Art trade brokerage support system

Abstract

To provide an art trade brokerage support system which can reduce a money risk of a broker due to an amount of payment to a seller.SOLUTION: An art trade brokerage support device 100 receives an assessed price calculated on the basis of an appraisal result of an art which a seller wants to sell, calculates an amount of money obtained by subtracting a safety margin from the assessed price of the art as a first payment amount to be paid to the seller before an auction on the basis of the received assessed price, receives a contract price of the art successfully bid in the auction, and calculates a second payment amount to be paid to the seller after the auction on the basis of the received assessed price and the received contract price.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an art purchase and sale intermediation support system that supports the intermediation of art purchases and sales via auctions. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as a system for supporting the mediation of the buying and selling of goods via an auction, there is, for example, a buying and selling mediation system described in Patent Document 1. In such a mediation system, when an agency accepts a car from a seller, the agency first pays the seller a higher amount as a guarantee than any other buying agency. The agency then auctions the car in a down auction format (bidding down) in which the price is lowered from the initial price, and when a sale is concluded with a buyer, the agency pays the seller an additional amount equal to the difference between the actual selling price and the guarantee amount minus necessary expenses (the increase). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-250787 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, while the technology described in Patent Document 1 is suitable for intermediating the sale and purchase of used cars, which are unspecified items (such as mass-produced goods) and whose purchase prices are relatively easy to determine, it is not suitable for intermediating the sale and purchase of art, which are specific items and whose appraisal prices are more difficult to determine.

[0005] In other words, the appraisal price of an art work must be determined by taking into consideration various factors such as the creator, the time of creation, the state of preservation, and the transaction history, and because it is a unique piece of work that exists in the world, the appraisal price cannot be determined easily, unlike a used car, which is an unspecified object. Also, the appraisal price does not necessarily match the buyer's needs (market price), so compared to a used car, there is a greater risk in guaranteeing the payment amount to the seller. However, since the risk differs for each art work, it is not appropriate to estimate the risk in a uniform manner.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made with a focus on the unresolved problems inherent in such conventional technology, and aims to provide an art buying and selling intermediation support system that can reduce the financial risk to intermediaries arising from the amount of payment to sellers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] [Invention 1] In order to achieve the above object, an art purchase and sale intermediation support system of Invention 1 is an art purchase and sale intermediation support system that supports the intermediation of the purchase and sale of art via an auction, and comprises: appraisal price information input means for inputting appraisal price information on the appraisal price of the art piece that a seller wishes to sell, calculated based on an appraisal result of the art piece; first payment amount calculation means for calculating, based on the appraisal price information inputted by the appraisal price information input means, an amount obtained by deducting a safety amount corresponding to the art piece from the appraisal price of the art piece as a first payment amount to be paid to the seller before the auction; successful bid price information input means for inputting successful bid price information on the winning bid price of the art piece that was sold at the auction; and second payment amount calculation means for calculating a second payment amount to be paid to the seller after the auction, based on the appraisal price information inputted by the appraisal price information input means or the first payment amount calculated by the first payment amount calculation means, and the successful bid price information inputted by the successful bid price information input means.

[0008] With this configuration, when appraisal price information is input by the appraisal price information input means, the first payment amount calculation means calculates, based on the input appraisal price information, an amount obtained by deducting a safety amount corresponding to the art from the appraisal price of the art as a first payment amount to be paid to the seller before the auction. Also, when successful bid price information regarding the successful bid price of the art piece that was sold at the auction is input by the successful bid price information input means, the second payment amount calculation means calculates, based on the input successful bid price information, a second payment amount to be paid to the seller after the auction.

[0009] Here, the safety amount is an amount (safety margin) that is set in consideration of the risk (loss) that the intermediary will incur if, for example, an art piece remains unsold at auction or is sold at a price lower than the assessed price. For example, a popular art piece that is in good condition is likely to be sold at auction and at a relatively high price, so the selling risk is low. On the other hand, an unpopular art piece that is in poor condition is likely to remain unsold at auction or be sold at a relatively low price, so the selling risk is high. Therefore, the safety amount is set according to, for example, the smaller the risk of selling, the lower the amount, and the higher the risk, the higher the amount.

[0010] The system may be realized as a single device, terminal, or other equipment, or as a network system in which multiple devices, terminals, or other equipment are communicatively connected. In the latter case, each component may belong to any one of the multiple devices, etc., as long as they are communicatively connected to each other.

