Gitnux/Report 2026

Antique Industry Statistics

The global antiques and collectibles market is estimated at $156.3 billion in 2026, explore the figures behind growth, company activity and online channel shifts.
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Antique Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The antique industry at a glance

The global antiques and collectibles market is estimated at $156.3 billion in 2026, with demand supported by collecting, investment and online commerce despite provenance and regulatory risks.

$156.3B[37]
Market size, 2026
4.4%[37]
Forecast CAGR, 2026–2035
$9.2B[7]
Online art and antiques sales, 2025
58%[7]
Top three import markets’ share, 2024
Market size
Global antiques and collectibles revenue was estimated at $150.2 billion in 2025 and $156.3 billion in 2026. The broader art-and-antiques trade recorded $29.1 billion in global exports in 2024, the latest trade-flow figure identified in the available industry survey.[37][7]
Forecast & CAGR
The global antiques and collectibles market is forecast to reach $229.7 billion by 2035, implying a 4.4% CAGR from 2026 to 2035. Online art and antiques sales were $9.2 billion in 2025, down from $10.5 billion in 2024, showing that digital demand remains significant but volatile.[37][7]
Market share & regions
North America was identified as the largest regional market for antiques and collectibles in 2026, while Asia-Pacific was the fastest-growing region. In international art-and-antiques imports, the United States, China including Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom together represented 58% of global value in 2024.[37][7]
Segmentation
The market is segmented into fine art and paintings; antique furniture and decorative arts; metalwork and sculpture; jewelry and watches; toys and games; books, manuscripts and paper ephemera; coins and currency; sports memorabilia; musical instruments; and automotive and transportation collectibles. Sales channels include dealers, auctions, online marketplaces and other specialist channels.[37]
Key players & concentration
The auction and high-value end of the market is concentrated among major international houses and specialist platforms. In 2025, 39 of the 50 highest-priced fine-art lots were sold in New York, while lots above $1 million accounted for 56% of offline auction value but only 2% of online-only auction value.[13][7]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Growth is supported by interest in history, cultural identity and collectible assets, while online discovery broadens access. Key challenges include authentication, uncertain provenance, illicit trafficking, export controls and the concentration of value in high-priced lots; in 2025, fine-art auction sales below $50,000 declined 2% in value and volume.[37][13][38]
Consumer behavior & competition
Collectors increasingly use online channels, although high-value transactions remain concentrated in established auction centres and specialist houses. Online art and antiques sales reached $13.3 billion in 2021 before declining to $9.2 billion in 2025, while the $5,000–$50,000 band represented 45% of online-only auction value in 2025.[7]
Regulation
The UNESCO 1970 Convention covers antiquities more than 100 years old and calls for measures including export certificates, dealer records, import controls and restitution of stolen cultural property; UNESCO reported 150 States Parties on its current overview. In the European Union, import licences or importer statements became mandatory for covered cultural goods on 28 June 2025 through the centralised electronic system.[38][39]
Latest news
The latest available global art-market assessment reported that total global art-market sales rose 4% to $59.6 billion in 2025, while public auction sales increased 9% to $20.7 billion. The report also found that online art and antiques sales fell to $9.2 billion in 2025, indicating a recovery in high-end public auctions alongside normalization in online activity.[13][7]

02 Ranking

Top 8 Companies in the Antique Industry

The leading companies in the antique industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

Sotheby's stands out for auction activity across online-only and live formats because it projected $7 billion in consolidated sales for 2025, while Christie's focuses on Old Masters auctions since it reported $182 million in Old Masters sales for 2025.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in antique auctions

    Sotheby's

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.6 · Antique auctions

    Why we picked it: It runs 459 sales in 2025, including 242 online-only sales, and keeps online-only at 9% of total sales.

    See in ranking ↓Visit sothebys.com ↗

  2. #2 overall

    Christie's

    GB

    Ranked #2 · 9.3 · Antique auctions

    Why we picked it: It staged 273 sales in 2025 with 45% conducted online-only, and 81% of bids were placed online.

