Thursday, November 12, 2009

Pricing antique prints: other factors

The previous blogs on pricing antique prints we discussed historical and natural history prints, looking at the factors that determined the pricing for those prints. While some of these factors are specific to those particular types of prints, many of them are also important for pricing of other prints. These are general factors which affect the value of any antique print. As discussed elsewhere, the content of antique prints is a crucial element to their character and also, of course, their value. Basically, prints of more popular subjects are going to more desirable and thus more valuable.


This obviously applies for prints like occupation prints (images of lawyers and doctors generally sell for more than those of librarians and cooks), sporting prints (images of baseball sell for more than those of curling), and for many other types of prints as well. It is true that some subjects have avid fans, which can drive up the prices of those prints, but in general, the more people who have an interest in a subject, the more prints of that subject will sell for.

Attractiveness is another obvious value factor, though how important it is depends on what type of print. A print where the interest comes from its historic or scientific content, or one where the subject matter is much in demand (say, medical prints), will not be affected that much by whether the print is attractive or not. However, if there is nothing particular about the content of the print that appeals to buyers, then attractiveness can be the most important factor in determining value.

The age of a print is a factor that has some, but not a huge amount of influence on the price. A very old print (say, from the sixteenth century) might sell for a tiny bit more than a more recent one (say, 19th century), if all other things are equal, but this doesn’t really affect pricing very much. The only time the age really is important, is its relationship to the subject matter. As discussed in an earlier blog, an historical print of a subject contemporary to the print is worth more than one with an historic subject. Being old isn’t important, but having a close temporal relationship to the subject is.

Another way that age has something of a relationship with the print is scarcity. There is an earlier blog specifically on the subject of scarcity in prints, but the short answer is that scarcity can have some affect on value, but only if the print is desirable for other reasons. Basically, scarcity factors into the supply & demand equation. If a print is in great demand and the supply is limited, prices go up. Simply having a low supply with no demand does not affect value.

The artist or publisher of a print is another secondary value factor. There are thousands of printmakers who produced images over the centuries and for a very large number of these there is little, if anything, known and few people who care. This is especially true once you look at 19th century prints, where there were publishers producing prints in every major (and some minor) city, most of whom are known only by the few prints that have been recorded.

On the other hand, there are a number of well-known artists and publishers whose prints have an extra value because of who made them. This would include prints by people like John James Audubon, Thomas Moran, Currier & Ives, and Winslow Homer. Now, of course, one of the reasons prints by these printmakers are valuable is because they made great prints, but still, for these and some other printmakers, there is an extra boost in value simply because their name is associated with the print. As an example, there are a number of very fine popular lithographs issued in the nineteenth century by other publishers besides Currier & Ives, but if one compared one of their prints of equal quality, size, scarcity, etc. to a Currier & Ives print, the latter would be priced higher.

There are a few final secondary determinates of value to consider. The quality of a print, in terms of the art and/or craftsmanship, does increase the value of a print, but for non-fine art prints this is definitely not a primary factor in pricing. Likewise, the condition of a print is important for pricing, but less for commercial prints than for fine art prints. Fine art prints were generally, from the time they were issued, treated as something “special,” as objects to be handled carefully and the appearance of which was particularly important. Thus many fine art prints have been kept in excellent condition and generally collectors want them only if they are without significant blemishes.

Commercial prints, in contrast, were generally not treated nearly so carefully. They were either ephemeral or considered to be inexpensive art used for decoration. This means that instances of commercial prints are often not found in good shape and thus collectors, while they desire prints in excellent condition, are quite accustomed to purchasing prints with at least some condition issues. Some commercial prints, like those by Currier & Ives, are often found in excellent condition, so for those there can be a big price difference between those in excellent shape versus those in poor condition, but for other prints, such as some very rare 18th century historical prints, it is almost impossible to find them in excellent condition, so the price on one in poor condition tends not to be as low as one my expect.

27 comments:

  1. WHAT IS REASONABLE PRICE FOE 8X10 PHOTO/ORIGIONAL OR REPO OF AMELIA EARHART WITH PLANE--NICE COND--FAIRLY CLOSEUP

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  2. As a general comment, this really depends on whether it is an original or reproduction. There are lots of these around, almost all reproductions, so that is likely what you have. Reproductions have only "decorative" value; an original would have "moderate" value.

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  3. how much is a print of wm mckinley with his mother and sister taken by the kurz co of chicago? Also, a color print of st. Cecilia from poland.

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  4. The McKinley print, as a print of a not terribly popular President will have "moderate" value. Religious prints, including the St. Cecilia, almost always have only "decorative" value. These terms are explained at www.philaprintshop.com/ballpark.html

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  5. i have a colored print of Fort Federal Hill in 1862. Does coloration add or subtract from value?

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  6. I have 41 of 91 lithographs from the Thompson & West publication of History of Yuba County California. They are black and white and sized at 11x14. I don't know if they are originals or reprints. I'm trying to find a value. Any suggestions on where I might take them for appraisal would be appreciated. I am located north of Sacramento.

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  7. Because this is not complete the prints are not going to have a lot of value and it is not worth having a formal appraisal. Sometimes the best thing to do is take such items either to a good local rare book store or perhaps a local auction.

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  8. I have a wooden picture. It has Litho U.S.A. on the picture, but it is inset into wood. It weighs over 10 pounds, and its approximately 20" x 24". The two inch border has been carved out to look like a scalloped edge. It of a old time, young girl/boy with a hand made broom in hand, and a tiny cap on head. It is all one piece, and I would like to know if it is worth anything, or where it came from? It is an interesting piece of art. Thank you. Robin

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  9. It is impossible for me to tell you that much without seeing it, but in general images you find on wood are either reproductions or modern.