[0011] [Invention 2] Furthermore, the art purchase and sale intermediation support system of Invention 2 comprises, in the art purchase and sale intermediation support system of Invention 1, an art information input means for inputting art information about the art piece, and a transaction history information acquisition means for acquiring, from a transaction history information storage means which stores transaction history information about art pieces via auctions in correspondence with the art information about the art piece, transaction history information about the art piece that is the same as or has a predetermined relationship with the art piece related to the art information inputted by the art information input means, and the safety amount is set based on the transaction history information acquired by the transaction history information acquisition means.

[0012] With this configuration, art information relating to a work of art is input by the art information input means, and the transaction history information acquisition means acquires from the transaction history information storage means the transaction history information relating to a work of art that is identical to or has a specified relationship with the art related to the art information input by the art information input means, and a safety amount is set based on the transaction history information acquired by the transaction history information acquisition means.

[0013] Here, the transaction history information storage means stores the transaction history information by any means and at any time, and may store the transaction history information in advance, or may store the transaction history information by external input, etc., when the system is operating, without storing the transaction history information in advance.

[0014] Furthermore, storing transaction history information in association with art information includes, for example, (1) storing the transaction history information and art information in a direct association, such as by registering them in the same record, and (2) storing them via one or more pieces of intermediate information, such as by providing a table for registering transaction history information and intermediate information in association with each other, and a table for registering art information and intermediate information in association with each other. In other words, any data structure can be adopted as long as it is possible to trace the transaction history information from the art information.

[0015] [Invention 3] Furthermore, the art purchase and sale intermediation support system of Invention 3 is the art purchase and sale intermediation support system of Invention 2, further comprising a contract rate calculation means for calculating a contract rate of said art pieces in an auction based on the transaction history information acquired by said transaction history information acquisition means, and said safety amount is set based on the contract rate calculated by said contract rate calculation means.

[0016] With this configuration, the success rate of the artwork at the auction is calculated by the success rate calculation means based on the transaction history information acquired by the transaction history information acquisition means, and a safety margin is set based on the success rate calculated by the success rate calculation means.

[0017] [Invention 4] Furthermore, the art buying and selling intermediation support system of Invention 4 is the art buying and selling intermediation support system of Invention 2, further comprising a winning bid calculation means for calculating a minimum bid price or an average bid price for the art piece at auction based on the transaction history information acquired by the transaction history information acquisition means, and the safety amount is set based on the minimum bid price or the average bid price calculated by the winning bid calculation means.

[0018] With this configuration, the successful bid calculation means calculates the minimum bid price or average bid price for the artwork at auction based on the transaction history information acquired by the transaction history information acquisition means, and a safety margin is set based on the minimum bid price or average bid price calculated by the successful bid calculation means. Effect of the Invention

[0019] As described above, according to the art buying and selling intermediation support system of Invention 1, the first payment to be paid to the seller before the auction is held is calculated by deducting a safety amount appropriate to the art from the appraised price, thereby reducing the financial risk to the intermediary in the event that the art is not sold or the successful bid price is lower than the appraised price.

[0020] Furthermore, according to the art purchase and sale intermediation support system of Invention 2, the safety margin is set based on the transaction history information of the art that the seller wishes to sell via auction. This makes it possible to set the safety margin based on the transaction history information, for example, on the ease with which the seller can sell the art and the status of the successful bid price, thereby further reducing the financial risk of the intermediary.

[0021] Furthermore, according to the art purchase and sale intermediation support system of Invention 3, the safety price is set based on the success rate of past auction transactions of the art pieces related to the art pieces that the seller wishes to sell, so that it is possible to reduce the financial risk to the intermediary due to, for example, the seller's art pieces remaining unsold.

[0022] Furthermore, according to the art purchase and sale intermediation support system of Invention 4, a safety margin is set based on the lowest or average winning bid price at past auctions for the art that the seller wishes to sell. This makes it possible to reduce the financial risk to the intermediary due to the winning bid price of the art, for example, in cases where the winning bid price for the seller's art is lower than the appraised price. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of an art purchase and sale intermediation support device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 13(a) to 13(e) show the data structures of a seller management table 400, an art piece management table 410, an auction information table 420, an auction history information table 430, and a buyer management table 440. FIG. [Diagram 3] 13 is a flowchart showing a first payment amount calculation process. [Figure 4] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a first payment amount calculation screen 500. [Diagram 5] 13 is a flowchart showing a ratio information generating process. [Figure 6] 13 is a flowchart showing a second payment amount calculation process. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a second payment amount calculation screen 600. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] 〔composition〕 An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7.

