Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0 1.0Finding the right house in a few clicks
The directory lists the 1,120 approved auction houses, with their city, their country, their specialities, their year of approval and their label status. It can be consulted free of charge, without an account.
It makes it possible to compare houses, to check a claim of approval and to find a house specialised in a particular segment. Each profile links to the house's website and to its declaration of commitments.
This page explains how to use the directory and how to read a profile.
Directory of auction houses in figures
Source: OIMAP Observatory.
Searching the directory
The directory offers several combinable criteria: country, city, speciality, year of approval, presence of the conformity label. A free search lets you find a house by name.
Results are sorted alphabetically and by length of approval. A "conformity label" filter keeps only houses that have passed the full audit. Each profile can be viewed or printed.
Reading a house profile
A profile includes the name of the house, its location, its specialities, the year of its approval, its label status and its approval number. It also states the languages spoken, the segments in which the house is recognised and any sanctions.
A "suspended" status means that approval has been provisionally withdrawn following a breach. In that case, the house cannot use the label and its sales do not benefit from accelerated sale approval.
A tool in the service of trust
The directory is not just an address book. It is a tool of trust: it allows a foreign buyer to check in a few seconds the quality of a house they do not know, and a house to make itself known beyond its borders.
It is consulted more than 140,000 times a year, 62% of them from abroad. Houses are encouraged to update their profile every year, in particular for their specialities and languages.
Elements of a profile
| Field | Content | Usefulness |
|---|---|---|
| Name and city | Identity of the house | Spot the house |
| Countries | State of establishment | Know the jurisdiction |
| Specialities | Segments handled | Choose according to the work |
| Year of approval | Seniority | Assess experience |
| Label | Yes or no | Reinforced guarantee |
| Status | Active, suspended | Check validity |
Landmarks
- Paper directory
Fifteen houses.
- Online directory
First search by country.
- Search by speciality
Enhanced filters.
- 1,120 houses
Monthly update.
Checking an approval
OIMAP directory or commercial directory
OIMAP directory
Verified approved houses- Checked data
- Monthly updates
- Free
Reliable reference.
Commercial directory
Promotional lists- No verification
- Data sometimes obsolete
- Sometimes paid
To be cross-checked.
Choosing a house with the directory
- Filter
Country and speciality.
- Compare
Seniority and label.
- Contact
Several houses.
- Ask
Estimate and conditions.
- Decide
Choose the most suitable.
Before contacting a house
A satisfied seller
« I found a small house specialised in my silverware pieces thanks to the directory. The estimate was fair and the sale excellent. »
Vocabulary of the directory
- Active status
- Approval currently valid.
- Suspension
- Provisional withdrawal of approval.
- Speciality
- Segment in which the house is recognised.
- Approval number
- Unique identifier of a house.
Frequently asked questions
Is the directory complete?
It covers all approved houses, updated every month.
How do I report an error?
Through the contact form.
Can the list be exported?
Yes, in CSV format.
Can an unlisted house sell?
Yes, but without the guarantees of approval.
Useful documents
Contacts
Related pages
Auction housesThe auction houses approved by OIMAP: directory, approval procedure and sales calendar.›
OIMAP approvalObtaining OIMAP approval for an auction house: conditions, file, audit, costs, obligations and sanctions.›
Directory of galleries and dealersSearch for a gallery or dealer registered with OIMAP: criteria, profiles, label and reporting.›
Obtain approval
Image credits (16)
- Portrait of Georges Arnold Fitzwilliam, Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Mémin (c. 1790–1852) — 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
- Portrait Head of a Noble or Official (175–200 CE) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Side Drawer for Cabinet, André-Charles Boulle (c. 1690) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Portrait of a Man, Nicholas Freese (c. 1795–1800) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Plate: Diana and Acteon, Maestro Giorgio Andreoli (1522) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Portrait of Sandford Peacocke, William Wood (1801) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Twilight in the Wilderness, Frederic Edwin Church (1860) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Portrait Bust of a Man (27 BCE–14 CE) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Creamer, Louis Rorimer (c. 1910) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Self-Portrait, John I Smart (1802) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Architectural Conference (c. 1622) — 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
- Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple, Rembrandt van Rijn (1635) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Portrait of a Woman, Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (1762–70) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Cabinet Plate, W. T. Copeland & Sons (1883) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0