Whisky has become something of a mainstream alternative investment and the secondary market for bottles of whisky remains popular in 2024. If you are thinking of selling your whisky it can be tricky to know where to start, here at Mark Littler Ltd our ethos remains to provide the tools to enable you to make the right decision for your circumstances. [If you’re looking to sell a cask of whisky then head here for more information.]
“Our unique three pronged approach to selling whisky bottles through auction, private sale or our online marketplace means our customers get the best price for their bottle in the time frame that suits them,” explains whisky consultant Mark Littler.
Sell Your Whisky Today
Please use the form below to submit images of your bottle and receive a free, no-obligation valuation from a specialist auctioneer. We will also actively seek the highest offer from our network of private collectors to help you sell your whisky.
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The Whisky Market in 2024
The global economic environment has shifted the outlook with whisky bottles from short term “flipping” to a longer term strategy that favours the patient investor. You only need to look at sources like the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index to see the importance of longer term holds for bottles.
The Knight Frank Whisky Index looks at 100 of the rarest and most expensive bottles of whisky, but you can see that although the 2023 Q4 performance for this niche subset dropped to just -9% the ten year average remains the highest of all the assets in the index, at 280%.
Source: The Wealth Report 2024 https://www.knightfrank.com/wealthreport
Yet in the last quarter of 2023 the world record for the most expensive single bottle of whisky was also broken. The price for the world’s most expensive whisky exceeded £2million for the first time and broke the previous record by over £1million!
This contrast shows us a few different things. Indexes can help us see general trends, but as with all investments—at any time, but especially when the market is challenging—working with a knowledgeable expert is invaluable. By giving you tailor made advice and marketing your asset in the right way to the right audience, the right expert advice can make the difference between being part of the trend or breaking records.
Selling your bottle in 2024 does not mean that you are guaranteed to make a loss. It simply means that it is more important than ever to work with a trusted expert.
The Different Ways To Sell Whisky In The UK
In the UK there are multiple ways to sell bottles of whisky. The most important thing to start with is that it is against the law for you to sell your whisky directly to another private individual, including through Facebook and eBay. You need a personal and premises licence to sell alcohol, which means that you have to sell your bottle via someone with the correct licences, but don’t worry, there is still a lot of choice.
In the UK there are multiple ways to sell your whisky, at Mark Littler Ltd our expert advice can help you achieve the best prices.
Specialist Online Auctions
Each month tens of thousands of bottles are sold via specialist online auction houses based in the UK. They are set up specifically to help people sell and buy whisky with marketing that is targeted specifically at whisky buyers to help generate good prices. They can be very convenient and cost effective.
The number of different online platforms can make it difficult to choose who to go with and the difference in achieved prices can vary significantly between platforms, which means it is important that you go with the right choice for your bottle.
Fees are usually clear but payout can be slow, often up to a month after the auction completes. Plus you need to get your bottle or bottles to them—some have collection services, but not all areas may be covered.
Suitable for: all price points, all release periods.
Pros: prices reflect the open market, low commission, could go above estimate, may have shipping options you can use.
Cons: slow payout, potential for significant variation between results of different auction houses, could go below estimate unless you pay for a reserve.
Tips: Most modern releases are best sold in online auctions. Don’t just go with the lowest commission—make sure you research results for your specific bottle.
Specialist Whisky Brokers
Companies like Mark Littler Ltd have set up to help people buy and sell whisky. We work like an estate agent, matching your bottle to the right buyers to get you a private offer. Offers are fixed, commission is clear and the sale can often be completed quickly, making it a fast and convenient way to sell your whisky.
It is important to find a broker you trust, and with the right audience for your particular bottle or collection—not all bottles are going to be suitable to sell this way.
Suitable for: Bottles over £500
Pros: Fixed price and commission, quick to complete, can help with shipping.
Cons: Won’t go above estimate.
Tips: Many brokers will give you a no obligation valuation/offers allowing you to compare potential returns.
Online Marketplace
Since we set up the Mark Littler Shop in 2019 a few other companies have followed suit, creating a place for customers to sell their bottles in a retail environment to achieve higher prices compared to auction or private sale. It is important to note that these sites are not the same as selling via Facebook or eBay, as you must still sell via a company with the required licences for alcohol sales.
Sales this way can get you more compared to auction, but they do tend to take more time so are best suited to sellers who don’t need a quick sale.
