Banksy Print Market Investments © MyArtBroker 2024
Banksy
268 works
Following its peak in 2021, Banksy's print market has seen consecutive declines, with 2024 marking a notable shift. While this reflects a correction, prices remain significantly higher compared to when Banksy’s prints first entered the market. However, the numbers only tell part of the story - there’s a deeper narrative unfolding in Banksy’s print market beyond just the figures.
While the figures suggest a market softening, it is more accurately a correction from previous unsustainable highs. Banksy’s prints continue to hold strong investment appeal, now offering greater stability and long-term potential, much like other leading artists.
In this investment report, we analyse Banksy’s print market performance over the past seven years. Using auction and sales data from our dedicated database focused on prints and editions, we aim to provide data-driven insights to help you assess whether investing in Banksy prints is the right choice for you.
Is Buying A Banksy Print A Good Investment?
Investing in a Banksy print during the market's peak years was often seen as a lucrative endeavour, with many collectors achieving substantial returns. However, the significant growth during that period led to inflated prices for buyers and high-risk for sellers. Now that values have adjusted and prints are more accessible, arguably the current market presents a more favourable opportunity for investors with Banksy's branded and iconic status suggesting that his works will hold long-term value even in a soft market.
The First Signs Of Growth In Banksy's Print Market
When Banksy's print market began to gain traction in 2018, it experienced remarkable year-on-year (YoY) growth, marking the start of an unprecedented surge in demand. Private brokers, gallerists, urban framers, and collectors often reminisce - perhaps with a hint of nostalgia and regret - about the early days of Banksy’s market hype, when prints could be acquired for mere hundreds of pounds before skyrocketing into high-stakes collecting.
Signed editions of Girl With Balloon were once obtainable for £150, while unsigned versions sold for just £50. The dramatic rise in value became evident in 2018 when a framed edition of Girl With Balloon sold for a record $1.04 million at Sotheby’s - only to shred moments after the hammer fell. This headline-grabbing event symbolised the start of a new era for Banksy’s market.
By 2019, the momentum in Banksy's market was undeniable. Stormzy's appearance at Glastonbury wearing a custom-signed vest, the opening of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Croydon, and the auction record set by Devolved Parliament (2009), depicting monkey's in the House of Parliament, fuelled interest in affordable Banksy prints.
These developments triggered a remarkable surge in Banksy’s print market by 2020, with sales value doubling from the previous year. Despite only a slight increase in the number of lots sold, the average value of individual works rose significantly, highlighting how demand was far outpacing supply during this period.
Banksy's Print Market Peak
Even amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Banksy’s influence continued to grow. The appearance of Game Changer near Southampton General Hospital marked a defining moment, coinciding with a significant surge in his print market and setting the foundation for a record-breaking year in 2021.
The pinnacle of Banksy’s success is marked by remarkable milestones that seamlessly fuse street art, cultural commentary, and commercial triumph. Game Changer was reimagined as a stencilled canvas, achieving £16.7 million at auction and setting a then-record for his work. Likewise, Love Is In The Bin (2018) - the shredded, reinterpreted version of Girl With Balloon - fetched £18.5 million, cementing its status as a ‘transformed’ masterpiece and a testament to Banksy’s subversive ingenuity. These iconic moments highlight key trends in his art market, sustaining increased interest and continually expanding his collector base.
What Happened In Banksy's Print Market Performance In 2024?
Since its peak, Banksy’s print market has undergone a notable correction, with declines in both sales value and the number of lots sold. However, this is only part of the story - his market remains far from diminished. As outlined in our Collector’s Guide to 2025, Banksy’s most iconic works continue to appear at auction, consistently attracting collectors and demonstrating value growth YoY.
In 2024, Girl With Balloon - Banksy’s most recognisable print - appeared at auction multiple times, showing a steady increase in value with a sale in New Zealand surpassing previous 2023 results. Even more recently, in early 2025, during Phillips' first January Editions sale, an unsigned version of the print sold for just over £88,000, following the same trend and outperforming unsigned sales in 2024. While these results may not have reached the record-breaking highs of the market’s peak, they remain strong indicators of sustained demand and long-term investment potential.