[0025] First, the configuration of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of an art purchase and sale intermediation support device 100. As shown in FIG.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the art buying and selling intermediation support device 100 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 30 which controls calculations and the entire system based on a control program, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 32 which has the control program etc. of the CPU 30 stored in advance in a specified area, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 34 for storing data read from the ROM 32 etc. and calculation results required in the calculation process of the CPU 30, and an I / F (InterFace) 38 which mediates the input and output of data to and from external devices. These are all connected to each other and capable of sending and receiving data by a bus 39, which is a signal line for transferring data.

[0027] Connected to the I / F 38 as external devices are an input device 40 consisting of a keyboard, mouse, etc. capable of inputting data as a human interface, a storage device 42 which stores data, tables, etc. as files, and a display device 44 which displays a screen based on an image signal.

[0028] The art purchase intermediation support device 100 is a device installed in the store of an intermediary company that mediates the purchase and sale of a seller's art through an auction, or in each intermediary. The intermediary sells the art entrusted to it by the seller to a buyer by exhibiting it at an auction held by the intermediary company or an auction held by another company. At that time, the intermediary pays the seller an amount obtained by deducting a safety amount from the appraisal price before the auction as a first payment. If the art is sold at a price higher than the appraisal price after the auction ends, the intermediary pays the seller an amount obtained by deducting various expenses from the winning bid price, and then deducting the appraisal price or the first payment from the remaining amount. The various expenses include, for example, a commission for the purchase and sale through an auction (for example, 33% to 38.5% of the winning bid price), appraisal costs for the art, transportation and storage costs for the art, and catalog listing costs.

[0029] In other words, the art purchase intermediation support device 100 is a device that supports the calculation of the first payment amount and the second payment amount to be paid to the seller.

[0030] Next, the data structure of the storage device 42 will be described. 2(a) to (e) are diagrams showing the data structures of a seller management table 400, an art piece management table 410, an auction information table 420, an auction history information table 430, and a buyer management table 440. FIG.

[0031] As shown in Figures 2(a) to (e), memory device 42 stores a seller management table 400 for registering information about sellers who have requested an intermediary to sell artworks, an art piece management table 410 for registering information about artworks entrusted to it by sellers, an auction information table 420 for registering auction information, an auction history information table 430 for registering auction transaction history information, and a buyer management table 440 for registering information about buyers who have made successful bids on the artworks.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 2(a), one record is registered for each seller ID in the seller management table 400. Each record contains main information including the seller ID, email address, address, name, phone number, account information, creation date, update date, and other information.

[0033] Here, the seller ID is information for identifying the seller of the artwork, and is composed of, for example, a unique number for each seller (for example, numbers only, or a combination of letters and numbers). The unique number is the same for the other ID information described below.

[0034] 2(b), one record is registered for each combination of art type ID, art work ID, and seller ID in the art work management table 410. Each record contains main information including art type ID, art work ID, seller ID, art work name, creator name, size, number of works created, year of creation, place of creation, condition, restoration, history, exhibition history, appraised value, first payment amount, miscellaneous expenses information, auction ID, listing date, successful bid price, buyer ID, second payment amount, unsuccessful bid information, creation date, update date, and other information.

[0035] Here, the art object type ID is information for identifying the type of art object, such as a painting, hanging scroll, folding screen, sculpture, stone statue, bronze statue, antique jewelry, pottery, jar, vase, tea bowl, glass craft, etc. Note that as for the art object type ID, one ID may be set for all of the multiple types of an art object, such as pottery, jar, antique, etc., or multiple IDs may be set for each type. Also, the art object ID is information for identifying the art object.

[0036] The first payment amount is an amount paid in advance to the seller before the seller's artwork is put up for auction, and is the amount obtained by subtracting a safety deposit from the appraisal price. In other words, the amount is an amount that takes into consideration the financial risk, since the artwork requested by the seller may not necessarily be sold at a price higher than the appraisal price. For example, the amount may be a predetermined percentage (e.g., 50% to 80%) of the appraisal price. The second payment amount is an amount paid to the seller if the amount obtained by deducting various expenses from the successful bid price after the auction is held is higher than the appraisal price. Note that the first payment amount is not refunded (refunded) even if the amount obtained by deducting various expenses from the successful bid price is lower than the appraisal price. In other words, the first payment amount is a minimum guaranteed amount to the seller.

[0037] 2(c), one record is registered for each auction ID in the auction information table 420. Each record contains main information including the auction ID, auction host, auction name, auction date, auction type, auction format, listing fee, successful bid fee, various expenses, and other information.

[0038] Here, the auction ID is information for identifying an auction held by an auction host. The auction format is information indicating the format of the auction, such as an online auction held online or a live auction held at an auction venue. The auction format is information indicating the format of the auction, such as an upward bidding format, a downward bidding format, a sealed format, etc.

