A Buyer’s Guide To Damien Hirst

Average values fell from £9,600 in 2022 to £6,000 in 2025, reflecting a broader correction in the art market, but sales value tells a more nuanced story. After peaking at £4.6 million in 2022, total sales contracted in 2023 and 2024 before stabilising. By mid-2025, Hirst’s prints have already generated over £1.3 million in sales, with 223 lots sold. This rebound demonstrates that while the market has adjusted, liquidity and collector demand remain robust.

For collectors, these dynamics mean that opportunities exist across all levels of Hirst’s market. If you’re considering your first acquisition, or looking to add strategically to an existing portfolio, MyArtBroker’s Trading Floor offers live access to globally available works.

Hirst first came to prominence in the late 1980s as part of the YBAs, building his reputation through provocative installations before expanding into printmaking in the late 1990s. His debut series, The Last Supper (1999), reimagined pharmaceutical packaging with everyday food names – an early indication of how his prints would distil the themes of mortality, medicine, and consumer culture that run throughout his career.

More than two decades on, Hirst’s print market remains highly active. While his reputation was cemented in the 1990s and 2000s, his collaborations with HENI have ensured a constant flow of new work, keeping him relevant for today’s collectors. What makes him particularly appealing is the breadth of his market: at one end, certain complete sets continue to achieve six-figure results, while at the other, individual works are still widely available at accessible entry points.

This combination of cultural significance, prolific output, and liquidity ensures that Hirst remains a compelling name for collectors in 2025 – whether as an affordable entry into the blue chip print market or as a long-term investment in one of Britain’s most recognisable living artists.

Hirst’s prints span a wide value spectrum, accommodating both new collectors and established investors. Individual prints typically trade between £2,000 and £40,000 at auction, while complete sets can exceed £100,000.

Recent sales illustrate this breadth. In 2024, The Virtues (H9) and Love Poems complete sets each achieved £101,600 at Phillips, placing them among the strongest results for Hirst in recent years. In 2025, Enter The Infinite – Prophecy, a 2016 tapestry edition of 20 also made a notable impact, reaching £50,800 at Phillips London in it's auction debut, showing continued demand for his kaleidoscope patterned, and rare smaller editioned works.

Looking across the market, the majority of activity sits in the lower price brackets. Between 2024 and 2025, over £2.3 million of sales occurred below £15,000, confirming this as the most liquid entry point into Hirst’s market. The £15,000–30,000 range accounted for a further £723,000 in sales, while mid-tier works between £30,000 and £50,000 generated £356k. Higher-value works in the £50,000–90,000 range totalled £467,000, with only a handful of complete sets reaching above £90,000.

This distribution highlights the dual character of Hirst’s market: accessible for new buyers, yet anchored by headline sales of complete sets that continue to provide confidence at the top end. For those considering a purchase, MyArtBroker’s instant valuation tool can help identify where a work sits within this spectrum, ensuring you buy at the right level for your collection.

Hirst’s printmaking is as varied as his broader practice, spanning woodcut spots, butterfly etchings, pill and skull motifs, and large-scale screenprints. Many works incorporate distinctive finishes such as foil-blocking or diamond dust, either across the surface or applied selectively to enhance impact.

Over his career he has produced both stand-alone editions and full portfolio sets. Some, like The Last Supper (1999), are now more often encountered as individual sheets, while others – including The Cure (2014) – were conceived as boxed sets but remain largely traded as singles, with complete portfolios still absent from the secondary market.

The physical scale of Hirst’s prints also varies considerably. Editions belonging to The Virtues, The Empresses, and Sanctum typically measure around one metre square, while smaller projects like Love Poems are easier to place and have circulated more widely in recent sales. At the other end of the spectrum, works like New Religion (2005) take the form of large wallpaper panels, pushing the boundary of print as medium.

