A Dutch internet auction site is expanding its operation to entice more bidders in Britain.
Catawiki is to launch in the UK, letting bids be made in sterling, as part of its efforts to access the world’s largest market for collectibles.
The sites co-founder, Rene Schoenmakers, said the UK is also the biggest market in Europe for online shopping.
He said the auction site already has a "small but very active community of UK bidders", which has made Britain its fourth largest market.
Bidding in sterling and a new staff of 20 staff in the UK are designed to increase that community.
Catawiki has already expanded into Germany, France, Belgium, Spain and Italy.
"We are in the unique position of being able to fill the gap between Ebay and the more traditional auction houses," Mr Schoenmakers said of Catawiki, now in its seventh year.
While not trying to outpace Christie’s or Sotheby’s, he said that customers are increasingly willing to bid on more expensive items.
So far, Catawiki’s most expensive lot was a 1960 Porsche which sold for €165,000.
Catawiki's auctions begin every Friday at midday and all lots start at €1 in Europe and £1 in the UK.
There are more than 25,000 lots each week with some 12 million visitors every month to the site.
The company charges the buyer 9% and the seller 12.5% of the sale price.
Amongst the weird and wonderful items for sale were the complete skeleton of a flying dinosaur which fetched €150,000, the first ever TinTin comic (1930) which went for €30,000, and a €15,000 bottle of Macallan Anniversary Malt Whisky.
