Art purchase and sale intermediary 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 purchase and sale via auction. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, an example of a system that supports the mediation of the sale and purchase of goods via auctions is the mediation system for sale and purchase disclosed in Patent Document 1. In such a mediation system, when an agent accepts a car from a seller, the agent initially pays the seller a higher amount as a guarantee than any other used car dealer. The car is then auctioned 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 agent 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] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-250787 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 price is relatively easy to determine, it is not suitable for intermediating the sale and purchase of art, which are specified items and whose appraisal price is difficult to determine.

[0005] In other words, art works are appraised and their appraisal prices are determined taking into consideration various factors such as the artist, the time of creation, the state of preservation, and transaction history. Because they are one-of-a-kind creations, unlike used cars, which are unspecified objects, it is not easy to determine their appraisal prices. Furthermore, the appraised price does not necessarily match the buyer's needs (market price), so compared to used cars, there is a greater risk in guaranteeing the seller the payment amount. However, because the risk differs for each art work, it is not appropriate to estimate the risk uniformly.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made with a focus on the unresolved issues of the conventional technology, and aims to provide an art purchase and sale intermediation support system that can reduce the financial risk of intermediaries due to the amount paid to sellers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] [Invention 1] In order to achieve the above object, the 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 auction, and comprises: appraisal price information input means for inputting appraisal price information regarding the appraisal price of the art piece that a seller wishes to sell, calculated based on the appraisal results 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 appropriate for 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 regarding the winning bid price of the art piece that is 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 winning 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 deposit amount appropriate for 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. Also, when successful bid price information regarding the successful bid price of the art piece that was sold at 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 margin 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 for a price lower than the assessed price. For example, popular art pieces that are in good condition are likely to be sold at auction and for a relatively high price, so the sale risk is low. On the other hand, unpopular art pieces that are in poor condition are likely to remain unsold at auction or be sold for a relatively low price, so the sale risk is high. Therefore, the safety margin is set according to, for example, the magnitude of the sale risk; the lower the risk, 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 of the multiple devices, etc., as long as they are communicatively connected.

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

[0012] With this configuration, art piece information relating to an art piece is input by the art piece information input means, and the transaction history information acquisition means acquires from the transaction history information storage means the transaction history information relating to an art piece that is the same as or has a specified relationship with the art piece relating to the art piece information input by the art piece 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 transaction history information by any means and at any time, and may store transaction history information in advance, or may store transaction history information by external input or the like when the system is operating without storing the transaction history information in advance.

[0014] Furthermore, storing transaction history information in association with art piece information includes, for example, (1) storing the transaction history information and art piece information in a direct association, such as by registering them in the same record, or (2) storing them via one or more pieces of intermediate information, such as by providing a table that registers transaction history information and intermediate information in association with each other, and a table that registers art piece 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 piece 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 the contract rate of 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 contract rate calculated by the contract rate calculation means.

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

[0017] [Invention 4] Furthermore, the art purchase and sale intermediation support system of Invention 4 is the art purchase and sale intermediation support system of Invention 2, and further comprises a winning bid calculation means for calculating the minimum winning bid price or average winning bid price of 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 winning bid price or average winning bid price calculated by the winning bid calculation means.

[0018] With this configuration, the successful bid calculation means calculates the minimum or average successful 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 or average successful bid price calculated by the successful bid calculation means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] As explained above, according to the art purchase and sale intermediation support system of Invention 1, the first payment to be made to the seller before the auction is calculated by deducting a safety deposit amount appropriate to the art piece from the appraised price, thereby reducing the financial risk to the intermediary in the event that the art piece 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 piece 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 piece and the status of the successful bid price, thereby further reducing the financial risk to 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 that the seller wishes to sell, thereby reducing the financial risk to the intermediary due to, for example, unsold art by the seller.

[0022] Furthermore, according to the art purchase and sale intermediation support system of Invention 4, the safety amount is set based on the lowest or average winning bid price at past auctions for the art that the seller wishes to sell. This reduces 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 falls below the appraised price. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of an art purchase and sale intermediation support device 100 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] 10(a) to 10(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. [Figure 3] 10 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. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a ratio information generation process. [Figure 6] 10 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 INVENTION

[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 Figure 1, the art purchase and sale intermediation support device 100 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 30 that controls calculations and the entire system based on a control program, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 32 that stores the control program and other programs for the CPU 30 in advance in a specified area, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 34 that stores data read from the ROM 32 and other programs and the calculation results required in the calculation process of the CPU 30, and an I / F (Interface) 38 that mediates the input and output of data to and from external devices.These components are connected to each other and capable of sending and receiving data via a bus 39, which is a signal line for transferring data.

