When should we send the catalogue email?

A simple rhythm works well: announce the catalogue as soon as it is online, send a short reminder the day before viewing opens, and a last call on the morning of the sale. You can write all three when the catalogue is ready and schedule them, so they go out on time while you prepare the sale. Our guide to the best time to send helps you choose the day and hour.

Can art collectors and furniture buyers get different emails?

Yes, with lists. Create one list per collecting area, for example paintings, furniture and design, or jewellery and watches, and add each contact to the lists that match their interests. A contact can be on several lists. When you send, you pick which lists get the email. Minutemailer has no tags and does not filter on custom field values, so lists are how you split your audience. See our guide to importing and organizing contacts .

Does Minutemailer connect to our auction or bidding platform?

No, there is no direct integration with auction or catalogue systems. Most auction houses export bidders and buyers as a CSV or Excel file and import it into Minutemailer, collect new subscribers with a signup form on their website, or connect their own systems through the API or Zapier. Our list building guide has more ways to grow your list.

How do we show many lots in one email?

Use a column layout to place two or three lots side by side, each with a photo, lot number, short title, estimate and a link to the lot in your online catalogue. Pick 6 to 12 highlights for the email and link to the full catalogue for the rest. Save the layout as a template and reuse it for every sale. Our newsletter templates guide shows how.

Can we follow up with people who showed interest?

Yes. With retargeting you can send a new email to everyone who opened or clicked in a specific earlier email, for example a last-call reminder to those who clicked in the catalogue email. Retargeting works on the whole email, not on individual links, so you cannot see who clicked a particular lot. Read more in our retargeting guide .

Newsletters that fill your viewing days and saleroom

Announce catalogues, invite bidders to viewings and share results with the collectors who care about each sale.

Email marketing for auction houses

Every sale starts with the same question: will the right people see the catalogue in time? Collectors, dealers and regular bidders want to know what is coming up, but few of them check your website every week. A newsletter puts the catalogue, the viewing dates and the best lots straight in their inbox, right when they need to plan a visit or register to bid.

The challenge for auction houses

Putting together a good sale takes weeks of work. Making sure the right buyers notice it is a job of its own.

The window is short. Between catalogue release and the sale there is often only a week or two. If bidders hear about a sale after viewing has closed, the chance is gone.
Your buyers collect different things. Someone who buys Scandinavian modern furniture doesn’t want every email about coins and stamps. Sending everything to everyone teaches people to stop opening.
Social media is hit and miss. A post about a strong lot reaches only part of your followers, and rarely at the moment they are planning their week.
Every sale needs new consignments. The people who might sell are often the same people who buy, but only if you remind them that you are accepting objects.
Good results go unseen. Strong prices are your best advertising, yet they often sit on a results page nobody visits.

How Minutemailer helps auction houses

Minutemailer is a simple newsletter tool. You build your email in a drag-and-drop editor, choose which lists should get it, and send it now or schedule it for the right moment. You don’t need a marketing department or any technical skills.

Useful features for auction houses

A list for each collecting area: Keep separate lists for art, furniture and design, jewellery and watches, or books and prints. A contact can be on several lists, and you choose which lists get each email.
Column layouts for lots: Place two or three lots side by side, each with a photo, lot number, estimate and a link to your online catalogue.
Scheduled sends: Write the viewing reminder when the catalogue is done and schedule it to go out the day before viewing opens.
Retargeting: Send a follow-up only to people who opened or clicked in an earlier email, such as a last call to everyone who clicked in the catalogue email.
Open and click tracking: See who opened each email and who clicked in it, so you know which collectors are paying attention.
Signup forms: Each list has its own signup form and signup page, so you can put an art form on your art pages and a furniture form on your furniture pages.
Catalogues as downloads: On paid plans you can add a PDF, such as the printed catalogue or your terms of sale, and readers get a download button in the email.
Autopilot: With Autopilot a welcome email goes out on its own to every new subscriber, and a win-back email can reach people who have stopped opening your newsletters.

Email ideas for auction houses

The catalogue announcement Subject line: “The spring sale catalogue is online: 240 lots of art and design” Lead with one or two standout lots, add a grid of highlights, and give the dates for viewing and the sale. End with one clear button to the full catalogue.

The viewing reminder Subject line: “Viewing opens tomorrow. See the lots in person” Send it the day before viewing starts. Include opening hours, the address and a few lots that are worth seeing up close.

Last call before the sale Subject line: “Bidding closes tonight from 7 pm” A short email on sale day for online and timed auctions. Send it to everyone, or use retargeting to reach only those who clicked in the catalogue email.

Results after the sale Subject line: “Results from our autumn sale” Share the top results, a photo of the most talked-about lot and a thank-you to buyers and sellers. Results show collectors and future sellers what you can achieve.

Call for consignments Subject line: “We are now accepting consignments for the March sale” Tell readers what you are looking for, when the deadline is and how to book a free valuation. Send it to your whole list: many buyers also have something to sell.

The specialist’s pick Subject line: “Five lots our silver specialist would not miss” A personal email from one of your specialists. It gives the sale a face and gives collectors a reason to look closer.

Building image-heavy lot emails

Auction emails live and die by their pictures. A few habits keep them clear on both desktop and mobile:

Use a two or three column grid for highlights. Put the photo first, then lot number, a short title and the estimate. Two columns are easier to read on a phone.
Use consistent photos. Crop all images to the same shape so the grid looks calm and tidy. Our guide on images in emails has more tips.
Show highlights, not everything. Pick the lots most likely to make people click and link to the full catalogue for the rest.
Save your layout as a template. Build the grid once, then swap images and text for each sale. See our newsletter templates guide.
Repeat the key dates. Put viewing and sale dates near the top and again next to the button at the bottom.

Tips for auction house newsletters

Ask people what they collect. When someone signs up or registers to bid, ask which areas interest them and add them to the matching lists.
Send on a schedule bidders can rely on. The same rhythm for every sale (catalogue, viewing reminder, last call, results) makes your emails something collectors look out for.
Keep each email focused. One sale per email works better than a newsletter that covers three sales at once.
Make the subject line specific. “Nordic design, 18 May” says more than “Our next auction”. Our subject line guide has more tips.
Only email people who agreed to it. Collect consent when people sign up or register to bid. Our GDPR guide for newsletters explains the basics.

Perfect for:

Fine art and antiques auction houses
Regional and country auction houses
Online and timed auctions
Design, furniture and interior auctions
Jewellery, watch and silver specialists
Book, stamp and coin auctions
Wine and collectibles auctions
Estate and house clearance auctions

Getting started in three simple steps

Import your contacts. Export bidders, buyers and subscribers from your auction system or spreadsheet as a CSV or Excel file and import them into lists by collecting area. Add a subscribe form to your website to keep the lists growing.
Build your catalogue email. Choose a template, add your highlight lots in columns, and include the viewing and sale dates. Schedule it to go out when the catalogue is published.
Follow up. Check who opened and clicked, send the viewing reminder and last call, and share the results after the sale.

You pay for the emails you send, not for the number of contacts you store. See our pricing to find a plan that fits your sales calendar.