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Market Reports
Andy Warhol remains one of the most liquid and recognisable names in the art market. With a print catalogue that spans iconic celebrity portraits, consumer imagery, and politically charged editions, selling a Warhol print in 2025 is less about “whether there is demand” and more about understanding where your work sits within Warhol’s value hierarchy, and how to time and position it accordingly.
This guide summarises what Warhol’s print market has shown so far in 2025, what has performed best across tiers, and what that means for sellers deciding between auction and private sale.
The charts referenced throughout reflect live data that updates continuously as sales occur across more than 400 global auction houses. As a result, figures may occasionally differ slightly from those cited in the accompanying commentary.
Is Now A Good Time To Sell An Andy Warhol Print?
In Warhol’s print market, 2025 sales value edged above 2024 levels with results driven by specific moments in the auction calendar and by collections where demand was already established, reflecting a market that has become more selective and more structured.
Fewer trial proofs and complete sets have come to market, concentrating demand around works that can sustain price strength through iconic imagery, clear edition hierarchies, and series with compelling, recognisable narratives.
In 2025 – and likely into 2026 – outcomes are shaped less by market momentum and more by fit. Benchmark images, differentiated formats, and prints tied to series showing renewed interest have attracted confident bidding when positioned carefully. More standard main-edition works continue to trade, but results are increasingly shaped by route to market, estimate discipline, and presentation rather than headline visibility alone.
Andy Warhol’s Print Market in 2025
Warhol’s print market in 2025 has been defined by concentration rather than continuity. Sales value did edge above 2024 levels, but performance was driven by specific quarters and clearly identifiable pockets of demand, rather than broad-based momentum across the year. Outcomes were shaped by series-level interest, image strength, and formats where scarcity could be articulated quickly to buyers.
The first meaningful signals emerged in Q2. Mid-year sales brought renewed attention to Sunset editions, particularly proofs and unusual colourways, where visual distinctiveness and format rarity created competitive conditions. During the same period, individual sales within the Endangered Species series demonstrated that main editions can still outperform expectations when series momentum is active and supply remains constrained.
Momentum then strengthened toward the end of Q3. September auctions marked a turning point, particularly for Marilyn prints, which achieved standout results and began resetting benchmarks. These sales confirmed that Warhol’s most recognisable imagery continues to attract competitive bidding when placed into headline sales with disciplined estimates. Importantly, this late-Q3 strength did not fade after September, but carried directly into Q4.
The autumn season consolidated these gains. October and later Q4 sales delivered the highest concentration of value for the year, supported by a strong group of high-value individual works including further Marilyn prints, Moonwalk trial proofs, and Superman. While complete sets are typically associated with Q4, relatively few came to market in 2025. Of the four complete sets that did appear, only one was placed at Sotheby’s, with the remainder sold through smaller regional auction houses. This distribution underlined the continued expansion of Warhol’s market beyond the traditional venues and showed that 2025 results were not dependent on a single auction-house ecosystem.
How Value Is Distributed Across Andy Warhol’s Print Market
The chart above shows how sales value in Warhol’s print market has been distributed across edition types over time, rather than how prices have grown or declined. This distinction is useful for sellers, because Warhol’s market is not driven by a single dominant format. Instead, value is consistently shared between main editions, complete sets, and proofs, each operating under different selling conditions.
Value of Andy Warhol Main Editions
Main editions account for the largest share of transactional volume year-on-year, and they also contribute a meaningful portion of total sales value. This reflects their role as the market’s liquidity base. While individual main editions (can) sit lower in the value hierarchy than proofs or sets, their cumulative presence means they underpin the market’s consistency.
Complete Sets and Portfolio Premiums
Complete sets, by contrast, contribute a disproportionate share of total value in years when they appear, despite relatively low volume. Their market share expands sharply in periods such as 2021 and 2022, when even a small number of high-quality sets come to auction. This reinforces that sets operate as a separate tier: they do not drive market activity every year, but when they surface, they reshape the value profile of the season. Their absence in certain years, including parts of 2025, shifts attention back toward single works rather than signalling weakness.
Proofs and Trial Proofs
Proofs – particularly trial proofs – occupy the space between these two poles. They represent a smaller share of total value than main editions or sets, but their contribution is highly sensitive to scarcity and context. The chart shows that proofs consistently add meaningful value without dominating it, reflecting a market that rewards differentiation rather than volume. When supply tightens or when proofs are attached to highly recognisable imagery, their share of value increases even if overall market conditions remain steady.
Taken together, this distribution shows a market structured around coexistence rather than hierarchy alone. Value in Warhol’s print market is not concentrated in one format, nor does it rotate mechanically from year to year. Instead, different formats contribute value under different conditions. For sellers, understanding which segment their work belongs to – and how that segment typically participates in total market value can be more informative than focusing on headline results or isolated records.
Get in touch with our sales team to discuss the value of you Warhol print. Request a free instant valuation.
