I won a limited-edition Damien Hirst print in a competition – what’s it worth? DAN HATFIELD replies

I would love to know the value of this print. It is a limited edition of the beautiful hours spin painting. 

I won it in a competition and it is one of 40. They weren’t for sale. It is signed by Damien Hirst and has a letter of provenance. Mary, via email.

Competition win: I won this Damien Hirst print – is it worth big money?

Dan Hatfield, expert valuer, replies: If artist, Damien Hirst were a condiment, he’d be Marmite. 

As Hirst himself once said, ‘as an artist, the best you can hope for is people arguing, mixed reviews. Love it and hate it. If you get that, then you are on the right track. If everyone loves it or hates it, you’re in trouble.’ 

And that, dear reader, sums up the essence of Hirst perfectly.

Whether you adore his work or abhor it, there’s no denying that Hirst is one of the most influential figures in contemporary art, the enfant terrible, if you will. 

His meteoric rise in the 1990s was impossible to ignore. Headlines were dominated by stories of cows and sharks suspended in formaldehyde, pill cabinets, and diamond-encrusted skulls. 

For many, these creations were nothing short of shocking—strange and downright repulsive. 

To them, Hirst wasn’t an artist; he was a showman, an exhibitionist of the highest order. I remember the public’s outrage and confusion vividly. How could such displays be considered art?

Yet, as with all groundbreaking figures, Hirst pushed the boundaries of what art could be. 

Progress, after all, often meets resistance. While he wasn’t alone in creating controversial works during the late 80s and 90s, being a part of the Young British Artists (YBAs) cemented his status as one of the movement’s most prominent figures. 

Hirst’s deep-rooted fascination with death and religion—two themes he believes have permeated art since the dawn of time—is ever-present in his creations. 

They can make for uncomfortable viewing, yes, but they’re undeniably fascinating. Over time, many of us have softened in our perception of Hirst. 

It’s no coincidence that with a reported fortune of over £300million, Hirst is the wealthiest living UK artist. 

This points to the fact that his work sells in large quantities and for big money. It is, then, obvious that his art appeals to the masses despite its shocking beginnings, and his work’s popularity shows no signs of waning.

More recently, Hirst has found himself surrounded in controversy with allegations of plagiarism and of backdating pieces of art. 

But has this detracted from the value of his work? It appears not, as the growth in value continues and demand for his work has not waned, although we will never know if his work could have been even more valuable, and collectable should this controversy not occurred. 

What we do know is that any piece of artwork by this artist is much sought after, and should you have a piece, you’ll never find it difficult to sell.

The Hirst you’ve sent into me is a lithograph. There is often a misguided opinion that these are merely prints and, as such, are worth nothing when the reality can be very different. 

The process of creating a lithograph is time-consuming and tricky, and therefor often means they are created in small quantities like yours, which is one of 40. 

This results in higher prices and higher demand than your bog-standard print. Often, they will also be signed by the artist, as is the case with your piece.

Yours is certainly an interesting one, part of his much-praised series of spinning paintings. 

A technique using a spinning machine that he has finely tuned over his career. These were originally not put on general sale and instead, created as competition prizes in the Observer and the Guardian to promote the album ‘See the Light’ by band The Hours, the cover of which Hirst designed, and which adorns the lithograph that you own. 

I love the vibrant skull taking centre stage amongst the vivid shards of colour.

I’m delighted that you have guarded and taken care of the provenance (in this case, a letter produced by Science Ltd, the company owned by Hirst that produces some of his original works and prints). 

You would be surprised how many people I see with wonderful works of art who have misplaced the document that verifies its authenticity – obtaining new documents can be time-consuming and costly.

When we look at Hirst’s work, we see that they grow in value by roughly 5 per cent per year over the past few years. I have seen some of his lithographs sell for hundreds, and I have seen others go for over £150,000, so his prices vary wildly.

So where does your piece sit within this rather big variation? While it is a very limited edition of 40 and signed by the artist himself, it doesn’t hit the dizzy heights of the six-figure variety.

That’s not to say that in the future it won’t increase dramatically in price. In fact, when one of these 40 was sold in 2011, it reached £600 at auction yet has risen considerably since, indicating that these prints are outperforming Hirst’s average yearly increase for his work as a whole. 

I would price your lithograph between £4,000 to £5,000, which isn’t a bad return on an investment of your time by entering that competition all those years ago.