[0027] External devices connected to the I / F 38 include an input device 40 consisting of a keyboard, mouse, etc. that can input data as a human interface, a storage device 42 that stores data, tables, etc. as files, and a display device 44 that displays a screen based on an image signal.

[0028] The art purchase intermediation support device 100 is installed in the store of a brokerage firm or at each brokerage firm that mediates the sale of art from sellers through auctions. The brokers sell art pieces entrusted to them by sellers to buyers by exhibiting them at auctions hosted by their firm or by other firms. Before the auction, the brokers pay the seller a first payment equal to the assessed price minus a safety deposit. If the art piece is sold at a price higher than the assessed price after the auction, the brokers pay the seller a second payment equal to the amount remaining after deducting various expenses from the successful bid price, minus the assessed price or the first payment. These expenses include, for example, fees for the sale through auctions (e.g., 33% to 38.5% of the successful bid price), appraisal fees for the art piece, transportation and storage costs for the art piece, and catalog listing fees.

[0029] That is, the art purchase and sale 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 2(e) are diagrams showing the data structures of the seller management table 400, the art piece management table 410, the auction information table 420, the auction history information table 430, and the buyer management table 440. FIG.

[0031] As shown in Figures 2(a) to (e), the storage device 42 stores a seller management table 400 for registering information about sellers who have requested a broker 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, telephone 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 same applies to the other ID information below.

[0034] 2(b), one record is registered for each combination of art object type ID, art object ID, and seller ID in the art object management table 410. Each record contains main information including the art object type ID, art object ID, seller ID, art object name, artist name, size, number of creations, year of creation, creation location, condition, restoration, provenance, exhibition history, appraised value, first payment amount, miscellaneous expense 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, vase, flower vase, tea bowl, glass craft, etc. Note that the art object type ID may be set to one ID for all of the multiple types that an art object has, such as pottery, vase, or antique, or multiple IDs may be set for each type. The art object ID is also information for identifying an art object.

[0036] The first payment is the amount paid to the seller before the seller's art piece is put up for auction, and is the assessed price minus a safety deposit. In other words, the amount takes into account the financial risk, since there is no guarantee that the art piece requested by the seller will be sold for a price higher than the assessed price. For example, the amount may be a predetermined percentage (e.g., 50% to 80%) of the assessed price. The second payment is the amount paid to the seller after the auction if the amount obtained by deducting various expenses from the successful bid price is higher than the assessed price. The first payment is not refundable (refundable) even if the amount obtained by deducting various expenses from the successful bid price is lower than the assessed price. In other words, the first payment is the minimum guaranteed amount to the seller.

[0037] As shown in Figure 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 format, auction style, listing fee, successful bid fee, miscellaneous 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 ascending bid format, a descending bid format, or a sealed bid format.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 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 submitted 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 piece management table 410, such as the type of each art piece, the name of each art piece, and the artist of each art piece. The sold art information is information about art pieces that were sold at auction (transactions 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] As shown in Fig. 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 work. The purchased art type ID is the art type ID of the art work purchased by the buyer, and the purchased art work ID is the art work ID of the art work 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 in which the buyer participated, information on the art work that was won, and information on the winning bid price. The collected information is information on the art works that the buyer is collecting, such as paintings and ceramics, and the desired art work information is information on the art work that the buyer is currently seeking (art work 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 device 100 when calculating the first payment amount to be paid to the seller after the art piece entrusted to the seller has been appraised (appraised) and before the auction is held will be described.

[0044] The first payment amount is a payment amount that takes into consideration sellers who want to receive cash immediately, and is an amount that will not allow the intermediary to lower the amount later for their own convenience, or to request a refund from the seller even if the successful bid price was 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 the 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 on 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 retrieved 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 piece 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 piece information is requested by pressing a drop-down button via input device 40, a drop-down list of art piece selection candidates is displayed on first payment amount calculation screen 500 (not shown). Then, when art piece 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 piece information is entered. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S106. As a result, information on the selected art piece is displayed in the art piece information input field. In the example of FIG. 4, "Extra large XX ware plate" is displayed.

