The Search Mandate
Commission a Private Search
A search mandate is how we begin. It is a formal instruction to Source Me It to search our private network on your behalf — and a commitment from you that you are serious about acquiring.
Why This Matters
The best pieces are never listed online
The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report confirms that online sales represent less than 20% of total art market value. Over 60% of serious European art and antiques — the pieces that define extraordinary interiors and gardens — never appear in any public listing. They trade quietly, between trusted professionals, through relationships built over decades.
Accessing this market requires more than a search engine. It requires a phone call to a Parisian dealer who has known your advisor's family for thirty years. It requires knowing which private collection is being quietly dispersed, which estate is considering offers, which artist's studio has work available before it reaches a gallery.
That is what a Source Me It search mandate buys. Not a website search. A private introduction to a world that does not advertise.
Source: Art Basel & UBS Global Art Market Report 2025; TEFAF Art Market Report.
Mandate Fees
Two tiers. One principle.
The mandate fee is always fully deductible from our acquisition commission. It is not a cost — it is an advance.
Single Item Brief
Fully deductible from commission on acquisition
For clients seeking one specific piece — a particular period, style, maker, or category. We conduct a focused search across our dealer network, private collections, and trade contacts.
Typical searches: a specific Louis XV commode, a pair of 18th-century stone urns, a named artist's work, a particular period of silver.
Complex Brief
Fully deductible from commission on acquisition
For multi-item commissions, room or garden schemes, or briefs requiring research across multiple categories, periods, or geographies. We dedicate substantial time and network resources to your search.
Typical searches: furnishing a principal room, sourcing a garden scheme, building a collection across several categories.
Secure payment via Stripe. Both fees are fully deductible from our acquisition commission on any purchase arising from the search.
Our Commission
Transparent pricing, tied to value
Our commission is structured to reflect the level of access and expertise involved in each acquisition. The more exclusive the channel, the more our network adds — and the more we charge for it.
Tier
Publicly Listed
10%
Pieces available through public channels — auction houses, established dealer websites, major online marketplaces. Our value is in authentication, negotiation, logistics, and condition reporting.
Tier
Trade Listed
12%
Pieces available only through trade directories, dealer-to-dealer networks, and professional channels not accessible to the public. Our value is in access and relationship.
Tier
Private Network
15%
Pieces from private collections, dealer back rooms, freeport storage, artists' studios, and estate dispersals — never listed anywhere. Our value is irreplaceable.
The mandate fee (£350 or £750) is deducted from the commission on any purchase arising from the search. If no suitable piece is found, the mandate fee is retained as compensation for the research conducted.
The Process
What happens after you commission a search
Mandate confirmed
Once payment is received, you will receive a confirmation and a brief intake form. We ask for as much detail as possible — period, style, dimensions, budget, provenance preferences, and any reference images that capture what you have in mind.
Private consultation
Within 48 hours, we schedule a 30-minute consultation — by phone or video — to discuss your brief in depth. This is where we ask the questions that search engines cannot answer.
Network activation
We contact our dealer network across London, Paris, Amsterdam, and beyond. For garden and architectural briefs, we reach out to estate specialists, salvage dealers, and private collections. This is not a database search — it is a series of personal conversations.
Curated presentation
Within 5–10 working days, we present a curated selection of pieces that match your brief. Each comes with provenance notes, condition assessment, our authentication view, and a negotiated price. Presented privately, not publicly.
Acquisition and logistics
When you select a piece, we manage the full acquisition: negotiation, condition reporting, payment terms, insurance, packing, and international shipping. The mandate fee is deducted from our commission at this stage.
FAQ
Common Questions
Why do you charge a mandate fee at all?
When Angela picks up the phone to call a dealer in Paris on your behalf, that dealer is extending a professional courtesy based on decades of trust. We owe it to our network — and to you — to ensure that every search we conduct is for a client who is genuinely committed to acquiring. The mandate fee is that commitment. It is not revenue; it is a filter.
What if you don't find anything suitable?
If we conduct a thorough search and cannot identify pieces that meet your brief, we will tell you honestly. The mandate fee is retained as compensation for the research conducted. We will provide you with a full written summary of what we searched, what we found, and why it did not meet the brief — which itself has considerable value as market intelligence.
How is this different from just browsing 1stDibs or Chairish?
The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report confirms that online marketplaces represent less than 20% of total art market value. The pieces on 1stDibs are the ones dealers could not sell privately. What we access — the back rooms, the private collections, the estate dispersals, the freeport storage — is not on any website. That is the point.
Can I commission a search for garden or architectural pieces?
Absolutely. Garden antiques and architectural salvage are a significant part of what we source — stone urns, lead cisterns, wrought iron gates, antique fountains, staddle stones, temple follies, period garden furniture. These pieces are almost never listed online and are sourced directly from European estates, demolition specialists, and private collections.
Do you work with interior and garden designers on trade terms?
Yes. We work with designers on a trade basis, providing pricing that allows room for your own client markup. Your commission relationship with your client is entirely your own. Our engagement is with you as the professional.
What currencies do you accept?
We invoice in GBP. Our payment processor (Stripe) handles currency conversion for international clients. All prices on this page are in pounds sterling.
Further questions? Contact us directly
Ready to begin your search?
Commission a search mandate and we will be in touch within 48 hours to arrange your consultation.
Secure payment via Stripe. Mandate fee deductible from acquisition commission.