What counts as a lot?

A lot is a single auction item, regardless of how many photos it has. One lot with 10 photos counts the same as one lot with 1 photo.

How does Pay as You Go work?

No monthly fee. Add a payment method and pay $0.15 per lot only when you run descriptions. Perfect for seasonal auctioneers or occasional sales.

What happens if I go over my lot limit?

On subscription plans, additional lots are billed at $0.12 per lot — automatically metered and added to your monthly invoice. No surprises.

Can I change plans at any time?

Yes. Upgrade instantly and we'll prorate the difference. Downgrade at the end of your billing cycle. Switch between Pay as You Go and subscriptions anytime.

How are your descriptions better?

Most tools analyze a single photo. Gavelist examines every photo in the lot — front, back, backstamps, labels, maker marks, detail shots. More photos means more accurate descriptions, correct brand attribution, and fewer misidentifications.

What's a voice profile?

Gavelist learns your description style from examples you provide. The AI then writes new descriptions that sound like you — your vocabulary, your structure, your voice. Available on every plan.

How does Gavelist compare to other cataloging tools?

Most tools charge more for less — single-photo analysis, limited export options, and email-only support. Gavelist gives you proprietary sorting assistance, truly automatic CSV and filename generation, and unbeatable description quality from painstakingly trained AI. Plus, you always have direct access to Ben, the founder.

What is AI auction cataloging?

AI auction cataloging uses artificial intelligence to generate lot descriptions from photos of auction items. Instead of manually typing descriptions for each lot — which takes 4-7 minutes per item — AI cataloging tools like Gavelist analyze photos and produce titles, descriptions, condition assessments, and category assignments in seconds, reducing cataloging time by 80-90%.

Does Gavelist work with HiBid?

Yes. Gavelist exports catalogs in HiBid-compatible CSV format. Process your photos in Gavelist, then export and import directly into your HiBid account. The export includes titles, descriptions, categories, and lot sequencing formatted for HiBid's import requirements.

How do I speed up auction cataloging?

The fastest way to catalog any auction is to use AI-powered cataloging software. Take photos of all items, upload them in bulk to Gavelist, and let AI generate descriptions. This reduces days of manual cataloging to hours. Gavelist processes hundreds of lots per session and exports directly to your auction platform.

What types of items can Gavelist identify?

Gavelist has specialized AI prompts for 18 categories: furniture, jewelry, fine art, ceramics, glassware, tools, collectibles, vintage electronics, toys, textiles, kitchenware, sporting goods, musical instruments, books, coins, stamps, vehicles, and general items. Each category uses domain-specific identification trained on thousands of real auction lots.

What auction platforms does Gavelist export to?

Gavelist exports to all major auction platforms including HiBid, AuctionFlex, LiveAuctioneers, Proxibid, and any platform that accepts CSV or XLS spreadsheet imports. Export formats include lot titles, descriptions, categories, condition notes, and photo references.

Is Gavelist only for estate auctions?

No. Gavelist works for any auction that needs lot descriptions — estate auctions, consignment auctions, business liquidations, charity auctions, government surplus, and more. Any auction with high lot volume benefits most because AI cataloging scales linearly while manual labor does not. Estate auctioneers are our primary users, but the tool works for all auction types.

Auction Photo Processing

Stop Spending Days Organizing Thousands of Auction Photos

You shot 3,000 photos in a morning. Now you're spending two days sorting, renaming, and resizing them. Gavelist handles bulk upload, automatic lot assignment, and AI-powered descriptions — so your photos go from camera to catalog in minutes.

Start Processing Free Call (412) 580-7398

Free trial — no credit card required

5,000+ photos per upload

HEIC, JPG & PNG supported

The Problem

Photo Management Is the Hidden Bottleneck

Shooting is the easy part. You walk through the estate, snap every angle, and walk out with 3,000 photos on a memory card. Then the real work begins: sorting those photos into lots, one by one, making sure the front shot matches the backstamp matches the damage detail matches the label.

Rename files so they import in the right order. Resize for platform limits. Match photos to descriptions you haven't written yet. A 500-lot estate sale with 3,000 photos can eat an entire day just on photo organization — before you've typed a single description or listed a single lot.