[0039] 2(d), one record is registered for each auction ID in the auction history information table 430. Each record contains main information including the auction ID, the auction date, information on artworks put up for auction, information on artworks that were sold, information on unsold artworks, and other information.

[0040] The put-upon art information is information about art pieces put up for auction, and includes, for example, information equivalent to the information about art pieces in the art management table 410, such as the type of each art piece, the name of each art piece, and the creator of each art piece. The sold art information is information about art pieces that were sold at auction (a transaction was concluded), and includes, for example, information about the type of each sold art piece, the name of each sold art piece, and the winning bid price of each sold art piece. The unsold art information is information about art pieces that were not sold at auction, and includes, for example, information about the type of each unsold art piece, the name of each unsold art piece, and the starting price of each unsold art piece.

[0041] 2(e), one record is registered for each buyer ID in the buyer management table 440. Each record contains main information including the buyer ID, purchased art type ID, purchased art ID, participating auction ID, auction history information, collection information, desired art information, and other information.

[0042] The buyer ID is information for identifying the buyer of the art. The purchased art type ID is the art type ID of the art purchased by the buyer, and the purchased art ID is the art ID of the art purchased by the buyer. The participated auction ID is the auction ID of the auction in which the buyer participated, and the auction history information is transaction history information of auctions in which the buyer has participated, including information on the auctions participated in, information on the art that was won, and information on the winning bid price. The collected information is information on art pieces collected by the buyer, such as paintings, ceramics, etc., and the desired art information is information on the art pieces that the buyer is currently seeking (art pieces that the buyer wishes to purchase).

[0043] [Operation] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. [First payment amount calculation process] Next, the operation of art purchase and sale intermediation support apparatus 100 in the case where a first payment to be made to a seller after an art piece received from the seller has been appraised (appraised) and before the auction is held will be described.

[0044] Here, the first payment amount is a payment amount that takes into consideration the seller who wants to get the money immediately, and is an amount that the intermediary will not lower later for its own convenience, or demand a refund from the seller even if the successful bid price is low. In other words, it is the minimum guaranteed amount for the seller.

[0045] Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the first payment amount calculation process, and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a first payment amount calculation screen 500.

[0046] The CPU 30 starts a predetermined program stored in a predetermined area of ​​the ROM 32, and executes a first payment amount calculation process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 in accordance with the program.

[0047] When the first payment amount calculation process is executed by the CPU 30, as shown in FIG. 3, the process first proceeds to step S100.

[0048] In step S100, the first payment amount calculation screen 500 shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on the display device 44, and the process proceeds to step S102.

[0049] In step S102, when a seller number (seller ID) is entered in the seller information input field of first payment amount calculation screen 500 via input device 40, the process proceeds to step S104.

[0050] As a result, the name of the seller corresponding to the seller number is obtained from seller management table 400, and the name of the seller corresponding to the seller number is displayed in the name field on first payment amount calculation screen 500. In addition, in response to the input of the seller number, information on the art piece of the seller corresponding to the seller number is read from art management table 410, and a drop-down button is displayed at the right end of the art piece information input field on first payment amount calculation screen 500.

[0051] In step S104, when input of art work information is requested by pressing a drop-down button via input device 40, a drop-down list of art work selection candidates is displayed on first payment amount calculation screen 500 (not shown). Then, when art work information for which the first payment amount is to be calculated is selected from the selection candidates displayed via input device 40, the selected art work information is input. Then, the process proceeds to step S106. As a result, information on the selected art work is displayed in the art work information input field. In the example of FIG. 4, "Extra large XX ware plate" is displayed.

[0052] In step S106, when information about the auction in which the art piece is to be sold is entered via the input device 40 in the auction information input field on the first payment amount calculation screen 500, the process proceeds to step S108. Again, a list of possible auctions in which the art piece can be sold is displayed by pressing a drop-down button via the input device 40, and information about the auction in which the art piece is to be sold is entered by selecting an arbitrary auction from among these options. As a result, information about the selected auction is displayed in the auction information input field. In the example of FIG. 4, "Auction A (hosted by the company)" is displayed. In other words, Auction A indicates an auction hosted by the intermediary company.

[0053] In step S108, when the assessed price is entered in the assessed price input field on the first payment amount calculation screen 500 via the input device 40, the process proceeds to step S110. As a result, the entered assessed price information is displayed in the assessed price input field. In the example of Figure 4, "¥1,234,567" is displayed.