Other sought-after prints have become increasingly scarce, with their rarity driving strong auction results and reinforcing their market appeal. A prime example is Kate Moss (2005) in its original colourway, which resurfaced in 2024 and sold for £101,600 with fees. While this represents a roughly 50% decline from its 2022 value, it underscores lucrative buying opportunities for Banksy collectors while still holding long-term investment potential. Other works with iconic imagery, such as the rare colourways from Banksy’s Choose Your Weapon series - referencing one of his most infamous street stencils in Bermondsey - continues to draw significant interest, particularly at auction houses beyond Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips.
What Is The Average Value Of Banksy Prints?
The average selling price (ASP) in Banksy's print market saw a sharp decline in 2024, reflecting a shift towards lower-value prints and a reduced presence of high-value works at public auctions. This trend aligns with broader market conditions in 2024, where cautious sentiment influenced the auction market. Many sellers opted for private transactions or chose to hold onto high-value pieces, anticipating more favourable selling conditions in the future.
For buyers, a dip in average value can present an opportune moment to enter the market, especially when purchasing works with blue chip status and iconic imagery. While prices may fluctuate, the enduring appeal and cultural significance of Banksy’s prints ensure their long-term value retention.
Banksy's Most Popular Print Collections
Top Performing Print Works In Banksy’s 2024 Market
Banksy’s print collections display varying performances in terms of lots sold and total sales value. While few collections achieve a perfect balance between these factors, they collectively offer insights into the availability of specific prints on the market and the prices they command.
Girl With Balloon dominates the market, generating a staggering £977,510 in total sales value - more than four times the value of the following series. This series remains Banksy’s most iconic and sought-after print, serving as a cornerstone of his market.
Other high-performing series, such as Banksquiat (£232,560), Pulp Fiction (£184,144), and Choose Your Weapon (£154,380), also demonstrated significant demand, showcasing a robust market for a range of Banksy’s themes.
In terms of lots sold, HMV led the market with 10 prints auctioned in 2024, highlighting its widespread circulation and accessibility to a broad collector base. Similarly, I Fought The Law, Pulp Fiction, and Trolleys each saw 9 prints sold, demonstrating steady collector interest and availability.
In contrast, Girl With Balloon ranked lower in lots sold, reinforcing its status as a high-value work and aligning with the broader trend of fewer high-value prints entering a cautious market. Collections such as Weston Super Mare and CND Soldiers saw fewer lots sold but maintained consistent appeal, emphasising the impact of rarity and availability in shaping collector demand.
Banksy Signed And Unsigned Print Value
Banksy’s print market has experienced a significant contraction since its 2021 peak, reflecting broader market trends and a more selective buying environment. The decline is evident in both signed and unsigned works, with total sales value and the number of lots sold decreasing year over year. In 2021, the market for unsigned prints reached its highest point, with 348 lots sold and a sales value of £18.3 million. Signed prints also performed strongly, peaking at £14.6 million across 228 lots. However, by 2024, these numbers had dropped dramatically, with signed works generating just £2.3 million in total sales and unsigned prints falling to £1.5 million - both marking a return to pre-2019 levels.
The average selling price data further illustrates this trend. Signed prints, which reached an all-time high of £80.2k in 2021, have steadily declined, sitting at £28.6k in 2024. Unsigned prints followed a similar trajectory, peaking at £41.8k in 2021 before dropping to just £10.6k last year. This suggests that while high-value works continue to command strong prices, overall collector sentiment has become more cautious, particularly in a market that saw rapid appreciation in the previous decade.
Looking ahead, Banksy’s print market is expected to stabilise, with continued demand for key works but a more measured approach from buyers. However, as noted by Huw Loughner during our Open Edition panel Market Insights: Blue Chip Prints and Editions, some collectors - particularly those active in private sales - remain confident that Banksy’s print market will rebound. The sharp decline in both volume and value suggests that speculative buyers who drove the market to its peak have largely exited, creating opportunities for long-term collectors to acquire works at more sustainable price points. If broader market conditions improve and confidence returns, a gradual recovery - particularly for signed works, which have historically been regarded as stronger investments - is possible. However, any resurgence will depend on larger macroeconomic forces, including shifts in global wealth distribution, inflation trends, and overall sentiment within the Contemporary art sector.
The Most In-Demand Banksy Prints in Our Private Network
Banksy’s prints remain among the most sought-after works on our live Trading Floor, where both high-value and more accessible pieces trend privately. With the largest Banksy networks in the world, we regularly facilitate private sales that offer better value than traditional auction routes, ensuring fair market pricing for both buyers and sellers.