    See in ranking ↓Visit christies.com ↗

  3. #3 overall

    Heritage Auctions

    US

    Ranked #3 · 9.3 · Antique auctions

    Why we picked it: It closed 2025 at $2.158 billion in total sales while focusing on collectibles, historical objects and decorative arts.

    See in ranking ↓Visit ha.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. No other segment places in the top 5, so picks 2 and 3 follow rank.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 8 companies in the antique industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Sotheby's

Antique auctions · US

9.6
2

Christie's

Antique auctions · GB

9.3
3

Heritage Auctions

Antique auctions · US

9.3
4

Dorotheum

Antique auctions · AT

8.9
5

Artcurial

Antique auctions · FR

8.7
6

Ketterer Kunst

Antique auctions · DE

7.9
7

Lempertz

Antique auctions · DE

7.9
8

Bonhams

Antique auctions · GB

7.6

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Top 8 companies in the antique industry. In Antique Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/antique-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Global online-only sales share of the art and antiques market

Global online-only sales share of the art and antiques market: 25% in 2020, 15% in 2025.

202025%
202120%
202318%
202418%
202216%
202515%
source-verifiedtheartmarket.artbasel.com2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Retail and consumer-goods adoption of generative AI reached 70% in 2025, and paid cloud usage for EU enterprises shows wide coverage across email, file storage and databases.

Digital Transformation in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail and consumer-goods companies, 70% of business functions had generative AI adopted or piloted in 2025.[1]
  • Among EU large businesses, 96% reached at least a basic level of digital intensity in 2025.[2]
  • Among EU small and medium-sized enterprises, 71% reached at least a basic level of digital intensity in 2025.[2]
  • Across EU businesses, 74% reached at least a basic level of digital intensity in 2024.[2]

Technology Adoption in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across US and European retailers, 16% had fully scaled artificial intelligence in 2025.[3]
  • Across US and European retailers, 66% had moved beyond exploration and testing of store-intelligence technologies in 2025.[3]
  • Across US and European retailers, 23% had fully scaled wireless communication technologies such as RFID or Bluetooth in 2025.[3]
  • Across US and European retailers, 21% had fully scaled edge computing technologies in 2025.[3]
  • Across US and European retailers, 27% had fully scaled cameras and sensors in 2025.[3]

Cloud Computing in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 85.15% used cloud-based email in 2025.[2]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 71.53% used cloud-based file storage in 2025.[2]
  • Across EU enterprises, 52.74% used paid cloud-computing services in 2025.[2]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 45.52% hosted enterprise databases in the cloud in 2025.[2]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 71.69% used cloud-based office software in 2025.[2]

Big Data in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail companies, 64% said their customer data was structured and accessible enough to support artificial-intelligence use cases in 2025.[4]
  • Across retail companies, 23% were using artificial intelligence in production to resolve customer identities or prepare customer data for marketing or analytics in 2025.[4]
  • Across EU enterprises, 33.02% performed data analytics using their own employees in 2025.[2]
  • Across EU enterprises, 26.20% performed data analytics on transaction records such as sales and payment records in 2025.[2]

IoT in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among retail enterprises undertaking digital transformation, 87% were using IoT technology in 2024.[5]
  • Among retail enterprises undertaking digital transformation, 32% were using IoT at an advanced level in 2024.[5]
  • Among retail enterprises undertaking digital transformation, 17% were using IoT at a limited level in 2024.[5]
  • Among retail enterprises undertaking digital transformation, 38% were using IoT at a moderate level in 2024.[5]
  • Among retail and consumer organizations, 32.4% identified IoT adoption as a technology strategy driving observability needs in 2024.[6]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Auction-platform measurement is visible in staged activity and online penetration, including 459 sales at Sotheby’s in 2025 with 242 online-only sales.

