{"id":7506,"date":"2015-12-09T23:28:05","date_gmt":"2015-12-10T04:28:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/paddle8-bringing-the-art-auction-house-online\/"},"modified":"2015-12-09T23:29:43","modified_gmt":"2015-12-10T04:29:43","slug":"paddle8-bringing-the-art-auction-house-online","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/paddle8-bringing-the-art-auction-house-online\/","title":{"rendered":"Paddle8: Bringing the Art Auction House Online"},"content":{"rendered":"

Online auctions are nothing new. Since 1995 anonymous buyers have been able to outbid strangers for any item imaginable, right from the comfort of their couch. But the reach, convenience and cost-efficiencies of this model have only recently infiltrated the opaque and tradition-laden world of fine art.<\/p>\n

Though Sotheby\u2019s, Christie\u2019s, Philips and Bonhams all allow customers to submit bids online, these industry incumbents merely added a new channel to existing \u2013 and increasingly dated \u2013 business models, to address existing \u2013 and increasingly aged \u2013 customers. It was this opportunity gap that drove the founders of online auction house Paddle8 to create \u201ca destination that combined the ease and efficiency of e-commerce with the taste and trust of a traditional auction house.<\/em>\u201d The four founders brought together various backgrounds in art, luxury, tech and commerce (as well as two HBS degrees), and in 2011 launched a new type of online art business with a slick operating model to match.<\/p>\n

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More than just e-Bay for Art \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Paddle8\u2019s business model is relatively simple. Interested buyers sign up for membership online, browse through art by theme or artist or collector, enter their maximum bid and sit back and wait. If they win, next steps mirror any modern online check-out process, including payment, shipping and receipt.<\/p>\n

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For those consigning to sell art, the process is no more complex.Sellers photograph and submit their work, await the approval of Paddle8\u2019s research specialists (less than 10% of submissions are accepted), monitor their work\u2019s auction online and finally receive payment within 30 days. In fact, anyone anywhere in the world can submit a photo of a work via Paddle8\u2019s app and receive a complementary auction estimate within five business days.<\/p>\n

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But a few key differences make Paddle8 unique within the realm of art e-commerce, mostly relating to pricing. Though the prices of art on Paddle8 are largely comparable to Artsy and other online alternatives (significantly lower on average than the big four), its fees are transparent and selling prices are never disclosed. These are two major departures from previous auction models. Traditional auction houses layer vendor\u2019s commissions, buyer\u2019s premiums and a number of other transaction-related fees atop the lot \u201cprice.\u201d Many times these fees are not listed outside of contract fine print, and the major houses change them frequently and differently across sales and even individual lots. At Paddle8, the vendor\u2019s commission is 8% and the buyer\u2019s premium is 15%. Always. Not only is this clear and consistent, it\u2019s also considerably lower than standard industry fees. Paddle8 also made the exceptional decision not to disclose selling prices, protecting buyers\u2019 privacy and artists\u2019 collection value.<\/p>\n

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Modern Operating Efficiency \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are a number of aspects of Paddle8\u2019s operating model that enable its pricing structure, industry-beating fees and high consumer engagement. By removing many of the pain points of the traditional process of buying and selling at auction, streamlining shipping and insurance, and eliminating high costs like physical exhibitions and catalogues, Paddle8 is able to pass those savings back to buyers and sellers.<\/p>\n

From a logistical standpoint, it’s notable that Paddle8 doesn\u2019t collect or photograph the works themselves, negating the need for storage, pre-auction shipping or multi-month insurance. Like many non-art e-commerce sites, Paddle8\u2019s inventory sits in its sellers\u2019 homes until the company itself arranges for it to be shipped directly to the buyer. Paddle8 also holds themed auctions over the span of a week, taking a hint from fashion flash sale sites. In fact, its clean and simple web and mobile platforms resemble luxury apparel sites more than anything else. Handling this process from start to finish online also allows for easier collection and leveraging of vast amounts of data: buyer-, seller- and artist-specific.<\/p>\n

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Financing the\u00a0Future <\/strong><\/p>\n

Just last month, Paddle8 closed another round of equity financing, bringing its total funding to $44 million. Its revenues for the first six months of 2015 totaled $25 million, and its year-on-year revenue growth is north of 140%, well ahead of its competition. Rather than trying to fit the traditional auction house into an online model, Paddle8 is building operations and technology that transforms the entire auction experience. It seems that already the strike of a gavel has become the click of a mouse.<\/p>\n

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Sources:<\/p>\n