auctions are complemented by a Nachverkauf (after-sale) private sale service for unsold or reserved lots, and a comprehensive Auktions-Archiv spanning all 85+ auctions from 2004 to present. The company's digital presence includes an Online-Katalog with full lot details and Top-Zuschläge highlights for each auction. Add-on services include catalog ordering, absentee/telephone bidding (Ferngebote), a newsletter, a full consignor service (Einlieferer-Service), and shipping/insurance arrangements via DHL, DPD, and ARTIMA insurance. The company does not operate a public API or AI-powered platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fine Art Auction (Auktion) Numbered live fine art and antique auction events held at the company's premises (Bautzner Str. 99, Dresden) covering Old Masters through contemporary works, paintings, prints, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, porcelain, glass, jewellery, and Asian art. Auctions accept in-person, written absentee, and telephone bids.
• Nachverkauf (After-Sale / Private Sale) Gallery-based private sale of unsold lots and lots under reserve offered at pre-announced after-sale prices for a two-month window following each auction, available Monday through Friday 10:00–19:00.
• Consignor Service (Einlieferer-Service) End-to-end consignment service for sellers of fine art, antiques, and collectibles with a minimum object value of approximately €400. Includes free insurance from the point of collection, expert cataloguing, photography, professional valuation, and tiered commission rates (25%, 15%, or 13% + VAT depending on estimate).
• Shipping and Art Insurance Service (Versand-Service) Arranged domestic and international shipping for purchased lots, with tiered DHL/DPD parcel pricing, DHL Express Premium Air international shipping by zone and weight, art-specialist forwarding agents for furniture and oversize items, and ARTIMA art-transport insurance up to €25,000 in coverage.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85 auctions held over approximately 22 years (averaging ~2 auctions per year), demonstrating consistent market activity and longevity in the Dresden art market.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Villa Grisebach: Berlin-headquartered fine art auction house holding several major evening and day sales per year; directly comparable to Schmidt in serving the German-speaking collector market with a multi-category fine art offering.
• Hermann Historica: Munich auction house running traditional in-room sales of antiques, militaria, and collectibles with a regional German footprint and comparable in-person plus written-bidding mechanics.
• Auktionshaus Schloss Ahlden: Northern German auction house conducting traditional sales of antiques, jewellery, and art from a single estate venue, with comparable in-person plus written-bid workflows and similar small-team operating model.
• Auktionshaus Ketterer Kunst: Established Munich-based fine art auction house running regular multi-category sales with a comparable traditional in-room plus absentee-bid model, making it the closest domestic competitor to Schmidt in scope and category breadth.
• Auktionshaus Bassenge: Berlin-based auctioneer holding multi-category sales of fine art, prints, and antiques from a single German venue, directly comparable in scale, cadence, and category mix.

Broad incumbents

• Christie's: Global fine art auction incumbent offering comparable fine art and decorative arts categories, though at materially higher price points and with a much larger international infrastructure footprint.
• Dorotheum: Vienna-headquartered incumbent auction house running high-volume weekly sales across jewellery, fine art, and decorative arts—comparable category breadth but materially larger scale and broader geographic footprint than Schmidt.
• Sotheby's: Global incumbent operating in the fine art auction category alongside Schmidt; differs by scale, geography, and online bidding infrastructure, but addresses the same fine-art-and-collectibles buyer pool.

Emerging players

• Catawiki: Online-only curated auction marketplace covering art, antiques, jewellery, and collectibles—comparable in category breadth but differentiated by a digital-first model and weekly rather than twice-yearly cadence.
• Lot-tissimo: European online-only auction aggregator aggregating traditional German and European houses' catalogues and live bidding online; relevant as a digital channel competitor that may divert online bidders from Schmidt's written/telephone workflow.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schmidt-kunstauktionen-dresden-ohg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden OHG