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Pension Arrangements (Components Of U.K. Pension Plan Assets) (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]      
Total fair value of plan assets $ 410,928us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets $ 397,469us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets $ 336,189us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
Growth assets      
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]      
Total fair value of plan assets 247,393us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= bid_GrowthAssetsMember
280,019us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= bid_GrowthAssetsMember
 
Total debt securities, % of total 60.20%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanWeightedAverageAssetAllocations
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= bid_GrowthAssetsMember
70.50%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanWeightedAverageAssetAllocations
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= bid_GrowthAssetsMember
 
Debt securities      
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]      
Total fair value of plan assets 158,436us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
113,393us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
 
Total debt securities, % of total 38.60%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanWeightedAverageAssetAllocations
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
28.50%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanWeightedAverageAssetAllocations
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
 
Debt securities | Corporate [Member]      
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]      
Total fair value of plan assets 37,929us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ invest_InvestmentSecuritiesClassAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateDebtSecuritiesMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
30,774us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ invest_InvestmentSecuritiesClassAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateDebtSecuritiesMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
 
Total debt securities, % of total 9.20%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanWeightedAverageAssetAllocations
/ invest_InvestmentSecuritiesClassAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateDebtSecuritiesMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
7.70%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanWeightedAverageAssetAllocations
/ invest_InvestmentSecuritiesClassAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateDebtSecuritiesMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
 
Debt securities | Index-Linked [Member]      
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]      
Total fair value of plan assets 120,507us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ invest_InvestmentSecuritiesClassAxis
= bid_IndexLinkedMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
82,619us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ invest_InvestmentSecuritiesClassAxis
= bid_IndexLinkedMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
 
Total debt securities, % of total 29.30%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanWeightedAverageAssetAllocations
/ invest_InvestmentSecuritiesClassAxis
= bid_IndexLinkedMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
20.80%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanWeightedAverageAssetAllocations
/ invest_InvestmentSecuritiesClassAxis
= bid_IndexLinkedMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
 
Real estate mutual funds      
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]      
Total fair value of plan assets 2,976us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= bid_RealEstateMutualFundsMember
2,746us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= bid_RealEstateMutualFundsMember
 
Total debt securities, % of total 0.70%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanWeightedAverageAssetAllocations
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= bid_RealEstateMutualFundsMember
0.70%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanWeightedAverageAssetAllocations
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= bid_RealEstateMutualFundsMember
 
Cash and cash equivalents      
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]      
Total fair value of plan assets $ 2,123us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember
$ 1,311us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember
 
Total debt securities, % of total 0.50%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanWeightedAverageAssetAllocations
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember
0.30%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanWeightedAverageAssetAllocations
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember