Friday, February 11, 2011

SIGNS of the ZODIAC by Dali - 12 Color Lithographs (1969, Penn Prints)

SIGNS of the ZODIAC by Dali
12 Color Lithographs
1969, Penn Prints

Once in a blue moon a rare Dali collectible comes your way and you just have to have it.  This set of 12 color lithographs is one of those rare items.

The complete set consists of the porfolio, a page describing the characteristics of each zodiac sign, and 12 color lithographs on heavyweight paper.  The litho paper is sized 14" x 18" with an effective image area of about 11 15/16" x 16".

This set is extremely rare in a complete and fine condition.  I recently saw a complete set in decent condition (but with soiling around the edges) sell for about $360.  However, more recently I saw a near mint set on auction for nearly $500, and it did not sell.

Like many collectibles, demand plays a big part in the overall value.  While this set may be extremely rare, the current market seems to dictate an average value of about $450 for a complete set.   Mint condition sets would obviously command a premium.

This value is far below the rate suggested when smaller lots of individual prints from this set sell separately.  I have seen lots of two or three prints from this set sell for as high as $40-$50 per print, suggesting a complete set could sell for as much as $600.

The few owners of this set of lithographs across the internet clearly place a higher value on this set; prices range to well over $1000.  Indeed, I might only sell my set for about that much, considering how difficult it was to obtain such a fine and complete set.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

just ran across your post. I agree. My father bought this set a long time ago and I have it in my possession now. I don't understand why the entire set is so cheap when the one offs on ebay sell for so much. it should be much higher. Although I assume that all dali on ebay is a fake and as such the one offs are probably fakes being sold preying on those not in the know.

Dali Collector said...

I don't think the Penn lithos are fakes (not worth it to fake a print with limited value), but I would be very careful when buying a limited edition, signed and/or numbered Dali on eBay. As for the price difference of an individual Penn Zodiac print versus the entire set, perhaps it's just a factor of what a person wants/needs. I think that there are those who just want their own Zodiac sign, or need one to give as a gift. They pay a small premium to get just that one Dali image without laying out several hundred for the entire set. Makes sense.

Anonymous said...

Hard to say what the Penn Prints are exactly. The authorized prints were published by Leon Amiel in 1967 and measure 25 1/8 x 18 3/4, paper size 28 3/4 x 20 3/8. Smaller versions seem very strange.

Gordon said...

I just uncovered a complete set in my father's estate close to mint condition (no fraying or soiling). I am asking if anyone has heard of recent updates or activity about this collection?
I would think there has not been a shift in the past 9-12 months regarding market value or interest in these sets.

yojimbot said...

I just came across a set that was owned by phyills diller, the auction appraisal is 4-6k. Is the reason its so high the provenance?

Dali Collector said...

In my experience, appraisals are 10-20 times the realistic value on the market at large. Therefore, your set is realistically valued at $300-$500. It is unlikely that anybody would care that Phyllis Diller owned them.