Sell a Les Cleveland photograph
Have a Les Cleveland photograph to sell? Start with a free auction estimate. Les Cleveland has 21 recorded auction lots, 90% of them sold, most often at Art+Object. Half of the priced sales fell between $475Sign up free to see and $1,454Sign up free to see.
Record price: $2,327Sign up free to see for Firemen cleaning engine, Thorndon Fire Brigade, Murphy Street Wellington, October 10 1957, Art+Object, September 2012.
Past auction results, not a valuation. Condition, size, subject, date and provenance decide what a particular work brings. Full price guide: what is a Les Cleveland photograph worth? →
Recent Les Cleveland results
- Pussy Galore and Teddy Bear — $157Sign up free to see, Art+Object, Oct 2018
- Farmers Killing Shed, Haupiri, Westland, 1957 — $545Sign up free to see, Art+Object, Mar 2017
- No. 25 Tory Street, Wellington, 1957 — $332Sign up free to see, Art+Object, Jun 2014
- Lee Quing's Chinese Goods Shop, Haining Street — $1,842Sign up free to see, Art+Object, Sep 2012
- Hong Kong Cafe, Taranaki Street, 1957 — $1,648Sign up free to see, Art+Object, Sep 2012
- House Used as Bottle Yard by Indian Dealer, October 10 1957, Tory Street — $1,454Sign up free to see, Art+Object, Sep 2012
Where Les Cleveland sells
| Auction house | Lots | Sold | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art+Object | 21 | 19 | $633Sign up free to see |
Free auction estimate
How selling at auction works
- Send photos for a free estimate. A photo of the front, plus the signature, the back and any labels if you can. Add the size and anything you know about where the work came from.
- Get an auction estimate. A specialist compares the work with recorded auction results and replies with an estimate range: what the work could reasonably bring at auction, not a guarantee or a formal appraisal.
- Agree terms and a reserve. If you decide to sell, you sign a consignment agreement that sets the commission, any fees and the reserve (the confidential minimum price below which the work will not sell).
- Ship or hand over the work. The work goes to the house for inspection, cataloguing and photography. Condition and authorship are checked before it is offered.
- The sale. The work is offered in a scheduled sale, online or in the room. Buyers pay a buyer’s premium on top of the hammer price; that is the buyer’s cost, not yours.
- Get paid. After the buyer pays, the house settles with you: the hammer price minus the seller’s commission and any agreed fees.
Typical timeline
- Estimate: usually a few days after you send photos.
- Consignment to sale: commonly 6–12 weeks, because houses build sales around themes and seasons and need time to catalogue and market each lot.
- Payment: usually about 30–35 days after the sale, once the buyer has paid.
What selling costs
- Seller’s commission: a percentage of the hammer price. At many houses it falls roughly between 10% and 25%, often lower for higher-value works, and it is frequently negotiable.
- Possible fees: some houses charge for photography, insurance, shipping or an unsold-lot fee. Ask which apply before you sign.
- Buyer’s premium: paid by the buyer on top of the hammer price. Prices in our results include it where the house publishes it.
What to have ready for your Les Cleveland estimate
- A straight-on photo of the whole front, in daylight, without glare (frame on is fine)
- A close-up of the signature, monogram or any stamp
- The back: canvas or board, stretcher, labels, gallery or exhibition stickers, inscriptions
- Height and width (and depth for sculpture), without the frame if you can
- Medium if you know it: oil, acrylic, watercolor, print, bronze…
- How you acquired it: purchase receipts, gallery invoices, letters, family history, past appraisals
- Condition notes: tears, flaking, stains, restoration, foxing on paper
- For prints: the edition number (e.g. 23/100) and any blindstamp
How to photograph art for an estimate →
Les Cleveland appraisal for insurance or an estate
Not selling, but need a documented value? A free auction estimate is for selling; insurers, executors and charities usually need a formal written appraisal. Need an appraisal for insurance? Request a written Les Cleveland appraisal →
Selling Les Cleveland: questions
How do I sell a Les Cleveland photograph?
Send photos of the front, signature and back with the size for a free auction estimate. If you decide to sell, you consign the work to an auction house under a written agreement that sets the commission and reserve; the house catalogues, markets and sells it, then pays you after the buyer pays.
Is there demand for Les Cleveland at auction?
ArtSell has recorded 21 Les Cleveland lots between 2007 and 2018, and 90% of them sold.
What have Les Cleveland photographs sold for?
Half of the 19 priced sales were between $475 and $1,454 (median $633); the record is $2,327. These are past auction results, not a valuation of your work.
How much does it cost to sell at auction?
The seller pays a commission on the hammer price, at many houses roughly 10% to 25% and often negotiable for higher-value works, plus any agreed fees such as photography, insurance or shipping. The estimate itself is free.
How long does it take?
An estimate usually takes a few days. From consignment to sale is commonly 6 to 12 weeks, and payment usually follows about a month after the sale.
Les Cleveland price guideAll Les Cleveland auction resultsLes Cleveland photographs
Seller guides
How to sell art at auctionSell a paintingSell a printSell a sculptureSelling inherited art and estatesHow to photograph art for an estimateAppraisal vs. auction estimateWhere to sell artArt appraisal for insurance