Online-only sales of fine art at Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Phillips, Bonhams, and Artnet Auctions reached $423.9 million in 2025, an 8 percent increase from 2024. The number of lots sold remained steady at 29,623, but the average price per work rose 8.6 percent to $14,309. Sales were 270 percent higher than in 2019, before the pandemic accelerated the shift to digital auctions. Christie’s reported that 63 percent of new buyers in 2025 made their first purchase online.
This growth matters because it signals that online auctions are not just a pandemic-era stopgap but a permanent, expanding channel for art sales. The high proportion of first-time buyers entering the market through digital platforms suggests that online sales are successfully broadening the collector base, which could reshape how galleries and auction houses approach client acquisition and pricing strategies in the years ahead.