Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0 1.0A reciprocal commitment
OIMAP approval is issued in five days for €540 excluding taxes. It binds the auction house to specific practices and opens access to the conformity label, to the directory and to an accelerated sale approval procedure.
Approval is open to any auction house duly established in a Member State, whatever its size. It is valid for three years and renewable.
This page details the conditions, the procedure, the obligations and the grounds for withdrawal.
OIMAP approval in figures
Source: OIMAP Observatory.
Eligibility conditions
The house must be legally established, hold the authorisations needed for its activity in its State, have professional insurance and employ at least one auctioneer or qualified sales manager. It must not have been convicted of handling stolen goods or fraud in the last five years.
It undertakes to respect the approval charter: provenance checks, consultation of the BIOP, transparency of terms of sale, declaration of results, mediation of disputes.
Obligations during approval
An approved house must consult the BIOP database before each sale, keep provenance documents for ten years, declare each result to the Observatory within thirty days and train its staff. It must also inform OIMAP of any change of management, address or speciality.
An audit is carried out every three years. It covers a sample of lots, files and declarations. Minor breaches lead to recommendations; serious breaches may lead to suspension or withdrawal.
What approval changes for buyers
For the buyer, an approved house guarantees that the lot has undergone a check of origin and of the BIOP database. In case of a problem, they have an identified contact and free mediation.
This protection translates into fewer disputes: the post-sale challenge rate is 0.9% for approved houses, against 3.4% for others.
Documents to provide
| Document | Detail | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Articles and register | Proof of legal existence | |
| Insurance | Professional certificate | |
| Manager | Qualifications of the head | |
| Terms of sale | Latest version | |
| Signed charter | OIMAP commitments | Signed PDF |
Landmarks
- Filing
Online file and payment.
- Examination
Checking of documents.
- Decision
Approval, supplement or refusal.
- Audit
First compliance audit.
Withdrawal of approval
Simple approval or conformity label
Approval
Basic commitment- €540 excl. VAT
- Valid for three years
- Listing in the directory
Mandatory for sale approval.
Conformity label
Reinforced commitment- €1,200 per year
- Full audit
- Increased visibility
Optional.
Obtain approval
- Create
Open a house account.
- Submit
Send the documents.
- Pay
Pay the €540.
- Wait
Processing within five days.
- Display
Use the approval number.
Before filing
An auction house director
« Approval opened up foreign buyers who did not dare bid with us. The return on investment was quick. »
Vocabulary of approval
- Charter
- Document of commitments.
- Audit
- Periodic check.
- Withdrawal
- End of approval.
- Suspension
- Temporary interruption.
Frequently asked questions
Is approval compulsory?
No, but it is required for accelerated sale approval.
Can small houses obtain it?
Yes, with no size condition.
What happens on expiry?
A renewal is offered, with an audit.
Where do I file the application?
With the Desk.
Useful documents
Contacts
Related pages
Auction housesThe auction houses approved by OIMAP: directory, approval procedure and sales calendar.›
Sales approvalThe compliance check carried out before a public or private sale: due diligence, BIOP, provenance and authenticity verified before the hammer falls.›
Conformity labelThe OIMAP conformity label: conditions, audit, cost of €1,200 per year, benefits and obligations.›
See the calendar
Image credits (16)
- Creamer, Louis Rorimer (c. 1910) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Side Drawer for Cabinet, André-Charles Boulle (c. 1690) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Plate: Diana and Acteon, Maestro Giorgio Andreoli (1522) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Portrait Bust of a Man (27 BCE–14 CE) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple, Rembrandt van Rijn (1635) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Twilight in the Wilderness, Frederic Edwin Church (1860) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Yokkaichi: View of the Mie River, from the series The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō, Utagawa Hiroshige (c. 1833–34) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Self-Portrait, John I Smart (1802) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Painting Enthusiasts at Auction House Bouillon, Honoré Daumier (1862, printed 1920) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Interior Drawer for Cabinet, André-Charles Boulle (c. 1690) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- The Market Place, Wells, Muirhead Bone (1891–1953) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- The Pyramid of Cestius, Rome, Michiel van Overbeek (c. 1650–80) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Portrait of a Man, Possibly Sir Soulden Lawrence, John I Smart (1770) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Vanity Case (Nécessaire) (c. 1760) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Gathering among the Members of Office Censor-General (1700s) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Portrait of a Man, Italian Painter — The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0 1.0