A Seller’s Guide To Keith Haring

Andy Mouse 2 by Keith HaringAndy Mouse 2 © Keith Haring 1986
Rebecca Marsham

Rebecca Marsham, Sales Director[email protected]

Interested in buying or selling
Keith Haring?

If you are in the market to sell a Keith Haring print, here are a few pieces of advice before you start your journey, to make sure you sell at the right time and achieve the right price.

Read MyArtBroker's Keith Haring Investment Guide In 2024.

Looking to buy a Haring print? Read our dedicated Keith Haring Buyers Guide.

Known for his bold graphic style and playful sense of humour, Keith Haring was one of the most influential and adored artists of the 20th century. As well as an impressive number of paintings, Haring produced advertising campaigns, toys, prints and murals that encompassed his belief that art was for everyone.

Though he had experimented with print techniques such as lithography in the late 1970s, it wasn’t until 1983 that Haring began making screen prints, or serigraphs. Soon, he was producing ever more inventive and bold prints in both small and large editions, undoubtedly inspired by Andy Warhol, one of Haring’s most important influences.

Today, Haring is still considered to be one of the most significant figures of post-war and contemporary art. Keith Haring’s work is often collected for its social commentary, its connection to the issues of the time, and the revolutionary attitudes of Haring trying to subvert the art world. As a result, prints laden with some of his most politically inflected motifs– his barking dog, who sounds the alarm on various social injustices, fertility symbols, homaging mothers with HIV, or phallic flowers to celebrate gay love – remain as powerful. Haring’s popularity shows no sign of waning; his timeless prints continue to be in high demand and sell for high prices.

How much are Keith Haring prints worth?

Keith Haring prints can vary in value according to a number of factors: the edition size, colourway, subject matter, popularity, condition and quality.

It’s possible to get a sense of market value by looking at recent sales prices online and researching auction prices across the major auction houses. Keith Haring’s prints can sell for up to six-figure at auction; in 2022, individual signed limited edition Keith Haring prints sold for anywhere between around £500 (though most prints from edition sizes smaller than 1000 begin around £1000) and £214,200 at auction. At the top end of this range is Andy Mouse (1986), from an edition of only 30, which sold at auction for £504,000 when offered by Christie’s on the 28th September 2022. Andy Mouse remains undoubtedly among Haring’s most popular collection of prints with collectors, given its tribute to ‘King of Pop’ Andy Warhol documents the significance of Warhol’s influence on the younger artist’s style as one of Haring’s earliest inspirations. If you are the lucky owner of one of this series, you own one of the most desirable Keith Haring works.

While looking at recent auction value can give you a ballpark estimate of how much you can hope to sell for, the best way to value a Keith Haring artwork is to ask a specialist to take a look. At MyArtBroker, we offer free, zero-obligation valuations, just get in touch.

To learn more about the highs and lows of the Keith Haring Market, read our Haring Market Watch here.

Additionally, our soon to launch, dedicated print market index, MyPortfolio, will be able to offer the more nuanced and case-by-case answers demanded by this question.

Keith Haring’s edition sizes

Haring began working in lithography in the early ’80s, producing small edition sizes of 40 or 50 monochrome designs before moving onto screen printing and producing work mostly in editions of 100 with a few exceptions – his Andy Mouse series was only made as an edition of 30, while the Pop Shop series was printed as editions of 200 for single prints and 45 for the Pop Shop Quad set. As with any prints, smaller portfolio sizes tend to be considered more valuable, but a large edition size should not be considered a barrier to a good sale if the work is striking and in excellent condition.

Is a signature important for a Keith Haring print?

As well as edition size, on eof the factors that can affect the value of your Keith Haring prints is whether or not it is signed; Keith Haring’s prints can range from editions of 50 to 1000, averaging at around 150, and authentic prints can be signed or unsigned. Typically a signed piece in a smaller edition will be more valuable but larger editions will not necessarily put buyers off, given Haring is in demand and known for producing large edition sizes anyway.
Early on in Haring’s career it became evident that the energy and curiosity he demonstrated for painting translated perfectly into printmaking and he soon began to work with publishers across the US, Switzerland, Japan, Germany, France, Denmark and Holland. Though many of his prints were made in large editions, there is an element of precision in every single one that shows the level of care with which he supervised the process.

By the time of his death, Haring had produced so many prints that the exact number has become impossible to count. Most editions by Haring are signed by the artist, but there are many unsigned editions on the market, and these can also be valuable if approved by the Keith Haring Foundation.

One of Haring’s most valuable print portfolios, Andy Mouse, has more than one signature: the prints are signed by both Haring and Warhol. The artworks depict Warhol in Mickey Mouse shorts, complete with sunglasses and his trademark spiky wig, representing two of the most important figures of the Pop Art movement in one work.

How to authenticate Keith Haring art

The most important thing for a prospective buyer considering the purchase of a work of art is authenticity. It is important to preserve any documents pertaining to your original purchase of a Keith Haring print. It’s essential to prove the provenance of a piece – keep every scrap of paperwork related to your purchase of the artwork. This is even more important if the work is unsigned but approved by the Keith Haring Foundation. From a certificate of authenticity or auction receipt to details of the previous owners, these pieces of paper can make a huge difference – sometimes resulting in substantial increased value whether at auction or private sale – when it comes to selling your collection.

