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Shareholders' Equity and Dividends (Details) (USD $)
1 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 0 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 0 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Mar. 17, 2014
Mar. 31, 2014
Feb. 26, 2015
Oct. 04, 2013
Common stock, par value (usd per share)     $ 0.01us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare $ 0.01us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare          
Preferred stock, shares authorized (shares)     50,000,000us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesAuthorized            
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (shares)   0us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding 0us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding 0us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding 0us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding        
Number of common share equivalents (share)                 1bid_NumberofCommonStockShareEquivalentsofStockholdersRightsPlanPreferredShares
Preferred stock shares designated as Series A junior participating preferred stock                 2,000,000bid_PreferredStockSharesDesignatedasSeriesAJuniorParticipatingPreferredStock
Preferred Stock, par or stated value per share                 $ 0.01us-gaap_PreferredStockParOrStatedValuePerShare
Accelerated dividend declared   $ 13,600,000bid_AcceleratedDividendDeclared              
Accelerated dividend declared (usd per share)   $ 0.20bid_AcceleratedDividendDeclaredPerShare              
Dividends declared (usd per share)     $ 4.74us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.2us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.52us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared        
Stock repurchase program, period in force 5 years                
Stock repurchase program, authorized amount 150,000,000us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramAuthorizedAmount1                
Dividends, Share-based Compensation, Cash     11,000,000us-gaap_DividendsShareBasedCompensationCash            
Cash dividend equivalents paid on share-based payments     3,781,000bid_DividendsSharebasedcompensationCashPaid            
Stock repurchased during period, shares     558,171us-gaap_StockRepurchasedDuringPeriodShares            
Stock repurchased during period, value     25,000,000us-gaap_StockRepurchasedDuringPeriodValue            
Share price of stock repurchased (usd per share)     $ 44.79bid_SharePriceofStockRepurchased            
Special Dividend [Member]                  
Dividends declared (usd per share) $ 4.34us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared
/ us-gaap_DividendsAxis
= bid_SpecialDividendMember
               
Dividends, common stock 300,000,000us-gaap_DividendsCommonStock
/ us-gaap_DividendsAxis
= bid_SpecialDividendMember
    300,000,000us-gaap_DividendsCommonStock
/ us-gaap_DividendsAxis
= bid_SpecialDividendMember
  300,000,000us-gaap_DividendsCommonStock
/ us-gaap_DividendsAxis
= bid_SpecialDividendMember
     
Funding of dividend by domestic cash           50,000,000bid_FundingofDividendbyDomesticCash
/ us-gaap_DividendsAxis
= bid_SpecialDividendMember
     
All Countries [Domain]                  
Foreign earnings repatriated           250,000,000us-gaap_ForeignEarningsRepatriated
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_AllCountriesDomain
250,000,000us-gaap_ForeignEarningsRepatriated
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_AllCountriesDomain
   
Subsequent Event [Member]                  
Dividends declared (usd per share)               $ 0.10us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
 
Dividends, common stock               6,900,000us-gaap_DividendsCommonStock
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
 
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock [Member]                  
Preferred share dividend                 1bid_DividendDeclaredofPreferredSharePurchaseRight
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= bid_SeriesAJuniorParticipatingPreferredStockMember
Exercise price of series a junior participating preferred stock                 $ 200bid_ExercisePriceofSeriesAJuniorParticipatingPreferredStock
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= bid_SeriesAJuniorParticipatingPreferredStockMember