Business intelligence in the antique industry

  • 459 sales were staged by Sotheby’s across categories in 2025, including 242 online-only sales.[7]
  • $15.2 billion in combined revenue was generated by Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Phillips and Bonhams across public sales, private sales and other streams in 2025.[7]
  • 273 sales were staged by Christie’s in 2025, with 45% conducted online-only.[7]

Data analytics in the antique industry

  • 3,037 Western Asiatic antiquities auction lots were analyzed for 1996–2005, compared with 1,123 lots for 2006–2014.[8]
  • 7,659 Classical antiquities auction lots were analyzed for 1996–2005, compared with 4,559 lots for 2006–2014.[8]
  • 4,425 Egyptian antiquities auction lots were analyzed for 1996–2005, compared with 2,172 lots for 2006–2014.[8]

Data Quality in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail and e-commerce, 48% of respondents rated their customer-data collection methods only somewhat effective in 2024.[9]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 62% of respondents rated their data-management practices only somewhat effective in 2024.[9]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 66% of respondents identified data-quality controls as a significant challenge in 2024.[9]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 66% of respondents rated their identity-resolution ability only somewhat effective in 2024.[9]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 29% of respondents rated their customer-data collection methods not very effective in 2024.[9]

Data Governance in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 96% of respondents said breaking down data silos was a significant challenge in 2025.[10]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 57% of respondents identified data governance as a significant challenge in 2024.[9]
  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 53.5% of respondents said regulatory compliance was not a significant data challenge in 2025.[10]
  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 66% of respondents said their data-management capabilities were only somewhat unified in 2025.[10]
  • Across retail and CPG companies, 31% of respondents cited the lack of a corporate data strategy and semantic layer as a key challenge in 2025.[11]
  • Across retail and CPG companies, 35% of respondents cited inconsistent or incorrect answers to data questions as a governance-related blocker in 2025.[11]

KPIs in the antique industry

  • 9% of Sotheby’s total sales came from online-only auctions in 2025, compared with a peak above 16% in 2020 and 2021.[7]
  • 35% of Sotheby’s bidders were first-time participants in 2025.[7]
  • 81% of bids at Christie’s were placed online in 2025.[7]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Public auction sales rose 9% in 2025 to $20.7 billion, while online-only value remained lower than offline concentration at the high end.

Growth in the antique industry

  • $34.8 billion was dealer-sector sales in 2025, up 2% year-on-year.[12]
  • The Old Masters market grew 30% in 2025 to just under $1.2 billion.[13]
  • $20.7 billion was global public-auction sales in 2025, up 9% year-on-year.[12]
  • $59.6 billion was global art-market sales in 2025, up 4% year-on-year.[13]

Differentiation in the antique industry

  • 43% of collectors ranked uniqueness and rarity as the most important aspect of owning art or antiques in 2026.[12]
  • 56% of dealers’ annual turnover came from their top three artists in 2024, up 3 percentage points year-on-year.[7]
  • 50% of primary-market galleries represented female artists in 2025, compared with 45% across all dealers.[12]
  • 37% of sales by value were works by female artists in 2025, up from 28% in 2018.[12]

Mergers and acquisitions in the antique industry

  • 1.3 million curated vintage items and collectibles were added to Auction Technology Group’s offering through the Chairish acquisition in 2025.[14]
  • $85 million was the purchase price for Auction Technology Group’s acquisition of Chairish in August 2025.[15]
  • 12,000 sellers were added to Auction Technology Group’s network through its 2025 Chairish acquisition.[14]
  • Approximately $8 million of annual operational synergies were expected from the Chairish acquisition by fiscal 2027.[15]

Strategic partnerships in the antique industry

  • 43% of high-net-worth collectors’ art and antiques transaction value was routed through dealers directly or via art fairs in 2024/2025.[7]
  • 62% of online third-party marketplace sales by value were generated through dealers’ own websites and digital platforms in 2024.[7]
  • 40% of dealers’ online sales by value went to new buyers in 2025, supporting digital customer-acquisition strategies.[12]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce patterns in retail show remote work shares around 14% of paid days in 2025 and 14.09% in 2026, consistent with ongoing hybrid operations.

