Schedule of Company's Share of Revenues and Operating Income Earned from the Joint Ventures in Which it is Invested (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Equity Method Investments And Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 66	$ 198
Operating income	$ 47	$ 52

Company's proportionate share of Joint Ventures' net income (loss) reported in the consolidated statement of operations as Earnings (Loss) of Equity Accounted Asset Liquidation Investments and attributable to the Company as its share.

No definition available.

Name:	hgbl_EarningsOfEquityAccountedAssetLiquidationInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	hgbl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration