Many have asked me these past few weeks what a Thomas Kinkade painting is worth today, since he recently passed away. I will try to answer this question.
Thomas Kinkade, known as the "Painter of Light," died April 6. He was 54. Kinkade's pictures sold well to the average homeowner, but were not appreciated by fine art experts. He had sold paintings and prints in his franchised galleries, as well as online and home shopping TV shows, and selling in large quantity. His artwork included prints, oil on paper, oil on canvass, and other types.
When he died, the least expensive art work were selling for about $50 to $15. The most expensive was the original oil paintings that were offered for $50,000 to $100,000 or more. It is the Disney-inspired paintings that sell for the most. Usually the value of a famous artist goes up in price when the artist dies because he was the behind the popularity of the paintings. The higher prices may not hold for long in this case.
Valuable movie posters found
A pile of movie posters stuck together and found in an attic in Beswick, Pa., were recently steamed apart and sold by Heritage Auction House of Dallas, Texas, last month, selling for $503,035. The posters dated from the 1930s and included some that had not been seen in years.
Superman contract sells for $160,000
The 198 check that paid Superman's creators $130 for the rights to the character brought $160,000 at a April 16, 2012 comicconnect.com auction. The check, which totaled $412, included a notation that $130 is for "Superman" and misspelled both creators' names - Jerome Siegal and Joe Shuster. The originators of the comic later realized their rights were worth a lot more. They sued in the 1940s, but lost. In 1973, they lost again. But Warner Communications, makers of the Superman films, gave the artists a compassionate pension for life. Schuster died in 1992, Siegel in 1996. Their heirs are involved in yet another lawsuit. In 2011, an original copy of action comics No. 1 in mint condition sold for a record $2.16 million.
U.S. penny sells for $1.15 million
A rare United States penny has sold for $1.15 million. The experimental copper penny was minted in 1792, and pictures Lady Liberty. It was made with a silver plug in the center so the coin met the legal requirement regarding its total weight. It sold on April 22, 2012 at Heritage Auction Galleries. A group of investors bought the penny.
Larry Koon is the author of several price guide books on antiques and collectibles. His column appears every Monday on Life. Send letters to Treasure in the Attic, c/o The Marietta Times, 700 Channel Lane, Marietta 45750; or e-mail him at koonantiques@yahoo.com. When writing, send a complete description of the item, along with size, color, any markings on the item along with condition the item is in, and how the item was obtained, and any other information. If possible, send a photograph. Letters will be answered through this column.