[0052] In step S106, information about the auction in which the art piece will be put up is entered via input device 40 into the auction information input field on first payment amount calculation screen 500, and the process proceeds to step S108. Here too, a list of auction options available for the art piece is displayed by pressing a drop-down button via input device 40, and information about the auction in which the art piece will be put up is entered by selecting an arbitrary auction from among these options. This causes information about the selected auction to be displayed in the auction information input field. In the example of FIG. 4, "Auction A (hosted by our company)" is displayed. In other words, Auction A indicates an auction hosted by a brokerage 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, ratio information is information for determining the safe deposit amount and for calculating a predetermined percentage of the assessed price as the first payment amount. For example, this corresponds to numerical information such as "80%," "0.8," or "4 / 5." In this case, "20%" of the assessed price is determined as the safe deposit 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 (the assessed price minus the safety margin) 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 is registered in the corresponding record in the art piece management table 410, the series of processes is terminated, and the original process is resumed.

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

[0060] When the ratio information generation 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 predetermined 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 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, at 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 art pieces put up for auction, the number of successful bids, the number of unsuccessful bids, and the successful bid prices for the past three years from the present is acquired. Note that the period is not limited to the past three years, and may be the past two years or less or the past four years or more depending on the type of art piece. For example, the predetermined period may be relatively short for art pieces that have fallen in value significantly over time, and relatively long for art pieces that have fallen in value less. Alternatively, the predetermined period may be relatively long for rare art pieces that have been put up for auction in very few 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 for an artwork identical to the artwork in the input art information, the transaction success rate is calculated from the number of successful bids (number of successful transactions) and the number of unsuccessful bids (number of unsuccessful transactions) for this artwork, and the average successful bid price or the lowest successful bid price is calculated from the successful bid price. Furthermore, if there are no multiple transaction histories for the artwork in the input art information, the transaction success rate for each type of artwork, artist, 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 type of artwork, the same artist, the same manufacturing location, etc., and the average successful bid price or the lowest successful bid price for each type of artwork, artist, manufacturing location, etc. is calculated from the successful bid price. Even in the case of an artwork with multiple identical works, such as a print with multiple works from the same master but different edition numbers, transaction history information for artworks with the same type of artwork, the same artist, 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 a short exhibition history and no other identical pieces of art, the reliability of the statistical values ​​will be low, so the transaction history information of other pieces of art that have a specified 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 evaluation value calculated from the statistical information calculated in step S202. For example, a score is assigned to 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 assigned, such as "1" if the amount obtained by subtracting the appraisal price from the average successful bid price or the reserve price is less than 5,000 yen, "2" if it is between 5,000 yen and 10,000 yen, "3" if it is between 10,000 yen and 20,000 yen, "4" if it is between 20,000 yen and 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 artwork, etc. The sum of these scores is then calculated as the evaluation value.

[0068] In step S206, the 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," the maximum first payment amount is 80% of the assessed price, and the percentage information is set as follows: 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 canceled due to the high risk.

[0070] The 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] Furthermore, the statistical information, the score of each statistical information, the ratio setting information, and the ratio information for each auction for all auctions in which an item 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 statistical information, the average value of the score of each statistical information, the average value of the ratio setting information (evaluation value), and the average value of the ratio information for all auctions may be calculated, and the calculation results may also be displayed. By showing this list to the seller and explaining the reasons for calculating the first payment amount numerically, it is possible to more easily gain the seller's understanding. In other words, it is possible to more easily set a first payment amount that the seller is satisfied with.

[0072] [Second payment amount calculation process] Next, the operation of art purchase and sale 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 on the second payment amount calculation screen 600 via the input device 40, the process proceeds to step S304.

[0078] As a result, just as with the first payment amount calculation screen 500, the name of the seller corresponding to the seller number is displayed in the name field on the 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 the 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 input device 40, art work selection candidates are displayed on 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 input device 40, the selected art work information is entered. Then, the process proceeds to step S306.

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

[0081] In step S306, when the winning bid price is entered in the winning 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 winning bid price is displayed in the winning bid price input field. In the example of Figure 7, "¥1,750,000" is displayed as the winning bid price.

[0082] In step S308, when miscellaneous expenses are entered via input device 40 into the miscellaneous expenses entry field on second payment calculation screen 600, the process proceeds to step S310. As a result, the entered miscellaneous expenses are displayed in the miscellaneous expenses entry field. In the example of FIG. 7, the miscellaneous expenses displayed are "¥693,750," which is 38.5% of the successful bid price plus other expenses of ¥20,000. It is also possible to store a table in storage device 42 that registers miscellaneous expense information for each combination of seller and artwork, and to register miscellaneous expense information in this table in advance. As art piece information is entered, miscellaneous expense information is read from this table and automatically entered into the miscellaneous expense entry 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, the second payment amount is calculated based on the successful bid price entered in step S306, the expenses entered 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 this subtraction result. 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 this subtraction result.

