Details
Catawiki is a European online auction platform that specialises in the sale of unique, rare, and collectible items. Founded in the Netherlands, it connects buyers and sellers through weekly curated auctions across categories such as art, watches, jewellery, classic cars, design objects, and collectibles.
The platform operates differently from traditional marketplaces by using in-house experts who review and select items before they are listed for auction. This curation process is intended to ensure quality and authenticity, with thousands of submitted items being rejected each week if they do not meet standards.
Catawiki runs timed online auctions where users place bids over a set period, typically around one week. Once an auction closes, the highest bidder wins and the seller ships the item directly. The platform handles payments through a secure system to protect both buyers and sellers.
The company focuses on making special and hard-to-find objects accessible to a global audience while maintaining a structured, curated auction environment rather than an open marketplace model.