Bonhams

Bonhams is the world's third largest auction house and is uniquely in English ownership.

Bonhams has a smart-looking website which is easy to use, giving you access to sales' catalagues online, with images for each lot, along with sale dates, valuation days and a good deal more. Registering on the site enables you to keep informed of recent sales, track searches and save items, as well as bid online.

Bonhams was started in 1793 and through a number of acquisitions has become the auction giant that it is today. Bonhams & Butterfields (as it is formally known) pioneered online evaluation, showing the rest of the field how it is done.