On a recent search in a charity shop in an affluent district of London, not far from Paddington, in fact, I saw a rather lovely print entitled ‘Out for the Day’.
My daughter is obsessed with Paddington, especially the books, cartoon series and recent movies.
I took a look and decided it was in excellent condition. Upon closer inspection, it is signed by the author Michael Bond himself.
Needless to say, at £29.99 I thought it was worth it as I knew my daughter would love it whether it was worth a small fortune or not.
On the back of the frame, it is revealed to be one of 495 prints by Peggy Fortnum (the original illustrator) and is stamped by the Arts Trade Guild.
That got me excited and I found a similar one online from a few years ago priced at £600 that says it’s sold out, and another on a US website for $800.
I think it could be worth closer to £1,000 now, especially as Paddington is hot. Am I right? Lewis, by email.
Charity shop offer? Purchased for £30 and signed by the author, is this Paddington print worth much more?
Dan Hatfield, our resident valuation expert, answers: the new Paddington in Peru The film has clearly sparked the nostalgic nerve in all of you, as my inbox is overflowing with questions about Paddington collectibles.
It’s what makes this column a pleasure for me, exploring Modern Treasures, among the antiques of my daily work life.
Last week I appraised a 50 year old Paddington plush. I was sent a print this week and it certainly is attractive.
It really captures the essence of Paddington and I feel like our friend from Peru comes to life in this.
And that’s no surprise because it was drawn by Peggy Fortnum, who was the first person to draw Paddington and went on to illustrate all the novels Michael Bond had written.
This is one of three prints created with a limited run of 495 per piece. They were produced in 1997 and sold in the luxury department store Selfridges.
These pieces bear the seal of the Fine Arts Trade Guild, an organization established in 1847 to ensure that the strictest standards are met when it comes to prints.
With this seal we can demonstrate that the printing was made with high standards and quality materials.
I am intrigued that Bond signed the print, as it is extremely rare to find his signature on anything other than his books.
I found it difficult to review the Rolodex of prices I keep in my head; It required some old-fashioned detective work.
In Focus: The print is number 489 of 495, is signed by Michael Bond and has an official Fine Arts Trade Guild seal.
I know you mention that you’ve seen a couple of previous sales estimating the price of these prints at £600.
I’ve done some more research but I can’t confirm the date of these sales and it’s not clear that the £600 they were advertised for is even the price they got.
However, the websites where you discovered these listings are known in the industry for doubling, tripling, or even quadrupling the realistic price you should expect to pay.
Unfortunately, these websites have quite quirky operators who seem to take a bit of pleasure in setting prices.
It’s also worth noting that Bond passed away in 2017, so any sales during this period would have been inflated due to his death.
I should also note that this is a print and while it is a limited edition, it is not an original.
I love that the author’s name appears, but for £500 you could have recently bought an original watercolor of Paddington drawn by Fortnum herself.
Right now, you can even buy Paddington books signed by Bond for as little as £20.
While researching these prints to determine a realistic price for you, I found evidence of a sale of these three prints on eBay in 2015 for £295.
That said, prices will have increased since then due to inflation, the death of the author, and the aforementioned sale did not include marks.
We then have to consider other events over the years that will have increased the value of Paddington. He had tea with Her Late Majesty and has just released his third film: he is undoubtedly more popular than ever.
All in all, it’s complicated to value. I’d love to agree with your £1,000 valuation, but my research and instincts tell me that nostalgia may have struck you with such an optimistic price.
Unfortunately, the £600 you saw on that bookselling site a few years ago is probably too inflated too.
Ultimately I think a realistic price for this piece is between £200 and £300.
Additional Information: The back of the print reveals more of the story about the print.
Don’t forget that while I believe this valuation is a true reflection of the market value and quality of the print, for the right collector there is always the possibility of getting much more for it.
Let’s also remember that you only paid £30 for the print, so securing the top end of my rating could mean a tenfold return on your money, buying a lot of jam.
This leaves me with just one question…can I have the name and address of the charity shop in question?
Send 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 lender. It is an international specialist in antiques, jewelry, 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 seeking appraisals of its items and collections.
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