[0054] In step S110, a ratio information generation process is executed based on the input information from steps S102 to S108, and the process proceeds to step S112. As a result, ratio information is generated. Here, the ratio information is information for determining the safe amount, and is also information for calculating a predetermined ratio of the assessed price as the first payment amount. For example, numerical information such as "80%", "0.8", and "4 / 5" corresponds to this. In this case, "20%" of the assessed price is determined as the safe amount.

[0055] In step S112, the first payment amount is calculated based on the ratio information, and the process proceeds to step S114.

[0056] For example, if the percentage information is 80%, the first payment amount is calculated by multiplying the assessed price by 0.8. In this case, 20% of the assessed price is the safety margin, and 80% of the assessed price obtained by deducting the safety margin from the assessed price is the first payment amount.

[0057] In step S114, the first payment amount calculated in step S112 is displayed in the first payment amount display field on first payment amount calculation screen 500, and the process proceeds to step S116. In the example of Figure 4, the percentage information is "70%", and "¥864,196" is displayed.

[0058] In step S116, various information including the ratio information, information about the auction in which the item is to be put up (auction ID), and information about the first payment amount are registered in the corresponding record in art piece management table 410, the series of processes is terminated, and the process returns to the original process.

[0059] [Ratio information generation process] Next, the procedure of the ratio information generation process in step S110 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the ratio information generation process.

[0060] When the ratio information generating process is executed in step S110, the process first proceeds to step S200 as shown in FIG.

[0061] In step S200, based on the input art information, transaction history information from the most recent to a specified period in the past (for example, the past three years) corresponding to the auction entered in the auction information input field of the first payment amount calculation screen 500 and the art piece in the art information entered in the art information input field is obtained from the auction history information table 430. Then, the process proceeds to step S202.

[0062] Specifically, transaction history information regarding transactions of artworks that match the artwork in the input artwork information or have a predetermined relationship with this artwork in the auction corresponding to the input auction information is obtained from the auction history information table 430. Here, an artwork that has a predetermined relationship corresponds to, for example, an artwork with an artwork type, creator, production location, etc. that matches the artwork type, creator, production location, etc. of the artwork in the input artwork information.

[0063] For example, if the auction to which an item is to be put up has been held annually for the past 20 years, information such as the number of artworks put up for auction, the number of successful bids, the number of unsuccessful bids, and winning bid prices for the past three years from the present is obtained. Note that the period is not limited to the past three years, and may be up to the past two years or more than the past four years depending on the type of artwork, etc. For example, the specified period is set to be relatively short for artworks that have depreciated in value significantly over time, and relatively long for artworks that have depreciated in value less. Alternatively, the specified period is set to be relatively long for rare artworks that have been put up for auction in very small numbers.

[0064] In step S202, statistical information is calculated based on the transaction history information acquired in step S200, and the process proceeds to step S204.

[0065] For example, if there are multiple transaction histories of the same artwork as the artwork in the input artwork information, the transaction success rate is calculated from the number of successful bids (number of successful contracts) and the number of unsuccessful bids (number of unsuccessful contracts) for this artwork, and the average successful bid price or the lowest successful bid price is calculated from the successful bid price. If there are no multiple transaction histories for the artwork in the input artwork information, the transaction success rate for each artwork type, creator, manufacturing location, etc. is calculated from the number of successful bids and the number of unsuccessful bids for artworks that have a predetermined relationship with this artwork, such as the same artwork type, the same creator, the same manufacturing location, etc., and the average successful bid price or the lowest successful bid price for each artwork type, creator, manufacturing location, etc. is calculated from the successful bid price. Note that even in the case of an artwork with multiple identical works, such as a print with multiple works from the same master with different edition numbers, transaction history information for artworks with the same artwork type, the same creator, the same manufacturing location, etc. as this artwork may be obtained, and statistical information for each may be calculated. In addition, for example, in the case of a unique piece of art that has only a short history of being exhibited, the reliability of the statistical values ​​will be low, so the transaction history information of other pieces of art that have a certain relationship with this piece of art may be used in addition to or instead of this piece of art.

[0066] In step S204, ratio setting information is generated based on the statistical information calculated in step S202, and the process proceeds to step S206.

[0067] Here, the ratio setting information corresponds to, for example, the information of the evaluation value calculated from the statistical information calculated in step S202. For example, a score is set for each statistical value, such as "1" if the transaction success rate is 60% or less, "2" if it is in the range of 61% to 70%, "3" if it is in the range of 71% to 80%, "4" if it is in the range of 81% to 90%, and "5" if it is in the range of 91% to 100%. In addition to the statistical value itself, a score is set, such as "1" if the amount obtained by subtracting the appraisal price from the average successful bid price or the minimum successful bid price is less than 5,000 yen, "2" if it is 5,000 yen or more and less than 10,000 yen, "3" if it is 10,000 yen or more and less than 20,000 yen, "4" if it is 20,000 yen or more and less than 50,000 yen, and "5" if it is 50,000 yen or more. Note that this price range may be changed depending on the type of art work, etc. Then, the sum of these scores is calculated as the evaluation value.

