Quarterly Results (Unaudited) (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule Of Quarterly Results

	First Quarter			Second Quarter		Third Quarter			Fourth Quarter
	(Thousands of dollars, except per share data)
Year Ended December 31, 2012
Net Auction Sales (a)	$	425,829		$	1,679,253	$	192,874		$	1,511,700
Income Statement Data:
Revenues:
Auction and related revenues	$	97,410		$	290,151	$	59,711		$	269,959
Finance revenues	3,575			4,580		4,572			4,980
Dealer revenues	2,678			7,394		1,815			14,293
License fee revenues	901			1,592		2,046			1,585
Other revenues	395			232		317			306
Total revenues	$	104,959		$	303,949	$	68,461		$	291,123
Net (loss) income	$	(10,664	)	$	85,430	$	(32,565	)	$	66,091
Per Share Amounts:
Basic (loss) earnings per share - Sotheby’s common shareholders	$	(0.16	)	$	1.26	$	(0.48	)	$	0.97
Diluted (loss) earnings per share - Sotheby’s common shareholders	$	(0.16	)	$	1.24	$	(0.48	)	$	0.96
Shares Outstanding:
Basic	67,457			67,753		67,771			67,779
Diluted	67,457			68,416		67,771			68,621
Year Ended December 31, 2011
Net Auction Sales (a)	$	597,686		$	1,925,965	$	207,760		$	1,509,162
Income Statement Data:
Revenues:
Auction and related revenues	$	110,361		$	353,564	$	52,916		$	274,897
Finance revenues	2,915			3,184		2,923			3,016
Dealer revenues	4,615			11,642		591			4,942
License fee revenues	1,441			1,270		1,408			1,109
Other revenues	250			135		372			285
Total revenues	$	119,582		$	369,795	$	58,210		$	284,249
Net income (loss)	$	2,421		$	127,234	$	(29,719	)	$	71,480
Per Share Amounts:
Basic earnings (loss) per share - Sotheby’s common shareholders	$	0.04		$	1.87	$	(0.44	)	$	1.05
Diluted earnings (loss) per share - Sotheby’s common shareholders	$	0.03		$	1.81	$	(0.44	)	$	1.04
Shares Outstanding:
Basic	66,968			67,405		67,410			67,342
Diluted	69,007			69,491		67,410			68,176

Legend:

(a) Net Auction Sales represents the hammer (sale) price of property sold at auction.