Consignment vs Direct Purchase for Wine and Spirits

Two Main Approaches

Sellers of wine and spirits generally have two paths. Consignment to an auction house, or direct sale to a buyer.

There is no universally right answer. The best choice depends on what you value most. Do you want the highest possible price and can wait months? Or do you want a known price, faster payment, and simpler logistics?

Understanding the trade-offs helps you decide.

Auction Consignment Explained

With consignment, you ship your bottles to an auction house. They photograph, catalog, and include them in an upcoming sale. Buyers bid, and you receive proceeds minus fees after the auction closes.

Auction houses typically charge seller commissions of ten to twenty-five percent. Some also charge buyer premiums, which can reduce final hammer prices.

The timeline from submission to payment is often three to six months. Auctions are scheduled periodically, and payment is issued after buyers pay.

• Seller fees typically ten to twenty-five percent
• Timeline of three to six months to payment
• Final price uncertain until bidding ends
• Bottles must be shipped to auction house
• Minimum lot values may apply

Direct Sale Explained

With direct sale, a buyer evaluates your collection and makes an offer. If you accept, you ship the bottles or coordinate pickup, and receive payment after verification.

Proof Cellars operates as a direct buyer. We charge no seller fees. You receive the full offer amount.

The timeline is faster. Offers typically come within one to three business days. Payment is issued one to two weeks after we receive and verify the bottles.

• No seller fees
• Known price before you commit
• Timeline of one to three weeks to payment
• Shipping coordinated by buyer
• No minimum lot requirements

Comparing the Options

The core trade-off is between price potential and certainty. Auctions may achieve higher prices for rare items with active bidding, but you will not know the final price until the auction ends. Direct sale provides a known price upfront.

Fees also differ significantly. Auction seller fees reduce your proceeds by ten to twenty-five percent. Direct buyers like Proof Cellars charge no seller fees.

Timeline matters for many sellers. Auctions require patience. Direct sale works better for sellers who need liquidity or have a deadline.

When Consignment Makes Sense

Auction consignment may be the right choice for specific situations. Very rare bottles with active collector demand can sometimes achieve premium prices at auction.

If you have no time pressure and want to test the market, consignment allows you to see what bidders will pay. Some sellers are comfortable with uncertainty in exchange for upside potential.

Large, museum-quality collections with exceptional provenance may benefit from auction cataloging and marketing.

• Rare bottles with known collector demand
• No urgency for payment
• Comfort with uncertain final price
• Collection justifies auction cataloging effort

When Direct Sale Makes Sense

Direct sale makes sense for most sellers. If you want a known price, faster payment, no fees, and simpler logistics, direct sale delivers on all of these.

Sellers with deadlines, those handling estates, and anyone who values certainty over speculation typically prefer direct sale.

Mixed collections with a range of values often work better with direct sale. Auction houses may decline lower-value items or charge higher fees for smaller lots.

• You want a known price before committing
• You have a timeline or deadline
• You prefer not to pay seller fees
• You want simpler logistics
• Your collection includes a range of values