[0086] In step S314, the second payment amount calculated in step S312 is displayed in the second payment amount display field on the 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 object management table 410, the series of processes is completed, and the process returns to the original process.

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

[0089] With this configuration, 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 the storage device 42, in which transaction history information for artworks via auctions is registered in association with art piece information relating to the artworks. Transaction history information for artworks that are identical to or have a predetermined relationship with the artwork relating to the input art piece information is obtained from the auction history information table 430, percentage information is set based on the obtained transaction history information, and a safety margin amount is set based on this percentage information.

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

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

[0093] With this configuration, 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 or average winning bid price for the artwork at the auction is calculated based on the acquired transaction history information, percentage information is set based on the calculated minimum or average winning bid price, and a safety margin amount is set based on this percentage information.

[0095] With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the financial risk to the intermediary arising from the successful bid price of the art work, for example, when the successful bid price of the art work 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] are. In this embodiment, step S306 corresponds to the successful bid information input means of invention 2, step S308 corresponds to the miscellaneous expenses information input means of invention 2, and step S312 corresponds to the second payment information calculation means of invention 2.

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

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

[0100] In other words, the first payment is calculated as XX% of the appraised price, but if the first payment exceeds the successful bid price, the broker 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] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and its variations, a configuration has been described in which the intermediary selects the auction at which to sell the artwork. However, this configuration is not limited to this. For example, a configuration in which the seller can select the auction at which to sell the artwork may be adopted. In this case, since the seller does not know the detailed characteristics of each auction, a list of the score values, percentage setting information (evaluation value), and percentage information of each statistical information of each auction at which the artwork can be sold may be displayed and presented to the seller. Alternatively, the seller may input conditions (e.g., a percentage of XX% or more, an evaluation value of XX points or more), and auctions that meet those conditions may be searched and displayed. This allows the seller to select the auction at which to sell the artwork, making it easier for the seller to be satisfied with the resulting first payment amount.

[0102] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and its variations, the first payment amount is calculated based on the auction transaction history information, but this is not a limitation. 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 of buyers participating in the company's auctions, desired art information, etc., stored in buyer management table 440. This allows the first payment amount to be set at a relatively high amount, for example, if the artwork being put up for sale is part of the registered buyer's collection or currently desired, and there are multiple similar buyers, since the success rate and the successful bid price are likely to be high.

[0103] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and its variations, the amount calculated is the assessed price of the art work minus a safety margin appropriate to the art work. However, this is not limiting; it is also possible to employ a configuration in which the amount calculated is the assessed price of the art work minus a predetermined safety margin, or a configuration in which the amount calculated is the assessed price of the art work minus a safety margin appropriate to factors other than the art work itself. In the latter configuration, the different factors include, for example, credit information of the seller or buyer, and the seller's transaction history with regard to other art works (e.g., transaction history over the past year). When based on transaction history with the seller, for example, the safety margin can be set to an amount that is deemed appropriate based on the transaction history so that the intermediary will not incur losses.

[0104] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and its variations, the art purchase and sale intermediation support device 100 is realized as a single device, but this is not limiting and the device 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 and sale intermediation support device 100. The difference is that it receives information from a user terminal instead of inputting it using the input device 40, and transmits information to the user terminal instead of displaying it on the display device 44.

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

[0106] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and its variations, the processes shown in the flowcharts of Figures 4 and 6 are executed by executing a program that is pre-stored in ROM. However, this is not limiting, 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 the mediation of buying and selling via auction not only of art objects but also of genres other than art objects, 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, an appraisal price information input means for inputting appraisal price information relating to the appraisal price of the artwork that the seller wishes to sell, calculated based on the appraisal results of the artwork; a first payment amount calculation means for calculating, based on the appraisal price information input by the appraisal price information input means, an amount obtained by deducting a safety deposit amount from the appraisal price of the artwork as a first payment amount to be paid to the seller before the auction is held; a successful bid price information input means for inputting successful bid price information relating to 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 the seller after the auction is held, based on the appraisal price information input 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 input by said successful bid price information input means.

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