Segment Reporting (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Segment Reporting, Measurement Disclosures [Abstract]

Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment

The following table presents Sotheby’s segment information for 2012, 2011, and 2010 (in thousands of dollars):

Year ended December 31, 2012	Auction		Finance		Dealer			All Other		Reconciling items			Total
Revenues	$	717,231	$	25,486	$	26,180		$	7,374	$	(7,779	)	$	768,492
Interest income	$	2,465	$	—	$	6		$	—	$	(921	)	$	1,550
Interest expense	$	44,425	$	—	$	4		$	—	$	—		$	44,429
Depreciation and amortization	$	17,325	$	120	$	463		$	34	$	—		$	17,942
Segment income (loss) before taxes	$	152,240	$	18,595	$	(1,423	)	$	5,338	$	(15,314	)	$	159,436
Year ended December 31, 2011
Revenues	$	791,738	$	16,265	$	21,790		$	6,270	$	(4,227	)	$	831,836
Interest income	$	4,622	$	—	$	—		$	—	$	(620	)	$	4,002
Interest expense	$	41,492	$	—	$	6		$	—	$	—		$	41,498
Depreciation and amortization	$	17,228	$	113	$	231		$	32	$	—		$	17,604
Segment income (loss) before taxes	$	225,600	$	12,110	$	(9,289	)	$	4,604	$	(1,636	)	$	231,389
Year ended December 31, 2010
Revenues	$	731,021	$	17,200	$	29,092		$	4,511	$	(7,515	)	$	774,309
Interest income	$	2,217	$	—	$	—		$	—	$	(478	)	$	1,739
Interest expense	$	46,814	$	—	$	5		$	—	$	—		$	46,819
Depreciation and amortization	$	15,605	$	101	$	757		$	29	$	—		$	16,492
Segment income (loss) before taxes	$	217,227	$	14,776	$	(1,697	)	$	2,737	$	(7,464	)	$	225,579

Reconciliation of Operating Profit (Loss) from Segments to Consolidated

The table below details the unallocated amounts and reconciling items related to segment income before taxes and provides a reconciliation of segment income before taxes to consolidated income before taxes for 2012, 2011, and 2010 (in thousands of dollars):

	2012			2011			2010
Auction	$	152,240		$	225,600		$	217,227
Finance	18,595			12,110			14,776
Dealer	(1,423		)	(9,289		)	(1,697		)
All Other	5,338			4,604			2,737
Segment income before taxes	174,750			233,025			233,043
Unallocated amounts and reconciling items:
Extinguishment of debt, net (see Note J)	(15,020		)	(1,529		)	(6,291		)
Equity in earnings of investees	(294		)	(107		)	(1,173		)
Income before taxes	$	159,436		$	231,389		$	225,579

Schedule of Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Foreign Countries by Geographic Area

The table below presents geographic information about Sotheby’s revenues for 2012, 2011, and 2010 (in thousands of dollars):

	2012			2011			2010
United States	$	338,162		$	319,364		$	318,135
United Kingdom	221,716			243,032			233,785
China	108,399			156,361			111,651
Switzerland	41,061			36,258			29,133
France	40,972			49,688			44,764
Other Countries	25,961			31,360			44,356
Reconciling item:
Intercompany revenue earned by Finance from Auction	(7,779		)	(4,227		)	(7,515		)
Total	$	768,492		$	831,836		$	774,309

Reconciliation Of Segment Assets To Consolidated Assets

The table below presents assets for Sotheby’s segments, as well as a reconciliation of segment assets to consolidated assets as of December 31, 2012 and 2011 (in thousands of dollars):

December 31	2012		2011
Auction	$	1,977,620	$	2,005,177
Finance	427,871		225,244
Dealer	85,748		93,588
All Other	1,224		1,048
Total segment assets	2,492,463		2,325,057
Unallocated amounts:
Deferred tax assets and income tax receivable	82,632		74,357
Consolidated assets	$	2,575,095	$	2,399,414

Substantially all of Sotheby's capital expenditures in 2012, 2011, and 2010 were attributable to the Auction segment.