Reading the market needs no inside knowledge — only public hammer records read together. Three signals this season worth recording.
Signal 1: the gap between estimate and hammer is widening
Fine pieces increasingly clear at or above the upper estimate — buyer competition exceeds promoted supply. For sellers, this is the window to bring out the good things.
Signal 2: younger buyers are shifting taste
Literati objects, tea and incense utensils, scholar's desk items are bidding hotter — driven by younger collectors. Re-tier such holdings; old templates no longer apply.
Signal 3: the provenance gap keeps widening
Same type, published versus blank provenance — the hammer gap now exceeds double. Every hour spent assembling provenance files pays.
Three matching actions
- Holding fine pieces: finish the written assessment and book the next promotion slot.
- Holding literati objects: re-tier to the new buyers' taste.
- Provenance files unfinished: organise first, sell second.