[0068] In step S206, ratio information is calculated based on the ratio setting information generated in step S204, and the calculated ratio information is set as the ratio information to be used in calculating the first payment amount, after which the series of processes is terminated and the original process is resumed.

[0069] For example, if the maximum evaluation value is "10", 80% of the assessed price is set as the maximum first payment amount, and the percentage information is set as 80% for the evaluation value of "10", 78% for "9", 75% for "8", 70% for "7", 65% for "6", and 60% for "5". Note that for evaluation values ​​of "4" or less, the percentage may be further reduced, or the transaction with the seller may be cancelled due to the high risk.

[0070] Each calculated statistical information, the score of each statistical information, the ratio setting information, and the ratio information may be registered in the corresponding record in the art piece management table 410.

[0071] Also, each piece of statistical information, the score of each piece of statistical information, the ratio setting information, and the ratio information for each auction for all auctions in which items can be put up for auction may be calculated, and this information may be displayed as a list. In this case, the average value of each piece of statistical information for all auctions, the average value of the score of each piece of statistical information, the average value of the ratio setting information (evaluation value), and the average value of the ratio information may be calculated, and the calculation results may also be displayed. By showing this list to the seller and explaining the calculation reason for the first payment amount numerically, it is possible to easily obtain the seller's understanding. In other words, it is possible to easily set a first payment amount that satisfies the seller.

[0072] [Second payment amount calculation process] Next, the operation of art purchase intermediation support apparatus 100 when calculating the second payment amount to be paid to the seller after the auction is held will be described.

[0073] Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the second payment amount calculation process, and Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a second payment amount calculation screen 600.

[0074] The CPU 30 starts a predetermined program stored in a predetermined area of ​​the ROM 32, and executes the second payment amount calculation process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 in accordance with the program.

[0075] When the second payment amount calculation process is executed by the CPU 30, as shown in FIG. 6, the process first proceeds to step S300.

[0076] In step S300, the second payment amount calculation screen 600 shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on the display device 44, and the process proceeds to step S302.

[0077] In step S302, when a seller number (seller ID) is entered in the seller information input field of the second payment amount calculation screen 600 via the input device 40, the process proceeds to step S304.

[0078] As a result, just as in first payment amount calculation screen 500, the name of the seller corresponding to the seller number is displayed in the name field on second payment amount calculation screen 600. Similarly, a drop-down button is displayed at the right end of the art piece information input field on second payment amount calculation screen 600.

[0079] In step S304, when input of art work information is requested by pressing a drop-down button via the input device 40, art work selection candidates are displayed on the second payment amount calculation screen 600 (not shown). Then, when art work information for which the second payment amount is to be calculated is selected from the selection candidates displayed via the input device 40, the selected art work information is input. Then, the process proceeds to step S306.

[0080] As a result, information about the selected artwork is displayed in the art information input field. In addition, information about the auction in which the artwork of the input art information was put up for auction is read from the art management table 410 and automatically displayed in the auction information input field. In the example of Fig. 7, "Extra large XX ware plate" and "Auction A (hosted by our company)" are displayed, respectively.

[0081] In step S306, when the successful bid price is entered in the successful bid price input field on the second payment amount calculation screen 600 via the input device 40, the process proceeds to step S308. As a result, the entered successful bid price is displayed in the successful bid price input field. In the example of Figure 7, "¥1,750,000" is displayed as the successful bid price.

[0082] In step S308, when miscellaneous expenses are entered in the miscellaneous expenses input field of the second payment amount calculation screen 600 via the input device 40, the process proceeds to step S310. As a result, the entered miscellaneous expenses are displayed in the miscellaneous expenses input field. In the example of FIG. 7, "693,750 yen", which is the sum of 38.5% of the successful bid price and other expenses of 20,000 yen, is displayed as miscellaneous expenses. Note that a table for registering miscellaneous expenses information for each combination of seller and artwork may be stored in the storage device 42, and miscellaneous expense information may be registered in this table in advance, so that the miscellaneous expense information is read from this table in response to the input of artwork information and automatically entered into the miscellaneous expense input field.

[0083] In step S310, the assessed price of the artwork corresponding to the artwork information entered in the artwork information input field is obtained from the artwork management table 410, and the process proceeds to step S312.

