Dion Abadi: Buyer's Premium Tip for Auction Collectors
· 12 sec · YouTube Short
Always ask about the buyer’s premium before you bid, so you know what the lot will really cost.
Related: Buyer’s premium at auction: what to check before you bid
Book by Dion Abadi
Beyond the Gavel
Art, Jewelry & Watches as Investments — History, Hype, and How the Smart Money Looks
A skeptical look at art, jewelry, and watches as possible stores of value, and at the hype that often surrounds them.
- Author
- Dion Abadi
- Kindle edition
- September 21, 2026 · 222 pages
- Publisher (per Amazon)
- Dion Abadi Auctions
- ASIN
- B0HKHL2J1M
- Details
- English
Publication details as listed on Amazon (checked October 2, 2026).
What the book covers
Beyond the Gavel looks at art, jewelry, and watches as possible stores of value, and at the market hype that can make unique objects look like liquid, easily traded assets. It is written from the auctioneer’s side of the rostrum, where a sale is less like an earnings report and more like a room full of taste, hope, competition, and invoices.
It is not a get-rich guide and not financial advice. Instead, it explains what “return” really means for an object you live with, why price indices and record-setting lots can mislead, and what tends to drive secondary-market prices for jewelry and watches.
The author is open about a conflict of interest: busy salerooms are good for the auction trade. What the book declines to sell is certainty. Its message is that past performance is not a forecast, and that the enjoyment of owning a beautiful object is a real benefit even if it does not belong in a financial statement.
The book states that it is not financial, legal, or tax advice. Collectibles can be illiquid and risky; consult qualified professionals before committing money.
Major topics
What “return” means
- Hammer price vs. price realized
- Fees and carrying costs
- Opportunity cost
Markets and hype
- Repeat-sales indices and blue-chip baskets as research tools
- Record lots and the lottery-ticket problem
- Bubbles, buy-ins, and downturns
- Art funds: contested returns, fee stacks, and lockups
Jewelry and watches
- Jewelry: melt value vs. brand value
- Diamonds after the “forever” marketing
- Watches: grey-market pressure, provenance, and what drives secondary prices
Practical sense
- Sizing a collectibles allocation honestly
About the author
Dion Abadi is an Atlanta-based art and jewelry auctioneer, author and collector educator. He holds auctioneer licenses in Georgia (AU002953), Florida (AU2762) and South Carolina (3304), and he publishes free collector tips and short videos about buying at auction.
Related collector tips
Related YouTube Shorts
Dion Abadi: How to Read Auction Estimates | Collector Tip
· 30 sec · YouTube Short
What the low and high estimate mean, why they are guidance rather than a guarantee, how to plan with buyer’s premium, and when to ask the auction house.
Dion Abadi: What a Reserve Price Means at Auction
· 12 sec · YouTube Short
A brief explanation of reserve prices and what they mean for bidders.
Dion Abadi: After the Hammer Falls
· 30 sec · YouTube Short
Winning the lot is only halfway. Know the payment window, separate the hammer price from the full invoice, plan pickup, and get shipping terms in writing.
Related: After the hammer falls: payment, pickup, and shipping
Also by Dion Abadi
- The Collector’s Guide to Art, Jewelry, Watches & Auctions: A practical handbook for buying and collecting art, jewelry, gemstones, and watches, and for understanding how auctions work.