How to read auction figures

What does reading auction figures mean?

It means looking at three pieces of data about an artist at the same time: total turnover, the number of works sold and the highest price achieved. Each says something different, and only together do they give a true picture. Knowing how to read them means not settling for a single striking figure.

How do these three metrics work together?

Total turnover shows how much has been taken for an artist overall; the number of works sold shows how lively and broad the interest in them is; and the record price shows the ceiling a work has managed to climb to. A high turnover driven by a single record tells a different story from a turnover spread across hundreds of sales. That is why these figures are always read in context, never alone.

Why does it matter to a collector?

Because one figure without context easily misleads: a record on its own can give the impression of a star artist even when ordinary works rarely sell. Anyone who reads all three metrics at once can tell the difference between broad demand and one lucky shot. They then decide considerably better informed.

What should you watch out for?

Do not be mesmerised by a single striking figure, especially a record price torn out of context. Always ask what is driving that figure and how it looks in the light of the other two metrics. Only the full trio — turnover, number of sales and record — will tell you where an artist really stands on the market.

— Anna Pulkertová, founder of Art Part Club