Heritage Art Auctions

Live Art Auction

Heritage Art Auctions is a Whanganui based Art Auction House featuring quarterly art auctions, both online and offline. It is planned to hold auctions mid-March / June / September & December.

Online auctions will normally begin prior to the ‘live’ auction. Lower value items will be auctioned exclusively online. Higher value and more interesting items will begin online and terminate with the ‘live’ auction.

Heritage Art Auctions is the only totally dedicated ‘art auction’ house outside of Auckland. Most other auctioneers are either general in nature (with occasional art and antique sales) or are specialist in another field (eg Cars or Cattle).

Although based in Whanganui, we are just a short distance from 5 major cities (Wellington, Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Hastings and Napier) the furthest being no more than a little over 3 hours driving away. Auctions will generally be held on a Saturday afternoon enabling bidders to make a day trip from outlying cities – with enough time for pre-auction viewing.

Online bidding means that Heritage Art Auctions is open to receiving bids in real-time from anywhere in the world where there is internet access. Those who are unable to bid in real-time (eg because of time differences) can leave auto-bids on the auction platform. In this way the auctioneer has no idea what the bidder’s maximum bid will be as the platform places bids as if the bidder was actually present.

About Us: Heritage Art Auctions is owned by Henry Newrick, Director of Heritage Arts. Henry has been dealing in art since his university days over 55 years ago. He was the founder of National Business Review (NBR) and author of NZ Art Auction Records (1973) as well as the NZ Art & Antiques Yearbook which was published through the 1970s/1980s. His grandfather, Harry Newrick ran the Sarjeant Gallery in Wanganui for almost 25 years until his retirement in 1950 at the age of 85. Prior to arriving in New Zealand in 1921 Harry Newrick was a highly regarded mount-cutter in England having come 2nd in a national mount-cutting contest in 1897 celebrating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. His two winning entries are shown below.

Vendors: One of the benefits of selling through Heritage Art is our very attractive commission rate (just 12.5% on items selling for $500 or more). We also offer a ‘trade’ rate to art/antique dealers & registered charities. Sellers are assured of a prompt pay-out following any auction.

Buyers: Our Buyer’s premium is at the low end of the scale being just 15% + GST on purchases.

Mailing List: So that you are kept up to date with forthcoming auctions including upcoming art (paintings, watercolours, prints, photographs) for sale we invite you to join our mailing list. The big advantage of being on the list is that before long I hope to publish an updated version of NZ Art Auction Records – almost 50 years on from the first edition which came out in 1973.

The new edition will track art prices and trends over the period 1970-2020 (50 years) and as a special bonus to those on our mailing list we offer THREE (3) free simple valuations on any New Zealand or Australian works you would like to submit. The book will sell for $25 and for those NOT on our mailing list, simple valuations will be available at $17.50 each (or 3 for $50). Join mailing list, visit the website.