In our article, "How to Authenticate Keith Haring Prints", Pop Art specialist Richard Polsky, offers an even more in-depth view on the process of authenticating Keith Haring art.

If you need a specialist to guide you through authenticating your Haring print, contact MyArtBroker and we can manage this process for you.

How to care for a Keith Haring print

After provenance, condition is perhaps the most important thing prospective buyers will consider when looking for a Haring print. Over the years, prints may bear signs of wear and tear; screen prints and lithographs are as susceptible to damage as paintings. Over time, the bright colours of Haring’s designs can fade if not looked after properly, so frame your print under UV-protective glass and hang it away from direct sunlight.

Asking a reputable framer to create a mount for the work is always money well spent against your investment. The condition of a work of art can significantly affect its value when it comes to be sold so it’s important to guard against such damaging agents as light, moisture and inexpert handling.

Works on paper can buckle over time, the print appearing slightly wavy due to changes in temperature or atmosphere, but this can be easily fixed by an expert. It is usually advisable not to attempt flattening or adjusting the print in any way yourself as this can do more harm than good and can result in loss of value.

If you are unsure about the condition of your works, do not hesitate to contact our brokers who will be able to recommend a conservation specialist if necessary.

Find out more in our guide to restoring and caring for modern and contemporary prints.

Submit your Keith Haring print for a free valuation

When is the best time to sell my Keith Haring print?

Haring’s work continues to be at the forefront of the post-war and contemporary print market, there is no bad time to sell. But it’s always worth thinking carefully about when you sell, as with most things, timing is everything. Sellers should also bear in mind that if a similar piece is on the secondary market you don’t want to have to compete against it, a move which would only serve to affect both prices negatively. It’s best to wait until there seems to be a gap or evidence of a desire for the Haring you are selling.

Thanks to Haring’s commercially minded approach, the Pop Shop he established in the 80s continues to sell his merchandise online and often partners with leading streetwear brands and established fashion houses such as Uniqlo and Coach, ensuring his name remains known among younger generations of fans and collectors, and proving his enduring appeal as an artist.

With an established, medium sized market, Haring's commercially iconic works have been met with success at auction and private sale for decades. Haring's secondary print market is now stronger than it was in 2018 and 2019. Individual prints and complete sets by Haring continue to be worthwhile investments as we enter 2023, with positive projected returns.

Learn more about Keith Haring's print market in our latest 2023 American Pop Print Report.

How to sell a Keith Haring

The final practical decision when it comes to selling your Keith Haring print is where and how to make the sale. The main options are through an auction house, via an online platform, or through a private sale. Deciding on the right platform to sell a work will depend on your own level of confidence and expertise in the art market, but auction houses and galleries will often take significant fees off sellers, while MyArtBroker charges sellers 0% to sell.

Obviously, we’re big fans of private sales and believe it helps both buyers and sellers, which is why we do it. But there are advantages and disadvantages to all the methods.

SELLING A KEITH HARING VIA AN AUCTION HOUSE

If you decide to go with an auction house, they will appraise your work for free and help you set a reserve price. Their specialists will determine authenticity, condition and value of the piece.

Success at auction is not always easy to come by – so much depends on the room, the other works in the sale and the time and date. Another thing to consider is that while auction houses will appraise your work for free and help you set a reserve price they also charge substantial sales fees, often up to 15% plus loss, damage and liability insurance, marketing charges and storage costs. For prints, it’s rarely the most cost-effective way of reaching a buyer. You’ll also have to wait 2-3 months for a sale date.

SELLING A KEITH HARING PRIVATELY VIA A BROKER

Selling through a private gallery or a brokerage such as MyArtBroker can often be a good bet for the inexperienced than going through an auction. Private brokers give you access to a network of clients they know well and who will be interested in your Keith Haring print.

Private brokers can also help you with questions around authenticity, how to set realistic prices and supply potential buyers at a much more leisurely pace than the stress of an auction.

At the same time, a private sales partner, like MyArtBroker will be able to negotiate immediate payment for your print from a collector, meaning there is no obligation to settle for a lower-than-expected price (as you might at auction) and that the final sum is with you faster. When it comes to auction houses, they may not be able to consign your print immediately (for example, if the same print edition is already being featured in a sale), and if the next print sale is five months off, you will simply have to wait.

To learn more, we recommend reading our comprehensive Guide To Auction v Private Sales.

WHY SELL YOUR Haring WITH MYARTBROKER?

A DEDICATED BROKER

MyArtBroker will introduce you to your own personal expert broker who will find you a buyer and guide you through the process without any charge to you— you can get to know our friendly specialists here. Our brokers will help you with authenticity and condition checking, offer advice on realistic sale prices and the optimal time to sell plus manage the negotiation from start to finish.

As we value your prints as much as you do, our brokers will always ensure they negotiate the best price for you. Even better, it’s free to sell!

OUR NETWORK

With over 30,000 collectors buying and selling artwork daily, and over 75,000 visitors to our website every month, at MyArtBroker we have a worldwide network of private collectors, brokers and galleries to help you find the right buyer at the right price.

Our online platform also lets us market your piece discreetly, saving you the hassle of dealing with potential buyers or the stress of an auction. It also means your artwork is on display 24 hours a day, reaching your target market while you get with other things.

Get in touch with us here if you’re interested in selling a Keith Haring print and we’ll talk you through the process.

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