[0084] In step S312, a second payment amount is calculated based on the successful bid price input in step S306, the various expenses input in step S308, and the assessed price obtained in step S310, and the process proceeds to step S314.

[0085] Specifically, the second payment amount is calculated by subtracting various expenses from the successful bid price, and then subtracting the assessed price from the result of this subtraction. If this calculation result is negative, the second payment amount is set to "0 yen." Note that in step S310, the first payment amount may be obtained instead of the assessed price, various expenses may be subtracted from the successful bid price, and the second payment amount may be calculated by subtracting the first payment amount from the result of this subtraction.

[0086] In step S314, the second payment amount calculated in step S312 is displayed in the second payment amount display field on second payment amount calculation screen 600, and the process proceeds to step S316. As a result, the calculated second payment amount is displayed in the second payment amount display field. In the example of FIG. 7, "¥192,054" is displayed as the second payment amount. Note that if the second payment amount is a negative value, "¥0" is displayed in the second payment amount display field.

[0087] In step S316, various information including the successful bid price and the second payment amount is registered in the art piece management table 410, the series of processes is terminated, and the process returns to the original routine.

[0088] [Effects of the embodiment] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, via the first payment amount calculation screen 500, the seller inputs information about the artwork he wishes to sell, inputs information about the auction where the artwork will be put up for auction, and inputs the appraisal price of the artwork calculated based on the appraisal results of the artwork, and based on this information, an amount obtained by deducting a safety amount appropriate for the artwork from the appraisal price of the artwork is calculated as the first payment amount to be paid to the seller before the auction. In addition, via the second payment amount calculation screen 600, the seller inputs information about the artwork he wishes to sell, inputs the winning bid price of the artwork won at auction, and inputs information about various expenses, and based on the appraisal price or the first payment amount, the winning bid price, and various expenses, the second payment amount to be paid to the seller after the auction is calculated.

[0089] With this arrangement, for example, it is possible to reduce the financial risk to the intermediary in the event that the artwork is not sold or the successful bid price is lower than the appraised price.

[0090] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an auction history information table 430 is stored in storage device 42, in which transaction history information for artworks via auctions is registered in association with art information relating to the artworks. Transaction history information for artworks that are the same as or have a specified relationship with the artwork related to the input art information is obtained from auction history information table 430, ratio information is set based on the obtained transaction history information, and a safety margin amount is set based on this ratio information.

[0091] With this arrangement, for example, a safety margin can be set according to the ease with which the seller can sell the artwork and the circumstances of the successful bid price, thereby further reducing the financial risk faced by the intermediary.

[0092] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the success rate of art works at auction is calculated based on the acquired transaction history information, ratio information is set based on the calculated success rate, and a safety margin is set based on this ratio information.

[0093] With this arrangement, it is possible to reduce the financial risk to the intermediary due to, for example, unsold artworks by the seller.

[0094] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the minimum bid price or average bid price for the artwork at the auction is calculated based on the acquired transaction history information, ratio information is set based on the calculated minimum bid price or average bid price, and a safety margin is set based on this ratio information.

[0095] With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the financial risk to the intermediary due to the successful bid price of the art, for example, in cases where the successful bid price of the art by the seller is lower than the appraised price.

[0096] [Correspondence] In this embodiment, steps S104 and S304 correspond to the art information input means of Inventions 3 to 5, step S108 corresponds to the appraisal information input means of Inventions 1 to 3, steps S110 to S112 correspond to the first payment information calculation means of Inventions 1 to 3, and memory device 42 corresponds to the transaction history information storage means of Invention 3.

[0097] is. In this embodiment, step S306 corresponds to the successful bid information input means of the second invention, step S308 corresponds to the various expenses information input means of the second invention, and step S312 corresponds to the second payment information calculation means of the second invention.

[0098] [Modifications] In the above embodiment, the information of the auction to be put up for sale is selected and input from the selection candidate list into the auction information input field on first payment amount calculation screen 500, transaction history information for this auction is obtained, ratio information is calculated based on the obtained transaction history information, and the first payment amount is calculated based on the calculated ratio information. This configuration is not limited to the above, and for example, a configuration may be adopted in which each piece of statistical information, the score of each piece of statistical information, ratio setting information (evaluation value), and ratio information are calculated for each auction for all auctions in which an item can be put up for sale, the auction with the highest evaluation value is automatically selected from among multiple auctions in which an item can be put up for sale, and the first payment amount is calculated based on the ratio information corresponding to the selected auction.

[0099] Alternatively, instead of automatic selection, a configuration may be adopted in which auctions are recommended in order of the highest evaluation value up to a predetermined top rank (e.g., third place). For example, from among the recommended auctions, the intermediary selects an auction that is within the range of financial risk acceptable to the intermediary and that is likely to have the highest first payment amount.

