How Much is My Print Worth?

So this is the question I am asked the most!  How much is my print worth, and it's a fair question, isn't it?  

We've all sat enthralled watching The Antiques Roadshow mesmerized as somebody discovers the rather ugly pot they bought for a fiver in the local charity shop, is a rare bit of studio pottery by ‘Bernard Leach’  and is actually worth a couple of grand.  So the last thing any of us wants to do is throw away a family heirloom or drop some priceless artifact off at that same charity shop!

The problem is, how do we value your print?  It is worth what someone will pay for it and to some extent what you are prepared to sell it for.  So if you're happy with £30 and Barry down the pub is pleased to give you £30 for it then it's worth £30 and nineteen times out of twenty everyone's a winner, until Barry lists it on Ebay and gets £250 for it!  So it's good to have an idea.

So there is answer number one for you, have a really good look on Ebay and see what sort of money people are asking for copies of your print and how many are being offered for sale and, are they selling?  In the case of our artists such as Mick Cawston or John Trickett have a look at our website and see if it's still available?  Can't find what you are looking for, have you tried a ‘Reverse image search’ on Google?  By clicking on the camera icon in the Google search bar you can upload a photo of your print and it will search by image for it, even easier on a smartphone.

Number two, what sort of condition is it in?  If it's in mint condition, never been framed, stored flat and is signed, then this may well be more appealing to a collector than one that was framed 20 years ago and has hung on your mum's dining room wall and caught the afternoon sun ever since.  

Framing is a big issue with second-hand prints as invariably there will be some damage, even small marks can detract.  We sometimes see thunder flies under the glass which will inevitably stain the mount.  The mounts are often older and were made before the advent of ‘Conservation Mountboard’ and you will tend to see a yellowing of the inner ‘cut’ edge.   The frames themselves even un-damaged may be very dated.  You also have to allow for shipping.  How are you going to pack and send your framed print without the glass breaking if you were to sell it?

This leads us the the next point, how much is the hassle worth and how are you going to sell it?  It takes time to list things on Ebay, if you're not a regular seller and they do need to be packaged well before shipping.  It might be worth £80 on Ebay and only half that on FaceBook Marketplace, but the buyer collects, problem solved.  Then take it one step further do you want the hassle of FB Marketplace or would you be pleased to see your local charity make £25 out of a raffle? So having found it on the internet or on Ebay set yourself a mental threshold at which the reward outweighs the hassle.

If you've read this far then I am going to reward you with some price guides and pointers.  If you have a copy of ‘I’ll Do The Talking Son' by Mick Cawston illustrated above, we regularly see this make and occasionally sell a copy for around the £500 mark.  ‘Politically Incorrect’ can make £350, ‘Selective Hearing’ and ‘Trespassers Will Be Fed’ £250 - £300.  Most of Mick's quirky ‘anthropomorphic’ signed prints will make between £120 - £180.  I wouldn't sell a copy of Malcolm Coward's ‘Sod It’, ‘Delusions of Grandeur’ or ‘Long Way Home’ for less than £150, more if in mint condition.  Paul Doyle's ‘Three Must Get Beers’ is one we don't see and often get asked for, I'd certainly want £120+ for it. There's a good secondary market for John Trickett's prints, prices generally range between £50 - £150.

What adds value?  Condition, low numbers and I do mean low, preferably numbers 1 - 5 of the edition and also the very rare ‘Artist's Proof’ copies, which will either have A/P or ‘Artist's Proof’ written on instead of a number.  Match pairs such as ‘Cheers’ and ‘Lamping’ with matching numbers can also command a bit of a premium.  Artists re-marques; where the artist has doodled on the edge of the print can add significantly to the value, even a hand-written note or dedication can add interest.  Edition size can also affect value, with the smaller the run the scarcer the print.  Also these days there are more options with handmade canvas prints, ‘original screen prints’ and don't forget some of the more contemporary lacquered prints. These are often considerably more expensive to purchase new because of the work and costs involved with production and that will more often than not carry forward with the secondary market value.  With Mick Cawston's prints, make sure it's Mick's signature and not one of the ‘publisher signed’ copies or if it is then at least make sure you sell it as such.

Insurance is another reason people seek a valuation.  As a general rule of thumb, most ‘single item limits’ on majority household insurance policies will cover most of our prints old and new.  Obviously, this depends on your household policy so please check with them first, but as long as it covers up to around £600 you won't be too far out of pocket on an individual print.  Otherwise, they should be covered under contents. If you have a very significant collection of prints or you are unsure we can produce a ‘typed’ insurance valuation for you, but we have to charge for these and in general you don't need them.    

A quick word about Probate.  HMRC is generally looking for a ‘Mid Auction Estimate’ for items such as prints and to be honest they will not make much money in your local house clearance auction.  So let your local valuer, value them for you when they do the household contents and that should keep it to a minimum.  You can then do as you please with them.  It may well be the hassle-free way of selling them, but it won't be the most effective in terms of price.

So to finish, financial value is fine and it's always nice to know something's worth a bit, but don't forget to simply enjoy your print.  Remember why you bought it, or how you came by it, how much pleasure you get from looking at it and how it adds to your home.  Now there's real value!