How Collection Narrative Shapes Demand for Warhol Prints
High-profile sales of Warhol’s unique works and paintings can influence the print market by shaping context rather than by directly resetting prices. When major works achieve strong results, particularly those tied to historical or cultural narratives, they tend to draw collector attention toward print series that sit within a related conceptual framework.
A clear example is the sale of Warhol's The Scream (After Munch) for £3.3 million in the Karpidas Collection, which heightened interest in works connected to art-historical dialogue. In print terms, this has tended to benefit series where the narrative is legible and culturally anchored, such as the Renaissance Paintings collection, at a moment when broader market attention has also been returning to prints like Sandro Botticelli (Birth of Venus).
More broadly in 2025, with fewer Warhol originals coming to market, collector interest has gravitated toward print collections that carry strong, easily articulated narratives. Endangered Species continues to resonate through its environmental messaging and institutional familiarity, while Moonwalk aligns closely with renewed cultural interest in space, science, and technological optimism. Cowboys and Indians has also gained traction, reflecting a wider reassessment of American identity, history, and symbolism within contemporary collecting habits.
These contextual shifts tend to improve visibility and buyer receptiveness for prints that align with prevailing narratives, even in the absence of broader market momentum.
Private Sale vs Auction for Andy Warhol Prints
In 2025, the decision between auction and private sale in Warhol’s print market is increasingly determined by comparability. Works that are rare within their series, sit clearly at the top of an established hierarchy, or can absorb public price discovery still perform well at auction when estimates are disciplined. In those cases, the public setting helps formalise value rather than test it.
For more comparable works, however, auction outcomes have become less predictable. Where multiple similar examples exist, results are shaped as much by timing and estimate strategy as by demand itself. An unsold lot can introduce noise rather than clarity, particularly in a market that is no longer driven by momentum.
Private sale has therefore become a more deliberate route for many Warhol sellers. It allows pricing to be anchored to recent precedent, demand to be concentrated among informed buyers, and context to be controlled – especially for proofs, unusual colourways, or main editions where placement matters more than exposure.
Authenticating an Andy Warhol Print
Authentication and documentation are central to achieving full value in Warhol’s print market. Sellers should be prepared to evidence provenance, edition details, publication context, and condition, particularly for higher-value prints and proof formats. In a market where relatively small differences in documentation can materially affect pricing and buyer confidence, authentication is best addressed before a work is brought to market rather than during the sales process.
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts does not authenticate works and does not issue certificates of authenticity. While the Foundation plays an important role in preserving Warhol’s legacy and supporting scholarship, it does not provide opinions on attribution, valuation, or market suitability.
The primary reference point for Warhol prints is the Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné, which documents accepted works by edition, publisher, and format. Inclusion in the Catalogue Raisonné is an important benchmark and supports market confidence, but it does not assess condition, resolve provenance gaps, or determine how a specific example should be positioned for sale.
For these reasons, it is strongly recommended that sellers consult a qualified Warhol expert as part of the authentication process. An experienced specialist can interpret catalogue entries, review supporting documentation, assess condition and edition hierarchy, and identify any issues that may affect value or saleability. Addressing these factors early helps ensure accurate positioning, reduces friction at the point of sale, and supports stronger outcomes across both private and public selling routes.
Does My Andy Warhol Print Need to Be in Mint Condition?
Condition is one of the most decisive value drivers in Warhol’s print market. Many Warhol prints were historically handled and displayed when they were treated as decorative rather than investment-grade assets. Today’s buyers are more condition-sensitive, particularly at the top end and in the proof tier.
Common issues such as fading, handling marks, undulation, and poor framing can materially reduce sale outcomes. If you are considering selling, it is always recommended to assess condition professionally before choosing your route to market. In some cases, conservation can protect value; in others, the best strategy is simply pricing and disclosure, so the work can transact cleanly without surprises.
Selling Your Warhol With MyArtBroker
At MyArtBroker, we provide sellers with specialist valuations grounded in live print-market data, and we match works with buyers through our Trading Floor and private network. For sellers, the objective is straightforward: position the work accurately within Warhol’s hierarchy, choose the right route to market, and execute with strong documentation and clear pricing logic.
Our private sales process is fully managed, including marketing, buyer matching, logistics, and guidance on documentation and condition presentation. Sellers pay 0% commission, and our revenue is generated through a buyer’s commission that is agreed at the point of offer. This structure is designed to keep the seller experience clear and aligned around achieving fair market value.
Warhol Collection Management with MyPortfolio
For sellers who want to monitor timing rather than rush to market, MyPortfolio offers a data-led way to track Warhol prints and understand where your work sits within current pricing and demand. In a market increasingly shaped by transparency and infrastructure, having visibility into comparable performance, edition structure, and sale cycles can support more informed selling decisions, whether you are managing a single print or a wider Warhol collection.
