Quickstart: how to sell whisky

Most marketplaces and many social media platforms do not allow spirits to be sold. Therefore, using our specialised auction platform is the best choice for selling your valuable whisky.
Step 1

Register account

Of course you must have an European Whisky Auctions account before you can sell whisky through our platform. Registration costs €5 (excluding VAT) to authenticate users. The registration fee is a one-off, non-refundable fee.

By creating an account you automatically agree to our terms of use (for sellers). When you create your account, we will also ask you to confirm your e-mail address. In order to sell whisky, you must also provide your bank account details and verify these with our Payment partner.

After setting up your seller account and configuring your shipping rates, you are ready to register bottles for one of our auctions.

Step 2

You or us?

Important:

Is the expected hammer price of a bottle 1500 euros or higher? Then it is always us. Contact us for more information.

Most online auctions offer only one way to auction your bottles. Either you do everything yourself, or you leave the work to the auctioneers. European Whisky Auctions has a unique position here. With us you can do both!

On the one hand you have the possibility to do everything yourself. You are then responsible for registering the bottle, taking pictures and sending the bottle to the buyer. Of course, we will guide you through the entire process.

Too much work? No problem. We offer a hassle-free auction service where we do all the work for you. Just send us your bottles and we take care of everything. We take professional photos, write attractive texts about the bottles, do the listing and ship the bottles to the buyers. And all that for a very small amount of money . All you have to do is watch the bids come in...

So, choose... You or us...

Step 3

Register bottles

Registering your bottles isn't that hard. On the contrary, we have made the process as easy as possible. Simply sign in to your account and click the 'register bottles' link.

Fill in the form as completely as possible. It is important that you accurately describe any damage to the bottle or packaging. We also need to know if the bottle is no longer complete (e.g. the packaging is missing). When registering, you can indicate whether you want to set a reserve price or not. This allows you to set a minimum hammer price for the sale. Please note that there are costs involved with setting a reserve price.

Are you going to auction several bottles? You can also submit your bottles in an Excel list and we will take care of the registration. Please contact us for more information .

The next steps depend on the choice you made in step 2.

Step 4

Make stunning photo`s

Good photos are important for getting a good return for your bottle of whisky. Many buyers look at the photos first before they start bidding. In addition, good photos can prevent buyers from being dissatisfied afterwards because they received something other than what was visible in the photo.

What should you pay attention to when taking photos? Good lighting, sharp photos and make sure the bottle is clearly visible. Also make sure that no other things are visible in the photo. This will distract attention from the bottle.

At least the following photos must be taken:

  • Overview photo of bottle and packaging together
  • Photo of the front of the bottle
  • Photo of the back of the bottle
  • Close-up of the cap (cork) with seal (from all sides)
  • Photo of the bottom of the bottle
  • Photos of any damage

See our photography tips for more information. Please also note the minimum dimensions of the pictures. Take photos like a pro! Is this difficult for you? Or don't have the time? Then you might want to consider our auction service.

Step 5

Auction

Once registration is complete and photos have been uploaded or we have received the bottles (depending on your choice), we will schedule the bottle for one of the upcoming auctions. Below you can see the upcoming auctions. Registration must be completed before the deadline or the bottle will be moved to the next auction.

A listing fee applies for each bottle included in the auction. This is an administrative fee for checking and listing the bottle. If the bottle is not sold, it can be re-listed once at no additional cost.

Auction Starts Ends Bottle deadline
June 2023 16-06-2023 25-06-2023 09-06-2023
July 2023 21-07-2023 30-07-2023 14-07-2023

After the auction is closed, you will receive a message from us with instructions for the next steps.

Step 6

Prepare for shipment

If you have chosen to handle everything yourself, you can prepare the bottle for shipment as soon as you have received notice from us that your bottle has been sold. The buyer then has already received payment instructions. As soon as we have received the payment, we will inform you that you can send the package. In the bottle tracker you will find all the information you need.

Within three days of receiving the package, the buyer must let us know whether everything is fine or not. After three days, we assume that everything was ok. We will then arrange the pay-out.

Pack the whisky carefully! Also read our tips for wrapping bottles . As an extra service we have made a comparison of parcel deliverers and their conditions. Use it to your advantage!

Step 7

Payment

At the end of the auction you will receive an invoice from us with the proceeds of the bottle (the hammer price) and the auction fees that we will charge you.

These auction costs can consist of:

  • A listing fee of € 2,00 per lot
  • A reserve price fee of € 6,50 per lot (optional)
  • A sales commission of 5% of the hammer price
  • 21% VAT on the fees and auction commission (no VAT applies to the hammer price)

Please note that for international transactions, your bank may charge you for transfer costs. You can find all our pricing here .

Do you have any questions left? Please don't forget to check out our
frequently asked questions on selling whisky.