    Old prints were not usually printed and then attached to wood, but this is something which merchants have tried over time to market. You find a lot of Currier & Ives done that way. All of these are reproductions.

    It is also something that 20th century marketers have done and given that yours says "Litho USA" that indicates it is 20th century and probably just an item done to sell as a decorative piece. My guess is that it dates from the middle of the 20th century and it has only decorative value.

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  10. What is the best way to care for old prints?
    I have 2 framed prints from the late 1800's from W.R.Rease of Philadelphia of the Cohansey Creek Lighthouse in calm weather and in a raging storm. They were inherited from my Grandparents via my Dad and mean a lot. They are developing age spots. I would like to do what I can to preserve them.

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  11. On the right side of the blog you will see a list of "labels" One of these labels is "care of prints" If you click on that you can read the various blogs I have written on this topic.

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  12. Hi I have a John Trumbull mini potrait that was found behind another painting, it has Chicago printed in the right corner, could you tell me the value if any.

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  13. I HAVE A PRINT OF LES AMATEURS DE CAFE it has a signature of L.BOILLY and date of 1827 how i now if is wort any thing also have 1 of andrew jachson

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  14. I have a 'pre' WW1 poster proclaiming the neutrality of the USA which features five dogs, including the Amerian Pit Bull.
    The caption is "I'm Neutral but not afraid of any of them"
    The date of 1915 and name of Wallace Robinson
    is at the bottom. Condition is excellent.
    Do you have info on # printed and approx. value?

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    1. 'pre' WW1 poster proclaiming the neutrality of the USA which features five dogs, including the Amerian Pit Bull.
      The caption is "I'm Neutral but not afraid of any of them"
      The date of 1915 and name of Wallace Robinson
      is at the bottom.

      I think that you will find that WW1 started in 1914

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    2. The Americans did not actually enter WWI until 1917, so this poster reflects the debate in this country over whether to enter the war or not.

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    3. The "American pit bull" depicted in I'm Neutral is probably a Staffordshire Terrior, often mistaken for a "pit bull"

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  15. I have a currier and ives frozen up 1872 print registered with the library of congress and only the woman carrying a basket, the harnesses around the neck of the oxes and the driver of the wagon, sled blades and the attachment to the horse and wagon piece are colored. How much is it worth?

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  16. Hi I have a large print of a girl in the original frame by Publishers Colton, Zahm and Roberts. I'm only seeking a "decorative" or other category response, not a true appraisal. I will attempt to send you a photo in a few minutes. My email is Khedgestudio@cox.net Thank you. Karen

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    1. Thank you for your enquiry. However, our system is set up so that we do not receive unsolicited email attachments. We do this to try to keep our email under control.

      As a general rule, if you can describe a print to me I can probably give you a ballpark evaluation, or your can either post your image to the web somewhere or send us a photo by regular mail.

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  17. Hello sir I have a Print by triton press 1974 depicting the us marine corp emblem circa 1890 so it says but all I can find that closely resembles this is old chinese remebrance scrolls that were made for marines on there tour of China the print is In what seems to mint condition and is framed any clarification on what exactly this print was and what it is possibly worth? Thank you for your time

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  18. Hello sir I have a Print by triton press 1974 depicting the us marine corp emblem circa 1890 so it says but all I can find that closely resembles this is old chinese remebrance scrolls that were made for marines on there tour of China the print is In what seems to mint condition and is framed any clarification on what exactly this print was and what it is possibly worth? Thank you for your time

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  19. Hello I have a print of Naughty Boy by Briton Riviera. Print by kingfisher prints in England, Essex
    In the other corner it says B 1230 printed in England. I found a price on the Internet to buy one that was $80.00 cad. Do you think this is a reasonable price?

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    1. This blog is not the place where I will discuss prices/values of particular items. I will say that your print, like most prints "out there" has value for what it looks like, as a decorative item. That is something each person needs to decide for him/herself, viz. what an attractive print for the home or work is worth.

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  20. I have a large, 16 x 19, print of the "Cries of London" Plate 6. It was passed down from my grandmother to me and she had gotten it from her mother in the late 1890's. My grandmother had it framed in a shadowbox type frame,with a light illuminating it from below. I wanted to see the condition of the print,which is very good, so I took it from the frame. It is obviously hand tinted and the colors are different from the "new" reproductions. I was just wondering if this is something I should have appraised for insurance purposes. Thank you so much.

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    1. There are tons and tons of Cries of London prints from the earliest strikes to modern reproductions. Even the earliest strikes as an individual print would not have a huge amount of value (as a set, yes, but a single print no). However, just by the odds your print is not one of the earliest strikes. Those are very, very rare. By far most of the prints of the Cries that are around are later. Yours may well be 19th century, even early 19th century, but that would still not give it a lot of value. I would not recommend spending money on an appraisal. These are great images and yours comes from the family, so just enjoy it for its history and appearance. Don't worry about its value.

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  21. I have just read your entire thread on pricing old prints, and want to just say thank you. I have been a used book dealer for almost 40 years, and started adding antique prints in my shop about 4 years ago. They are my new passion! Many of the principles you use in pricing prints apply in the used book business in much the same way, and I realize after reading these entries that I have been actually doing this for years......just hadn't articulated it. How many times I have had to tell people that their 19th century religious books have very little or no value. This was a fun read, and also very helpful

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