About Waddington’s Auctioneers & Appraisers

Waddington’s is Canada’s Auction & Appraisal Company

providing expert advice to Canadian and international clients for 174 years

In addition to our core fine arts departments, which include Asian, Canadian, Contemporary, International, Indigenous and Inuit Art, Decorative Arts and Design, Fine Jewellery, and Fine Wine and Spirits – we are also renowned for our ability to find or create markets for unique collections and estates such as the contents of Maple Leaf Gardens, Toller Cranston’s Toronto Collection, The William Jamieson Estate Collection, the FXSmith Studio Collection, the Estate of Richard LaPrairie, and many others.

Waddington’s also assists major corporations across Canada to understand the value of their corporate art collections and determining strategies to manage or downsize their collection assets.

Our team of experienced specialists looks forward to assisting you with virtually everything you may want to sell, buy or have appraised.

Whether you need our assistance with a single item, an estate or corporate collection, we look forward to working with you.

Our Access to World Markets

When you become a client of Waddington’s, we give you access to our vast domestic and international networks. Our ability to cross-market unique collecting interests across our departments truly sets us apart from our competition. Our clients bid with confidence because they trust the expertise of our specialists’ research and our detailed cataloguing. Each catalogue is also available online, providing multiple online images of each piece allowing for thorough examination. Pre-auction public previews provide further opportunity for closer examination for anyone interested in visiting our gallery prior to the auction.

Our Auctions

Our auctions include a diverse range of items for domestic and worldwide clients. We conduct some 100 auctions throughout the year averaging over $20 million in sales through our auction platform. The convenience of our online auction technology provides anytime, anywhere access to a variety of monthly online auctions of eclectic collections, themes, and mainstream collectibles and fine art.

Private Sales

In addition to our auctions, Waddington’s is pleased to assist with confidential sales when timing or privacy are factors for our clients. With our extensive network of domestic and international clients, we are able to expertly facilitate private sales to best meet your needs.

Appraisals

The first step is understanding what it is really worth.

From a single item, to an estate or a corporate collection, we have the expertise to help our clients make informed decisions. We provide comprehensive written appraisals with objective, justified values that can be prepared to ISA and USPAP standards. We can also provide verbal appraisals when circumstances warrant a more informal, lower cost approach.

We can provide an accurate appraisal for the following:

  • Corporate Collection Management
  • Estate Planning and Tax Reporting
  • Insurance Coverage or Loss/Damage Claims
  • Equitable Distribution
  • Charitable Donation
  • Donation of Certified Cultural Property
  • Bankruptcy, Divorce or Partnership Dissolution
Downsizing, Estate & Corporate Collection Management

We can provide helpful advice and market guidance when dealing with a large project such as downsizing, or managing an estate or corporate collection. It’s hard to know where to start, which is why we recommend our “Walkabout” service, which is an informal verbal appraisal. If you require a formal document and inventory listing, we can help with that too.

Community and Philanthropy

Social good is an important part of our business philosophy. For over 60 years, we have donated our time, services and expertise in support of a wide range of charitable organizations. From conducting major event auctions to fundraising appraisal clinics, our team combines personal passion and skills to create real impact in the community. Our network of knowledgeable collectors, nurtured relationships and our online platform, allows us to assist the non-profit sector.