Editor’s Note
As the global economy cools, the auction market shows signs of stabilization after a two-year slowdown. Christie’s latest figures reveal a steady first half of 2025, with turnover holding at $2.1 billion—unchanged from the previous year. This plateau suggests a market finding its footing amid broader uncertainty.
Against the backdrop of a slowing global economy, the auction market has cooled for two consecutive years since 2023 and is now gradually returning to stability. International auction house leader Christie’s disclosed on the evening of July 15 that its global auction turnover for the first half of 2025 reached $2.1 billion, remaining flat compared to the same period in 2024.
Among all business categories, the Luxury segment stood out with sales surging 29% year-on-year to $468 million. This significant growth was primarily driven by Christie’s acquisition of Gooding & Company, a leader in the collector car auction industry, in September 2024, which boosted the vintage and collector car business. Excluding the car auction business from Gooding Christie’s, the actual growth rate for traditional luxury businesses such as jewelry, watches, wine, and luxury handbags was 12%.
Christie’s CEO Bonnie Brennan stated:
The report also highlights that over 30% of Christie’s clients in the first half were from the ‘Post-00s’ generation (born after 2000).