[0100] In other words, the first payment is calculated as XX% of the assessed price, but if the first payment exceeds the successful bid price, the intermediary will incur a loss. On the other hand, if the percentage is made small, the seller's benefits will be reduced. Therefore, the percentage is adjusted to be as high as possible based on past transaction history while minimizing risk.

[0101] In the above embodiment and its modified example, the intermediary selects the auction in which to sell the artwork, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the seller may select the auction in which to sell the artwork. In this case, since the seller does not know the details of the characteristics of each auction, a list of the score value, ratio setting information (evaluation value), and ratio information of each statistical information of each auction in which the artwork can be sold may be displayed and presented to the seller. Alternatively, the seller may input a condition (a ratio of XX% or more, an evaluation value of XX points or more, etc.) so that auctions that meet the condition are searched for and displayed. This allows the seller to select the auction in which to sell the artwork, making it easier for the seller to be convinced of the resulting first payment amount.

[0102] In the above embodiment and its modified example, the first payment amount is calculated based on the transaction history information of the auction, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. In addition to or instead of the auction history information, the ratio setting information (evaluation value) and ratio information may be generated based on, for example, the collected information and desired art information of buyers participating in the auction hosted by the company in the buyer management table 440. As a result, for example, when the artwork to be put up is an artwork collected by a registered buyer or currently desired by a registered buyer and there are multiple similar buyers, the success rate and the successful bid price are likely to increase, so the first payment amount can be set to a relatively high amount.

[0103] In the above embodiment and its modified example, the amount is calculated by deducting a safety amount corresponding to the artwork from the appraisal price of the artwork, but the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the amount is calculated by deducting a predetermined safety amount from the appraisal price of the artwork, or a configuration in which the amount is calculated by deducting a safety amount corresponding to a factor different from the artwork from the appraisal price of the artwork. In the latter configuration, the different factor may be, for example, credit information of the seller or buyer, transaction history with the seller for other artworks (for example, transaction history for the past year), etc. When based on transaction history with the seller, for example, the safety amount may be set to an amount that is deemed appropriate as an amount that will not cause losses for the intermediary based on transaction history.

[0104] In the above embodiment and its modified examples, the art purchase intermediation support device 100 is realized as a single device, but the present invention is not limited to this and can also be realized as a network system. A payment amount calculation server and multiple user terminals are connected to a network such as the Internet. The payment amount calculation server is configured to have the same functions as the art purchase intermediation support device 100. The difference is that it receives information from a user terminal instead of inputting information using the input device 40, and transmits information to a user terminal instead of displaying information on the display device 44.

[0105] In addition, in the above embodiment and its variants, the device is configured to use the storage device 42 provided in the art purchase and sale intermediation support device 100, but this is not limited to the above, and the device can also be configured to use an external storage device such as a database server.

[0106] In addition, in the above embodiment and its variations, when executing the processes shown in the flowcharts of Figures 4 and 6, a program pre-stored in ROM is executed. However, this is not limited to the above, and the program showing these procedures may be read into RAM from a storage medium on which the program is stored and executed.

[0107] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and its modifications, and can be applied to other cases without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the present invention can be applied to cases where the present invention supports intermediate transactions through auctions for genres other than art, such as musical instruments, kimonos, old books, stamps, old coins, toys, and sporting goods. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 100...Artwork purchase and sale intermediation support device, 30...CPU, 32...ROM, 34...RAM, 38...I / F, 39...bus, 40...input device, 42...storage device, 44...display device, 400...seller management table, 410...artwork management table, 420...auction information table, 430...auction history information table, 440...buyer management table, 500...first payment amount calculation screen, 600...second payment amount calculation screen

Claims

[Claim 1] An art purchase and sale intermediation support system that supports intermediation of art purchases and sales through an auction, comprising: an appraisal information input means for inputting appraisal information regarding the appraisal price of the artwork that the seller wishes to sell, the appraisal information being calculated based on the appraisal result of the artwork; a first payment amount calculation means for calculating an amount obtained by subtracting a safety margin from the appraisal price of the artwork as a first payment amount to be paid to the seller before the auction is held, based on the appraisal price information input by the appraisal price information input means; a successful bid information input means for inputting successful bid information regarding the successful bid price of the artwork sold at the auction; and second payment amount calculation means for calculating a second payment amount to be paid to said seller after the auction is conducted, based on the appraisal price information inputted by said appraisal price information input means or the first payment amount calculated by said first payment amount calculation means, and the successful bid price information inputted by said successful bid price information input means.

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