The Collecting Group Marks Milestones For Cars And Watches

Following on from a record year in 2022 where we helped more than 5,000 sellers to find new homes for their cars, bikes, automobilia and watches, The Collecting Group is celebrating more milestones for both auction platforms. Collecting Cars has now sold more than 10,000 auction lots since launching in 2019, while Watch Collecting has notched up more than 2,000 sales of collectible timepieces.

With the first auctions launching in mid-2019, Collecting Cars disrupted a decades-old business model by moving the high-end auction experience entirely online, offering a free-to-list and free-to-sell process, and delivering significantly better value for both buyers and sellers. By September that year, the platform had sold more than £1 million worth of consignments, and by June 2020 we were listing more than 100 cars a month. Dedicated offices in Germany and Australia were opened in the first months of 2021, and the launch of Watch Collecting followed later that year.

The marketplaces have flourished since then, with over 100,000 registered members including bidders in more than 90 countries worldwide. Beyond The Collecting Group’s headquarters in the UK, there are also dedicated offices in Australia, Germany, Sweden, and a strategic partnership in the UAE.

On Collecting Cars, the best-selling brand is Porsche, with more than 1,500 cars sold to date, including more than 1,000 examples of the 911 from all generations. Highlights among these include Jenson Button’s 964 Turbo 3.6 ‘X88’ (£317,464), an as-new example of the acclaimed 997 GT3 RS 4.0 (£430,00), and an exceptionally rare 964 Carrera 4 ‘Leichtbau’ - one of just 22 built (€581,464). The ‘Sold’ section also includes some very high-value supercars, such as the McLaren P1 sold in the US ($1,600,888), and a Koenigsegg Agera S in Hong Kong (£1,006,888).

In 2022, Watch Collecting sold more than £24 million worth of auction lots for its sellers, and to date it has now sold more than 2,000 timepieces. Among these are 972 Rolexes, 184 Patek Philippes, and 115 watches by Audemars Piguet.

Star lots include a 1954 Rolex Submariner 6200, a beautifully preserved example from a production run of around 300 watches (£205,500); a 1993 Rolex 16613 Lapis Dial Submariner with its striking wafer-thin slice of polished Lapis Lazuli stone (£64,200); and a stunning 2021 Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1300A with olive green dial and 32 flawless baguette diamonds (US$725,000).

For nearly four years, all of our car and watch consignment specialists, our operations team, listings team, marketing and customer services teams, have been completely focused on one common goal – to deliver the best possible service for both buyers and sellers. While the marketplaces are global, we use the talents within our team to make the customer experience as ‘local’ as possible, giving people confidence to buy and sell with us, wherever they are in the world.

To that end, our car listings will be further enhanced during 2023, with more technology used to give bidders even more clarity on condition and history. Furthermore, Managed Service partners are now in place in the UK, the Netherlands, Australia and the US to act as an auction concierge. On the Watch Collecting platform, our new Buyer Protection feature was rolled out in November 2022, and the Managed Service gives sellers even less to do to find a new home for their collectible watch.

Since launch, The Collecting Group has always been about more than just buying and selling online. Collecting Cars and Watch Collecting have become thriving communities of enthusiasts, and we are grateful to all of our followers who spread the word and everyone who comes to our events. We hope to see you at one of our Coffee Runs soon!