If you were tempted to sell (which I would strongly advise you not too, if you don’t need too because it’s very likely going to continue to increase in value each year), then you should do so through an auction house which some people are daunted at the prospect of, but I assure you it is very simple. 

All you need to do is a little research to look at which auction houses have achieved the best results selling Damien Hirst lithographs. 

You can sign up to www.liveauctioneers.com and here you can see past results and best prices achieved at auction. 

While I’ve valued the piece between £4-5,000, remember at auction items have the potential to gallop if interest is high. 

In fact, one of these lithographs did in 2023 when it reached an impressive £9,221 (remember you do have to deduct the auction houses commission and costs from this figure so be sure to have agreed these costs before committing to an auction). 

You always have the option to set a reserve price at auction if there’s a price point you wouldn’t be happy to go below.

Good buy? I picked up this Italian James Bond poster in a charity shop not with a view for a sale – but because I loved it

Was £40 James Bond poster charity buy a bargain?

I am a big James Bond fan and found this in a charity shop for £40 a few years ago.

It appears to be an Italian promotional poster for the first James Bond Film, Dr No, which was released in 1962.

It is obviously quite faded, and I have tried to look after it by keeping it away from sunlight. I also haven’t opened up the back so as not to damage it.

I probably wouldn’t sell it as I love it, but is it worth anything? Lenny, via email.

Dan replies: Next, to the ‘Dr No’ Poster that’s been sent in. I must confess, after opening this email, I instantly craved a Martini. 

This is a delightful item from the Bond franchise which has captivated the imagination of billions of people around the world for more than six decades, with seven actors having donned the tuxedo, and the films grossing over £17billion in today’s money. 

Bond is more than big; he’s colossal, and anything associated with him is instantly collectible.

Although, in the beginning, this wasn’t the case. Often with movies, they are previewed by industry big wigs as was the case for Dr No. 

The head of European operations for the production company viewed the film and exclaimed to the producers, Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli, that the best thing about the movie was that it could only lose $840,000 – the amount the film had cost to make. 

Such criticism didn’t dampen the producers’ spirits, and they defiantly set about promoting the film around the world. 

The rest, as they say, is history, and now Bond is a part of all our lives as we speculate who the next actor playing him could be, we use the catchphrases constantly, and the title theme song if often a much fought after accolade.

I adore your poster; there’s something about a foreign interpretation that just captures my imagination. 

So, let’s examine your poster. Some Bond promotional posters can go for many hundreds, sometimes thousands of pounds, so it’s important we understand what it is that you have. 

I’m sorry to break the news to you, but this is not the original poster released in the 60s. 

The original promotional poster was much busier and more vibrant, with several images of Bond and the Bond girls. It’s certainly, ironically, not as iconic as your poster. 

This one is from the film’s re-release and dates to around 1971. You allude to the fact that it is faded, which is a shame because there are currently similar ones on the market less tarnished by the sun. 

This does detract from the amount you could potentially sell your poster for and therefor I’d value you it at about £100. 

I know that doesn’t seem like an earth-shattering amount, but for an initial outlay of £40, it’s a decent return on your investment. 

I hope my valuation has neither shaken nor stirred you and that you are happy with the fact that your poster is worth considerably more than you paid for it. 

You say that you may not sell it, and I would say don’t; it’s a fun, iconic poster. I would put it in a place that gets very little sun, like a downstairs loo, and continue to enjoy it and others who come to visit.

Send in your Modern Treasures

Dan Hatfield: Our columnist is ready to value your Modern Treasure

Dan Hatfield is This Morning’s money-making expert and resident pawnbroker. He is an international specialist in antiques, jewellery, diamonds and collectibles. 

Dan’s first non-fiction book, Money Maker: Unlock Your Money Making Potential (£16.99, published by Hodder Catalyst) is available now.

This is Money’s Modern Treasures column is after your items and collections for valuations. 

Please send in as much information as possible, including photographs, to: editor@thisismoney.co.uk with the email subject line: Modern Treasures

We’re after post-War items only please and we may contact you for further information.

Dan will do his best to reply to your message in his bi-weekly column, but he won’t be able to answer everyone or correspond privately with readers. 

Nothing in his replies constitutes regulated financial advice. Published questions are sometimes edited for brevity or other reasons.

As with anything, if you are looking to sell items and collections, it is wise to get a second and third opinion – not just rely on Dan’s suggestions.