Suitable for: Bottles over £1,000
Pros: Fixed price and commission, potential to get higher prices compared to auction or private sale, can help with shipping.
Cons: No fixed time period for completing the sale, not a guaranteed sale.
Tips: If you are frustrated by the auction/retail price gap and have time to sell your bottle or collection this could be a good option to consider.
Direct To A Retailer
Some retailers have the option to sell your bottles directly to them. This can be a quick and efficient way to sell, removing the need to pay commission to a broker or auction house. However retailers tend to be conservative with their offers so make sure you get a second opinion.
Suitable for: all price points, all release periods—different retailers may have preferences.
Pros: Fixed price, no commission, quick to complete.
Cons: May need to arrange your own shipping and insurance.
Tips: Retailer offers can be conservative so make sure you consider whether you could make more selling via a different route even paying commission.
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Traditional Auction Houses
The final option to remember is traditional auction houses, which itself falls into two distinct categories: the local auction house in your nearest town, and ultra premium specialists like Sotheby’s or Bonhams.
Local Auction House
Your local auction house will most likely have one alcohol sale a year, so it can require patience to sell this way. The internet means buyers will still find your bottles, but commission rates are often much higher than for specialist online auctions. They are best suited to very low value bottles that online auctions can’t help with, like Bell’s Decanters.
Suitable for: Low value bottles difficult to ship.
Pros: Easy to get too, not fussy about values.
Cons: Low marketing budget, potentially long gaps between alcohol sales.
Tips: Local auction houses are best used as a last resort for large collections of low value bottles you are in no rush to sell.
Premium Auction House
For certain bottles, usually very high value, very rare bottles or collections, it can be beneficial to go through a premium auction house such as Sotheby’s or Bonhams. However the high fees for both buyers and sellers means using this type of auction house should be a considered decision.
Suitable for: Very rare, very high value bottles or collections.
Pros: High marketing budget, pitched at high net worth individuals, potential for a bidding war to achieve record setting prices.
Cons: Long lead time to generate suitable awareness, large commission for buyers and sellers.
Tips: It can be beneficial to work with an expert consultant to help you decide if this route is right for your bottle or collection as some high net worth collectors prefer the privacy of private sales.
How Do You Ship A Bottle Of Whisky?
With all of the above options you need to think about how you are going to get the bottle to the point of sale? It can be tricky to ship alcohol in the UK unless you have a specialist service you can use. Some auction houses, for example, have a collection service to get the bottles to them and will ship your bottle onward to the buyer.
At Mark Littler Ltd we have a fully insured courier service for you to get your bottles to us safely. For bottles over £10,000 we also have a specialist collection service.
How Do You Know What Your Bottle Is Worth?
Knowing what your bottle is worth can help you decide how and when to sell. The value of a bottle is based on a lot of factors including the age, distillation year and bottling era, as well as the rarity, distillery, bottler and series. Condition is also another important factor and a low level, faded label or other condition issues can deter some collectors.
As there is a high volume of bottles sold on the secondary market each month there is a lot of data available for you to do your own research. You can check the back catalogue of individual auction sites, try free resources like Whiskybase.com, use paid databases like Whisky Hunter.
These resources still require a basic level of understanding to use and navigate. While it may sound obvious you also need to know what bottle of whisky it is that you have. Some bottles are easy enough to identify, but others are not. For example, if you had a Laphroaig 10 year old, with no other data that bottle could be worth anything from £30 to over £3,000. This is where a specialist whisky valuer like Mark Littler Ltd can help you.
If you are not sure what your bottle is worth and are trying to decide whether to sell it then please get in touch for a free, no obligation valuation. Just fill in the form at the top of this page and with one click you can get an auction valuation and, if suitable, an offer for private sale.
What Is Your Whisky Worth
Do you want to know what your whisky is worth but don’t know where to start?
Use these guides to help you.
What Is Your Whisky Worth? – An in-depth look at the factors affecting your bottle’s value.
A Beginner’s Guide To Selling Whisky – Everything you need to get started selling your whisky including all the online selling options.
How To Sell Whisky Online – A guide to getting a valuations and selling your whisky.
Sell Your Whisky Today – A simple way to sell your whisky fast.
Macallan Specific Guides
The Complete Guide To Valuing Macallan Whisky – Selling Macallan? This is your starting point.
What Is Macallan Whisky Worth? – Unsure of your Macallan’s value? Begin here