Private sales are particularly essential for accessing the rarest Banksy works - unique colourways, Artist Proofs (APs), and hand-finished editions - many of which never reach public auction. Dumbo, for instance, is a rare hand-finished print that has never surfaced at auction. Similarly, Girl With Balloon includes three AP editions featuring pink, purple, and gold balloons, prints that are rarely available publicly. These works command a premium due to their exclusivity, and our deep expertise in Banksy’s market allows us to source them while securing the best possible terms for both collectors and sellers. The auction record for this iconic collection was set by Girl With Balloon (gold) in 2021, which sold for £1.1 million at Sotheby’s.
Is Pest Control Important In Private Sales?
A Banksy print’s value is directly tied to its Pest Control certificate - the gold standard of authentication. Just as leading auction houses refuse to sell a Banksy without it, we uphold the same standard, as a print without Pest Control loses at least half its market value. Unlike other blue chip prints that often require in-person verification, Pest Control certification ensures full authenticity, allowing transactions to be conducted with total confidence. This guarantee not only streamlines the buying process but also provides sellers with a secure pathway to maximise the value of their Banksy prints. For a step-by-step assistance on obtaining a Pest Control certificate, read our comprehensive guide or get in touch with us for further assistance.
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Blue Chip Artists Sales Value (hammer)
Artist Sales Value (hammer) © MyArtBroker 2024Blue Chip Artists Markets To Know
Compared to other blue chip artists, Banksy’s print market performance has experienced modest amount of volatility when looking at the trajectory of sales value over the past seven-year period. After peaking in 2021 with a record sales value of £124.6 million, surpassing even Andy Warhol at that time, Banksy’s market has since corrected. However, numbers only tell part of the story. Banksy expert Jasper Tordoff describes him as the “king of blue chip”, a status reinforced by the recent engagement of his London Zoo series, which garnered global attention.
The comparative trajectory above reflects a broader market correction following the speculative boom of the pandemic years. While Warhol remains the strongest performer overall and experienced a decline after his 2022 peak, his market - along with others like David Hockney and Roy Lichtenstein - continues to hold a relatively strong position. However, this is not to say that Banksy’s market doesn't still demonstrate sustained value; while prices have stabilised, his prints continue to outperform those of Damien Hirst, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Keith Haring, and until recently, were on par with Lichtenstein. Moreover, a market that is more susceptible to speculative shifts is not necessarily a negative indicator; rather, it presents opportunities, allowing for a broader base of collectors to engage with and invest in Banksy’s prints at various price points.
Where To Start When Looking To Buy A Banksy Print
Banksy’s 2024 price distribution by lots sold reveals key market trends, particularly the dominance of lower-value works in circulation. Over 53% of all lots sold were priced at £15,000 or below, highlighting the accessibility of Banksy’s market and the sustained demand for entry-level prints. The second-largest category, £15,000–£30,000 (29%), suggests a strong mid-tier market, where works remain attractive to collectors looking for long-term investments at stable price points.
Higher-value works - £50,000 and above - account for less than 7% of total lots sold, reflecting a cautious seller approach amid current market conditions. This aligns with broader art market trends, where blue chip collectors are holding onto rare, high-value pieces, anticipating stronger future conditions. While fewer top-tier works entered the market in 2024, their scarcity likely reinforces their long-term investment potential.
Banksy Print Works Below £20,000
Despite a shift in the market, Banksy’s lower-value prints continue to demonstrate strong liquidity and resilience, even amid a broader market cooldown.
Prints priced below £20,000 made up a substantial portion of Banksy’s market in 2024, accounting for 25% of total sales - a trend we anticipate will continue. At Phillips’ First Editions Sale in early 2025, several unsigned Banksy prints saw competitive bidding. Morons and Love Rat both achieved £24,130, with Love Rat surpassing its £15,000 high estimate, reinforcing demand for Banksy’s unsigned works.
Other unsigned yet iconic prints that remain highly sought after include Grannies, Weston Super Mare, and Happy Choppers. Grannies, originally released during Banksy’s Barely Legal exhibition in Los Angeles, had only 100 signed editions, making unsigned copies an appealing, more accessible alternative.
The Most In-Demand Banksy Prints from Investors
Banksy’s most in-demand prints among investors continue to be those that encapsulate his most recognisable imagery, particularly rare editions where a strong provenance drives further value. High-value collectors are increasingly drawn to pieces that rarely appear on the public market, as demonstrated by several standout auction results in 2024. Flower Thrower Triptych Grey, which comes in an ornate gold frame, saw renewed interest after a unique canvas version from Elton John’s collection achieved a record-breaking £1.5 million at Christie's. Following this, an edition of Flower Thrower Triptych Grey surfaced at Phillips’ 2025 January Editions Sale, where it realised £120,650, making it one of the highest-performing lots of the auction.
