“WE THOUGHT THE protest was an extremely dignified one. They could not have done it in a nicer way,” said Graham Llewellyn, deputy chairman of Sotheby’s and auctioneer at a silver sale in 1975 after a walk-out of silver dealers during an auction following the introduction of the 10 per cent buyer’s “premium”, or fee.
Though this event nearly half a century ago was certainly from a different era, it marked shift in how business is done to the buyer. Surely, it makes sense to ask the to pay a fee.