Edition sizes have also shifted dramatically over time. Early releases were usually capped between 50 and 150, with smaller runs produced through Paul Stolper in the 2000s. By contrast, recent collaborations with HENI have ranged from large-scale open editions such as the Butterfly Rainbow editions, produced in the thousands, to tightly limited suites like The Archangels (2024), restricted to 100 plus 20 artist’s proofs. This variety in scale and rarity is central to how collectors assess value and positions certain series as more investable than others.

Hirst’s most in-demand prints in 2024/25 reflect a balance of long-standing motifs and recent HENI projects. By sales value, the Spots collections led the market (c. £522,000), underscoring the enduring pull of his pharmaceutical iconography. The Virtues (H9) followed (c. £433,000) and continues to anchor the high end, while recognisable themes like Mickey Mouse, Love, Veils, and The Empresses all sustained meaningful turnover. Newer bodies of work such as Where The Land Meets The Sea (H13) also gained traction in 2024/25.

After analysing recent performance, these are the prints and portfolios worth watching in 2025:

H9 The Virtues (complete set):

Still the market’s bellwether among recent editions. Sets have demonstrated resilience and recognisability, with results up to £101,600 in 2024. For buyers seeking a benchmark Hirst edition with strong secondary-market proof, Virtues remains the reference point.

Love Poems (complete set):

A notable resurgence. The full portfolio matched Virtues with a £101,600 result in 2024, showing that earlier, well-edited suites continue to attract competitive bidding when presented as complete sets with clean provenance.

Spots (key pharmaceutical titles):

The workhorse of Hirst’s market. Across 2024/25, Spots generated the highest total sales value of any collection, a sign of deep, cross-segment demand. Individual titles vary by size and technique, but the category’s breadth and liquidity make it a dependable cornerstone for collectors.

As ever, the most compelling acquisitions balance recognisability, condition, and edition discipline with your own taste. If you’re weighing an individual print against a complete set, a quick conversation with a MyArtBroker specialist can help you compare liquidity and recent comps so you buy at the right level for your collection.

Edition Size & Rarity

Edition size is one of the strongest determinants of value. Early works from the 1990s and 2000s often exist in runs of 50 to 150, with smaller artist’s proof editions attracting premiums. By contrast, HENI editions have ranged from large open-edition projects to smaller capped series. Rarity and exclusivity play a central role in determining both current and future value.

Authentication

Hirst’s market is well regulated, but authentication remains essential. HENI prints now come with blockchain certificates, offering secure digital provenance. Earlier works may carry certificates from the now-defunct Hirst Authentication Committee or from original publishers. In every case, buyers should request full provenance documentation. MyArtBroker’s brokers conduct thorough due diligence, ensuring each work is fully authenticated before purchase.

Condition

Hirst’s prints often feature delicate materials – from foil-blocking to diamond dust – that require careful inspection. Prospective buyers should request unframed images where possible to check for signs of fading, buckling, or surface loss. MyArtBroker also provides condition reports and high-resolution photography for works listed on the Trading Floor, helping collectors buy with confidence.

Buying a Hirst print should feel as secure and transparent as possible. At MyArtBroker, every collector is paired with a dedicated specialist who will guide you through the process – from sourcing the right work at the right price to checking condition and verifying provenance. Our team handles authentication and logistics, so you can focus on building your collection with confidence.

What sets us apart is the reach of our network. With more than 30,000 collectors worldwide, our Trading Floor offers direct access to works that may never appear publicly at auction or in galleries. This marketplace is supported by independent dealers, galleries, and experts, ensuring a constant flow of authentic Hirst prints across every price level.

Alongside market access, we provide data-driven insights. Our website attracts over 75,000 monthly visitors, and our market reports, guides, and essays keep collectors up to date with Hirst’s latest results and releases. Whether you’re looking for your first piece or expanding an established portfolio, we combine the trust of personal brokerage with the efficiency of a digital platform.

If you’re ready to take the next step, our brokers can connect you directly with available works, provide instant valuations, and advise on timing and pricing – making the experience of buying a Hirst print seamless, informed, and secure. Get in touch with us and speak with one of our specialists today.