In Sotheby’s October sale, a rare edition of Banksy’s Stormzy Glastonbury Vest appeared on the public market for the first time, achieving an astonishing £780,000 - far exceeding expectations. Similarly, an untitled (Fuck The Police) canvas was featured in the same Sotheby’s auction, and at Christie’s in May, a bright orange Keep It Real canvas, featuring Banksy’s iconic Laugh Now monkey, also achieved a strong result. Given these auction performances, it would not be surprising to see similar print editions like I Fought The Law and Laugh Now trend in 2025, as collectors seek to acquire works that align with Banksy’s most impactful themes. For a more detailed analysis of Banksy’s print market and his most sought-after works, refer to our comprehensive report, Banksy: Seven Years In The Print Market.
Liquidity Of Banksy's Artwork
The liquidity of Banksy prints remains a defining strength of his market, even amid broader fluctuations. His works continue to trade actively, particularly through private sales, where demand for both high-value and more accessible editions remains strong. While liquidity in a cautious market can be unpredictable - making quick resales high-risk - Banksy prints stand apart due to the presence of a Pest Control certificate. As a prerequisite for most serious transactions, this authentication adds a layer of confidence and facilitates smoother sales, unlike other blue chip artworks that require provenance verification. Given the steady influx of Banksy prints into the market, those with Pest Control certification will always have a competitive edge, ensuring they move more readily than those without.
Recent Market Performance And Auction House Trends
The distribution of Banksy print sales across auction houses in 2024 highlights the breadth of his market beyond traditional branded auction houses. While Christie’s (18%), Phillips (7%), and Sotheby’s (6%) remain key players, a significant 69% of Banksy prints were sold through other platforms, signalling a growing network of alternative sales channels. This presents opportunities for buyers who may find more favourable pricing and less competition outside of major houses, while also reinforcing the liquidity and accessibility of Banksy prints.
With Brexit continuing to impact the UK art market and the results of the U.S. election policies potentially influencing global trade and tariffs, the expansion of Banksy's print market into private sales and alternative auction platforms could become increasingly significant. Buyers seeking stability may turn to private networks where deals can be negotiated without the volatility of public bidding, while sellers looking for maximum exposure could benefit from reaching a global audience beyond London and New York.
The dominance of "other" auction platforms suggests that Banksy’s market is not limited to the traditional art world, instead thriving in a more decentralised ecosystem. Given Banksy’s global appeal and the strong underlying demand for his prints, we anticipate further expansion into emerging markets and increased engagement through digital platforms.
Banksy's Most Investable Prints
Image © Christie's / Flower Thrower Triptych © Banksy 2017Flower Thrower Triptych (unique)
Banksy's Flower Thrower Triptych (2017) showcases one of his most recognisable and powerful images - a masked figure caught in motion, launching a bouquet of flowers. This motif has been reproduced in multiple formats, including signed and unsigned screenprints, limited-edition triptychs, and a handful of highly sought-after canvas versions. A standout piece, framed in the artist’s signature gold frame, was featured in The Sir Elton John Collection at Christie’s in February 2024. Selling for an impressive £1.5 million, the result was fuelled by its cultural significance, rarity, and celebrity provenance. This sale represents Banksy’s highest auction record in the past two years, reinforcing both its desirability and lasting impact within the market.
Image © Christie's / Girl With Balloon © Banksy 2003Girl With Balloon (canvas)
Banksy’s Girl With Balloon continues to be his most recognisable and widely celebrated image, maintaining strong market appeal despite its widespread presence across various mediums. In September 2024, a rare spray paint on canvas edition - one of only 25 - was offered at Christie’s Hong Kong, achieving £821,577. This result reaffirmed the artwork’s position as one of Banksy’s highest-selling pieces in recent years, highlighting its lasting significance and sustained collector demand.
Girl With Balloon
Girl With Balloon was also released as a screenprint in both signed and unsigned editions, cementing its status as one of his most recognisable and sought-after works. While its value has stabilised since the peak of the market, 2024 still demonstrated strong results across multiple auctions. In March, a signed edition achieved £239,400 at Christie’s, while another signed version sold for £237,821 at auction in New Zealand, highlighting the global demand for this print. Later in October, a signed edition reappeared at Christie’s, selling for £189,000. Each of these results surpassed the print’s auction totals in 2023, reinforcing its sustained market strength and collector appeal.