Hiring in the antique industry

  • 10% of surveyed art and antiques dealers increased staff in 2020, while the median number of additions was two employees.[16]
  • 25% of art and antiques dealers reported hiring employees in the first half of 2021, exceeding the 2020 share during the pandemic recovery.[17]
  • 18% of art and antiques dealers expected to hire more employees over the following 12 months in a 2021 survey covering 54 regions or countries.[13]

Employee retention in the antique industry

  • 28% of surveyed art and antiques dealers downsized staff in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.[16]
  • 62% of surveyed art and antiques dealers kept employment numbers stable in 2020, while the median number of layoffs among downsizing firms was two employees.[16]

Remote Work in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.02% of full paid working days in 2025.[18]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 15.14% of full paid working days in 2022.[18]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 13.46% of full paid working days in 2024.[18]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.03% of full paid working days in 2023.[18]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.09% of full paid working days in 2026.[18]

Hybrid Work in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.K. employers, 42% had a formal hybrid-working policy in 2025.[19]
  • Across retail organizations globally, 42% used mandated office days as their hybrid-work model in 2025.[20]
  • Across U.K. employers, 74% had hybrid working in place in 2025.[19]
  • Across retail organizations globally, 55% of employees worked from the office five days per week in 2025.[20]
  • Across U.K. employers, 23% used informal manager-employee arrangements for hybrid work in 2025.[19]

Employee Engagement in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. retail workers, 35% rated their personal well-being above average in Seramount’s spring 2025 survey.[21]
  • Across retail employees, 84% would recommend their company as a great place to work in Culture Amp’s 2024 dataset.[21]
  • Across U.S. retail workers, 24% reported one or more symptoms of burnout in Seramount’s spring 2025 survey.[21]
  • Across retail employees in Culture Amp’s 2024 dataset, 70% were engaged in 2025 reporting.[21]
  • Across U.S. retail workers, 24% were promoters of their organizations in Seramount’s spring 2025 survey.[21]

Change Management in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. employees, 43% said organizational change during the prior year increased their stress levels in the 2025 Eagle Hill survey.[22]
  • Across U.S. CHROs, 30% ranked organization design and change management among their top three HR priorities for 2025.[23]
  • Across U.S. employees, 45% said organizational change during the prior year increased their workload in the 2025 Eagle Hill survey.[22]
  • Across organizations surveyed by Gartner, 74% of HR leaders said managers were not equipped to lead change in 2025.[23]
  • Across organizations surveyed by Gartner, 73% of HR leaders said employees were fatigued from change in 2025.[23]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Collector purchasing behavior shifts toward antiques, with 30% of HNW collectors buying an antique object in the first half of 2026.

Customer experience in the antique industry

  • 30% of surveyed HNW collectors purchased an antique object in the first half of 2026, making antiques the most popular category among other collectibles.[12]
  • 38% of boomers surveyed purchased an antique object in the first half of 2026, the highest participation rate among the reported generations.[12]

Customer retention in the antique industry

  • 55% of dealers’ buyers by number were existing collectors in 2024, indicating that repeat customers remained the majority of the buyer base.[7]
  • 62% of dealers’ sales by value came from existing collectors in 2024.[7]

Customer acquisition in the antique industry

  • 46% of dealers’ online sales by value went to new buyers in 2024, up from 35% in 2023.[7]
  • 30% of HNW collectors purchased an antique object in the first half of 2026, representing the largest participation share among the reported non-art collectible categories.[12]
  • 44% of buyers served by dealers were new to the business in 2024.[7]

Customer loyalty in the antique industry

  • 69% of dealers ranked maintaining relationships with existing collectors as their top priority in 2021.[13]
  • 65% of dealers ranked maintaining relationships with existing collectors as a top business priority in 2022.[7]

Lead generation in the antique industry

  • 51% of HNW collectors who purchased from a dealer made at least one purchase via Instagram without viewing the work in person in 2024/2025.[7]
  • 43% of HNW collectors who purchased from a dealer made at least one purchase via Instagram without viewing the work in person in 2023.[7]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Dealer acquisition channels mix referrals, gallery walk-ins and art fairs, while online shares moved with the market from 18% in 2024 to 15% in 2025.

Marketing in the antique industry

  • 16% of global art and antiques dealers reported client referrals as their primary source of new buyers in 2024.[13]
  • 23% of global art and antiques dealers cited in-person gallery walk-ins as their primary source of new buyers in 2024.[13]
  • 31% of global art and antiques dealers identified art fairs as their primary source of new buyers in 2024.[13]
  • $1,000–$5,000 is the average annual marketing investment of U.S. estate sale companies in 2024, with most spending directed to digital advertising.[24]

Digital marketing in the antique industry

  • $10.5 billion was generated by global online art and antiques sales in 2024.[7]
  • 22% of global art and antiques dealer sales were made online in 2024, compared with 13% in 2019.[13]
  • 69% of U.S. estate sale and auction companies had their own website in 2024.[24]
  • 15% of global art and antiques market sales were online in 2025, down from 18% in 2024.[7]

Branding in the antique industry

  • 50% of U.S. estate sale and auction companies used Instagram to promote sales and their brands in 2024.[24]
  • 11% of global art and antiques dealer sales came from local art fairs in 2024.[13]
  • 20% of global art and antiques dealer sales came from overseas art fairs in 2024.[13]
  • 34% of global art and antiques dealers with turnover above $10 million generated sales through art fairs in 2024.[13]

Social media in the antique industry

  • 50% of U.S. estate sale sellers used Instagram to market sales in 2024, double the 2023 share.[24]
  • 23% was the year-on-year increase in under-35 visitor sessions on The Saleroom, an art and antiques auction platform, in 2021.[12]
  • 91% of U.S. estate sale sellers used Facebook to market sales in 2024.[24]
  • 52% was the year-on-year increase in under-35 bidders on LiveAuctioneers.com in 2021.[12]

Influencer Marketing in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • 49% of brands investing in creator marketing reported sales as an impact of creator activity in 2026, compared with 60% citing brand sentiment and 58% citing awareness.[25]
  • 58% of brands integrated retail media networks and creator marketing platforms by amplifying creator-generated content on retail media channels in 2025.[25]
  • 80% of brands investing in creator marketing increased creator budgets in 2026, while 25% raised creator spending by more than 10%.[25]
  • 78% of surveyed brands reported growing creator-marketing budgets in 2025, up from 36% reporting budget growth in 2024.[25]
  • 91% of brands investing in creator marketing ran an always-on component in 2026, including 62% with hybrid programs and 29% with fully continuous programs.[25]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Online execution expanded across major houses, with 63% of Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Phillips and Bonhams sales by number online-only in 2024.

Process optimization in the antique industry

  • 25% was the year-on-year increase in online-only sales conducted by four major international auction houses in 2024.[7]
  • 63% of sales conducted by Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Phillips and Bonhams were online-only by number in 2024.[7]
  • 31% was the increase in the total hammer value of art and antiques listed on ATG platforms from 2020 to 2021, reaching $2.2 billion.[12]
  • Online-only sales by the four major international auction houses were more than five times their 2019 level in 2024.[7]

Operational efficiency in the antique industry

  • 8% fewer online-only sales were held by Sotheby’s in the first half of 2024 than in the first half of 2023.[7]
  • 16% was the decline in live sales conducted by four major international auction houses in 2024.[7]
  • 6% was the year-on-year increase in the total number of sales held by four major international auction houses in 2024.[7]
  • 48% was the increase in Bonhams’ online-only sales in the first half of 2024, while its live sales fell 21%.[7]

Quality management in the antique industry

  • 13% was the increase in the number of public auction lots sold below $5,000 in 2024.[13]
  • 6% was the increase in fine-art auction lots sold globally in 2024.[13]

Supply chain in the antique industry

  • 9% was the share of global art and antiques dealer sales made through local art fairs in 2024.[13]
  • 30% was the increase in the total value of art and antiques listed on ATG platforms from 2020 to 2021.[12]
  • 21% was the share of global art and antiques dealer sales made through overseas art fairs in 2024.[13]
  • 14% was the increase in private sales by auction houses in 2024, reaching $4.4 billion globally.[13]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. apparel imports, China’s share fell from 30% in 2019 to 21% in 2023, while other Asian suppliers’ share rose from 30% to 35%.[26]
  • 57% of retail organizations with $50 million–$100 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[27]
  • 76% of retail organizations with $150 million–$200 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[27]
  • 74% of retailers surveyed sourced internationally, including 71% of small companies and 84% of larger companies, in 2024.[28]
  • 72% of retail organizations with $100 million–$150 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[27]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Price-tier outcomes diverge by channel, with lots above $1 million generating 56% of offline auction value in 2025 versus 2% online-only.

Pricing strategy in the antique industry

  • 56% of offline auction value came from lots priced above $1 million in 2025, compared with 2% online.[7]
  • 45% of online-only auction value came from lots priced between $5,000 and $50,000 in 2025.[7]
  • 63% of online-only auction value came from lots priced below $50,000 in 2025.[7]
  • 18% of online-only auction value came from lots priced below $5,000 in 2025.[7]

Cost reduction in the antique industry

  • 33% was the decline in transactions priced above $1 million at public auctions in 2024.[13]
  • 25% was the decline in global public auction sales of fine art, decorative art and antiques in 2024, to $19.0 billion.[13]
  • 45% was the decline in auction value for fine-art works priced above $10 million in 2024.[13]
  • 11% was the decline in global online art and antiques sales from 2023 to 2024, reducing the market to $10.5 billion.[13]

Profitability in the antique industry

  • $4.4 billion was the value of private sales by auction houses globally in 2024, up 14% year on year.[13]
  • $57.5 billion was the estimated global art-market turnover in 2024, including the art and antiques trade.[13]
  • $19.0 billion was the value of global public auction sales of fine art, decorative art and antiques in 2024.[13]
  • $9.2 billion was the value of global online art and antiques sales in 2025.[7]

Financial planning in the antique industry

  • $10.5 billion was the global online art and antiques market in 2024, compared with $13.3 billion in 2021.[7]
  • $4.7 billion was the combined first-half public-auction sales of Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Phillips and Bonhams in 2024.[7]
  • $193 million was Sotheby’s online-only sales value in the first half of 2024, down 15% year on year.[7]
  • $387 million was Phillips’ aggregate sales value in the first half of 2024, down 9% year on year.[7]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Online-only participation in fine-art lots was 22% in 2025, and global Old Masters auction sales reached $1.2 billion in 2025.

Product lifecycle in the antique industry

  • 22% of fine-art auction lots sold globally were online-only in 2025, down 8% year on year.[7]
  • 15% of global art-market sales were online-only in 2025, down from the pandemic peak of 25% in 2020.[7]
  • $9.2 billion in online art-and-antiques sales was recorded globally in 2025, down from $10.5 billion in 2024.[7]

Value proposition in the antique industry

  • $1.2 billion in global Old Masters auction sales was recorded in 2025, up 30% year on year.[7]
  • 54% of global fine-art auction value came from works priced above $1 million in 2025, although such works represented less than 1% of transactions.[7]
  • 80 European Old Masters sold for more than $1 million at auction in 2025, compared with 37 in 2024.[7]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Legal provenance improved in the 2006–2014 window, with 78% of Egyptian antiquities auction lots having legal provenance.