Most auction software treats photos as an afterthought: upload one image, attach it to a lot, move on. That doesn't work when you're dealing with five angles per item and a thousand items in the building.

The Solution

From Camera to Catalog in Minutes, Not Days

Gavelist was built around the photo workflow because that's where auctioneers spend the most time. Drag in your entire shoot — 3,000, 4,000, 5,000+ photos — and Gavelist processes them immediately. Thumbnails generate automatically. HEIC files from your iPhone convert on the fly. No preprocessing. No resizing. No renaming.

If you pre-number your files in the field (Lot001_front.jpg, Lot001_back.jpg), Gavelist detects the pattern and assigns photos to lots automatically. If you didn't, the conveyor belt interface lets you sort photos into lots at speed — keyboard shortcuts to create lots, assign photos, split groups, and merge. It's purpose-built for the volume auctioneers actually deal with.

Once photos are sorted, every image in every lot feeds into the AI description engine. Not just the first photo — all of them. The backstamp, the label, the detail shot. That's what makes Gavelist descriptions accurate enough to trust.

How It Works

Photos In, Catalog Out

Bulk Upload

Drag in your entire shoot — 5,000+ photos at once. HEIC, JPG, PNG all accepted. Thumbnails generate automatically in the background.

Pre-Sort Detection

Already numbered your files in the field? Gavelist reads filename patterns and assigns photos to lots automatically. No manual sorting needed.

Conveyor Belt Sorting

For unsorted photos, the conveyor belt UI lets you fly through assignments. Keyboard shortcuts for creating lots, assigning, splitting, and merging. Built for speed.

AI Describes Everything

Every photo in every lot feeds into the AI. Backstamps, labels, condition details — nothing gets missed. Hit describe and 750 lots process in under 15 minutes.

Features

Built for the Real Photo Workflow

Every feature exists because we watched auctioneers struggle with the same bottleneck.

5,000+ Photo Bulk Upload

Drag in an entire estate shoot at once. No file-by-file uploading, no batch limits that make you split your shoot into pieces.

Pre-Sort Detection

Name your files with lot numbers in the field and Gavelist assigns them automatically. Lot001_front.jpg, Lot001_back.jpg — done.

Conveyor Belt UI

A purpose-built interface for high-speed photo sorting. Keyboard shortcuts for lot creation, photo assignment, splitting, and merging. No mouse required.

Auto Thumbnails

Thumbnails generate in the background as photos upload. Browse your entire shoot instantly without waiting for full-resolution images to load.

HEIC, JPG & PNG Support

Shot on an iPhone? HEIC files convert automatically. No need to pre-convert or worry about format compatibility.

Multi-Photo AI Analysis

Every photo in every lot feeds into the description engine. Front, back, bottom, label, detail — the AI sees it all and writes accordingly.

Pricing

Process More Photos, Spend Less Time

Every plan includes unlimited photo uploads and the same AI engine — no quality tiers.

Pay as You Go

$0.15/lot

No monthly commitment

Seasonal auctioneers & occasional sales

$0.15 per lot — pay only when you use it
Multi-photo AI — every angle analyzed
Voice profile — AI matches your style
All export formats included
No monthly commitment

Get Started

Auctioneer

$79/mo

$0.08/lot included

Independent auctioneers & small houses

Up to 1,000 lots per month
Multi-photo AI — every angle analyzed
Voice profile — AI matches your style
All export formats included
Review queue with smart flagging
Direct access to the founder

Get Started

Trusted by Professional Auctioneers

From independent auctioneers running monthly estate sales to regional houses cataloging thousands of lots each week — Gavelist handles the busywork so you can focus on selling.

500+

Auctions processed

10+ hrs

Saved per estate sale

100%

Private & encrypted

“Every client has direct access to me — not a support queue. If you're running your first auction with Gavelist, call me and I'll walk you through it.”

— Ben, Founder of Gavelist (412) 580-7398

Upload Your Next Shoot Today

Try Gavelist free with your next estate sale, or call Ben directly. No demo request forms. No waiting.

Start Processing Free Call (412) 580-7398