Asset Class: Invest in Damien Hirst

Interest and demand for Hirst prints is one of the highest on the secondary print market, where his work, on average, has steadily appreciated in value over the last five years. Hirst’s print market has been driven largely by the volume of sales, demonstrated by a 19% market size and 4.5% average sales price compound annual growth rate over five years.

In fact, Hirst is one of the few contemporary artists on the market who bucked the 2020 COVID trend with a double-digit bump in average sales price. This was followed by a negligible correction in 2021, before beginning to trend upwards again in 2022.

Damien Hirst print could be a viable investment to diversify typical investment portfolios, according to our data showing returns over a 10 year period in comparison to gold, oil, property and UK shares. The Hirst market overall may be a better place to make money, especially when considering the cost of storing a print in comparison to the upkeep of any property investment portfolio. Some areas like the oil market are no match for the potential returns to be made in the Hirst print market right now, and other areas like UK Shares are showing Hirst to be on equal footing in 2022.

What’s driving growth in the Hirst market? The average sales price of Hirst's prints has steadily increased by 25% in the last five years. Much like in the Andy Warhol market, the rise in demand, availability and creation of complete print sets has seen this segment of the Hirst secondary print market grow to 15% of its total.

The only area that entirely outstrips the Hirst print market in 2022 is Amazon. This is not surprising given the domineering position of Amazon in the e-commerce market, and its strategy of acquiring brands in other markets.

The cost of a Hirst print is dependent on a variety of factors, including its physical size, when the series was made, its rarity and edition size, as well as its condition and provenance (such notable previous ownership or if it was exhibited in a notable exhibition). But the average sales price is going up: from £9,446 in 2019, to £10,710 in 2020, to £10,653 in 2021 and £12,431 in 2022 – a 16.7% increase in average sale price on last year.

In terms of complete sets, Hirst's series H-9 has proved popular with the portfolio showing a 54% increase in average sale price year on year in 2022.

As far as individual prints go, Sandwich, produced as part of Hirst's series The Last Supper, is the artist's most investable print of the past five years. This particular print from the series has experienced considerable value growth, increasing by over 375% since 2017.

Hirst's Spot prints also prove to be particularly investible pieces. They are an iconic part of his oeuvre that are a great way into the Hirst market. From one of his infamous Spots series, Vipera Lebetina presents a grid of muted-coloured spots. Though Hirst has seemingly created an endless supply of Spots prints, Vipera Lebetina has been particularly popular in the past five years, experiencing approx. 355% value growth.

You can request a zero obligation, free valuation from our specialist team, no matter when you’re looking to sell your Damien Hirst print. Selling online increases the chance of your print reaching a global audience. MyArtBroker’s global network consists of over 30,000 collectors buying and selling works daily, as well as dealers, galleries and independent experts.

MyArtBroker charges a 0% fee to the seller. We offer the flexibility of selling online and the expertise of an auction house. Your personal broker will market your print to our global network of buyers, when you want and at the price you want to receive. We will vet potential interest to ensure they are genuine. In most cases, you can keep your print until you agree to a sale and, after the sale takes place, we will cover the cost of shipping. Get in touch with us if you are interested and we will talk you through the process.