Ethics in the antique industry

  • 35% of Classical antiquities auction lots had legal provenance in 2006–2014, up from 14% in 1996–2005.[8]
  • 33% of Western Asiatic antiquities auction lots had legal provenance in 2006–2014, up from 19% in 1996–2005.[8]
  • 5% of Egyptian antiquities auction lots had no date recorded in 2006–2014, down from 60% in 1996–2005.[8]
  • 78% of Egyptian antiquities auction lots had legal provenance in 2006–2014, up from 30% in 1996–2005.[8]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Cross-border trade concentrates in major hubs, with top import markets representing 58% of global value in 2024 and the U.S., China including Hong Kong, and the U.K. together holding that share.

Globalization in the antique industry

  • 76% of global art sales by value came from the United States, United Kingdom and China in 2025.[12]
  • $10.2 billion was the value of US art and antiques exports in 2025, down 1% year-on-year.[12]
  • $9.9 billion was the value of US art and antiques imports in 2025, up 13% year-on-year.[12]
  • 80% of Chairish’s 2024 revenue came from the United States and 20% from Europe before its acquisition by Auction Technology Group.[14]

Cultural adaptation in the antique industry

  • 40% of Gen Z collectors inherited works, compared with 28% of collectors overall citing family as their primary route into collecting.[12]
  • 37% of US art and antiques imports in 2025 were associated with the market’s international cross-border trade hub role, measured by the reported 13% annual increase to $9.9 billion.[12]
  • 48% of Gen Z collectors ranked uniqueness and rarity as the most important aspect of ownership, versus 38% of Baby Boomers.[12]

Stakeholder management in the antique industry

  • 43% of dealers expected sales to improve in 2026, while 38% expected stable performance and 19% anticipated decline.[13]
  • 56% of dealers reported that tariffs negatively affected their business in 2025, while 1% reported a positive impact.[12]
  • 23% of high-net-worth collectors planned to donate works to museums in the coming year, according to the 2026 global collecting survey.[12]

Distribution channels in the antique industry

  • 27% of high-net-worth collectors’ total expenditure on art and antiques went through dealers in 2024/2025.[7]
  • 51% of collectors who bought from dealers made at least one purchase via Instagram without viewing the work in person in 2024/2025.[7]
  • 16% of dealer turnover came from online sales in 2025, while art fairs accounted for 35%.[12]
  • 58% of high-net-worth collectors purchased through art fairs in 2024/2025, up from 39% in 2023.[7]
  • 83% of high-net-worth collectors bought through a gallery, dealer, social-media channel or art fair in 2024/2025.[7]

Key questions about the antique industry

What is the 2026 market size for antiques and collectibles?
The global antiques and collectibles market is estimated at $156.3 billion in 2026.
How fast is the market expected to grow after 2026?
The forecast CAGR is 4.4% for 2026–2035, reaching $229.7 billion by 2035.
Which companies lead the antique industry?
Sotheby's stands out for auction activity across online-only and live formats because it projected $7 billion in consolidated sales for 2025, while Christie's focuses on Old Masters auctions since it reported $182 million in Old Masters sales for 2025.
What technology shifts affect how buyers transact in the antiques market?
Online art and antiques sales were $9.2 billion in 2025, down from $10.5 billion in 2024, showing digital demand remains significant but volatile.
How concentrated is value in auctions, and how does that differ online versus offline?
In 2025, lots priced above $1 million accounted for 56% of offline auction value but only 2% of online-only auction value.
Which compliance and regulatory factors most directly affect antique and cultural-property trade?
The UNESCO 1970 Convention covers antiquities more than 100 years old, and the EU required import licences or importer statements through the centralised electronic system starting 28 June 2025.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Antique Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/antique-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Antique Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 11 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/antique-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Antique Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/antique-industry-statistics.

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