Buying & auctions
What is a condition report and what must it include?
A condition report is a written description of an object's state, compiled by the auction house or seller before sale. It must include: high-resolution photos (including RAW files to defeat retouching), measurements verified with a ruler, macro shots of marks/signatures/joints/backs/undersides, strong light AND backlight images, a written declaration of all restorations and replaced parts, and video when structure or transparency matters. It is the only proof that bridges a digital clue to a purchase decision.
The Method's take
The Method treats catalog descriptions as clues, never proof — they are often wrong. A condition report is the gate: if the seller is evasive, slow, or delivers worse detail than the catalog, that response is data. You either get enough to judge the piece as if you were standing in front of it, or you do not bid. Complaining after waiving due diligence is unprofessional — refunds rarely come; litigation and locked capital do.
The math
A missed restoration, a wrong attribution, or a concealed defect costs €3,000–€30,000 on a single piece — the mistake you cannot see from catalog photos. A detailed condition report requested before bidding costs you ten minutes and zero euros. The 24-hour Insider pass costs €100 and includes the exact CR request email per category, the questions that expose evasion, and the red-flag checklist that reads what the seller does not write.
One question answered here saved you a mistake. The engine answers yours — the exact object, the exact number.
Ask the engine — 24h pass €100