For over 40 years, Vancouver’s trusted auction house has connected passionate collectors from around the world with outstanding works of art, achieving sales exceeding $1 billion. Heffel has also become a leader in effectively managing and handling estates, helping families navigate the complex process of settling inherited collections with precision and care.
Heffel Fine Art Auction House was established in 1995, and its inaugural live auction grossed over $1 million. This milestone was the beginning of Heffel’s path to bringing museum-quality masterpieces to the auction block. Over the next 20 years Heffel continued to expand, opening offices in Toronto and Ottawa, and dividing its semi-annual live auctions between Toronto and Vancouver.
Why Vancouver’s Trusted Auction House Is a Top Choice
The early 2000s brought Heffel to new heights, as the company began offering more specialized auctions focusing on artworks and periods of interest. By 2008, Heffel grew even more, and separated its semi-annual live auctions into two separate sessions: Canadian Post-War & Contemporary Art and Fine Canadian Art.
In the same year, Heffel introduced Heffel Online 2 (HO2), a high volume online auction platform catering to high net worth individuals and corporations. Since its inception, HO2 has successfully marketed and sold high-value artworks on behalf of BP Canada, Xerox Canada Limited, DuPont Canada, and Imperial Oil Limited.
When considering a local auction house, Luke suggests attending a few sales to see what types of items they specialize in and to find out whether the houses promote their auctions and how well they sell. He also recommends finding out if the auctioneers allow reserves, which are prices below which an item will not sell, and asking the house how long they will wait to pay sellers.