For a deeper look into the significance and evolving value of Girl With Balloon, explore The Banksy Shred, where we examine its cultural impact and market trajectory.
Thrower (Grey) - Signed
In 2019, Banksy introduced Thrower (Grey), a triptych that builds upon his iconic street piece, Love Is In The Air (Flower Thrower). Originally conceived in response to the construction of the West Bank Wall - a divisive and heavily disputed barrier separating parts of Israel and the West Bank - the artwork has gained renewed significance amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. Reflecting its continued relevance, this edition sold for £190,500 in April, securing its place as Banksy’s highest-selling print of 2023.
Choose Your Weapon (gold)
Choose Your Weapon (CYW) (2010) is one of Banksy’s most sought-after collection, originally released in 15 unique colourways. Fourteen editions were capped at just 25 prints each, with three ultra-exclusive VIP versions produced in gold, silver, and white. Entering the secondary market in 2012 - two years after its initial release - early sales hovered just above £10,000.
Today, CYW prints command significantly higher prices, with values largely influenced by condition and colour variation. Most editions now trade well above £100,000, with record-breaking sales exceeding £300,000. In February 2023, Choose Your Weapon (Gold) achieved £172,500, cementing its position as one of Banksy’s top-performing prints in the current market.
Girl With Balloon (unsigned)
In 2023, Banksy's unsigned edition of Girl With Balloon demonstrated remarkable performances in 2023, achieving eleven successful sales. The highest recorded sale reached £155,852 with fees at Julien's Auctions in the United States. In recent years, unsigned Banksy prints consistently delivered competitive performances. The image of a young girl reaching for a red heart-shaped balloon holds significant importance in Banksy's body of work, symbolising universal aspirations for peace and freedom making it an incredibly lucrative print.
Laugh Now (unsigned)
Similar to the rat and the young girl reaching for the balloon, the chimpanzee holds a significant place in Banksy's iconic imagery. In Laugh Now, we encounter a despondent-looking chimp trudging forward, burdened by a sandwich board displaying the titular words, ‘Laugh Now, but one day we'll be in charge’. Banksy further explores this theme in the Keep It Real series. As with many of Banksy's pieces featuring animals, Laugh Now symbolises the marginalised individuals in society who may eventually assert themselves. This depiction of sardonic rebellion has consistently garnered attention since 2017 and continued to do so in 2023. In 2023, six unsigned works entered the public market, with the highest fetching £75,600 at Phillips in January.
Love is In The Air (Flower Thrower) (unsigned)
One of the most notable characteristics of Banksy's print market is the unparalleled uniqueness and iconic nature of each image he produces. The masked figure wearing a backward cap in Love is In The Air (Flower Thrower) embodies contemporary culture, resembling a graffiti artist-perhaps Banksy?. This figure symbolically hurls a bouquet of flowers as if it were a grenade. Originally appearing on the West Bank Wall in Jerusalem, separating Palestine from Israel, this work has gained immense popularity. Amidst escalating conflict in the region, its relevance and poignancy have only intensified, contributing to its status as one of Banksy's most sought-after prints in 2023. An unsigned version of this print fetched £58,695, including fees, in Switzerland.
Image © Phillips / Rude Copper © Banksy 2003Rude Copper
Banksy's Rude Copper prints epitomise defiance and subversion, making them one of his earliest and most influential works. Available in both signed and unsigned editions, the series also includes rare Anarchy variants and hand-finished coloured proofs. This particular example, an unsigned and unnumbered piece, stands apart with its striking orange spray-painted finish.
A significant factor in Rude Copper’s appeal is its provenance, tracing back to Santa’s Ghetto - a landmark exhibition that played a key role in shaping Banksy’s early career. In July 2023, this print sold for £60,960 at Phillips, marking it as one of the highest-selling unsigned Banksy prints to date.
CCCP
In 2023, Banksy's CCCP (unsigned) print made a rare appearance on the public market, marking its first since 2020 and only the second overall. What sets this print apart is its absence of signature and edition number, leaving its actual size unknown. Featuring the stencilled flower thrower over red spray-painted block letters CCCP, this early Banksy print fetched £53,340, including fees, at Phillips in 2023.
