Sell a Sam Szafran work
Have a Sam Szafran work to sell? Start with a free auction estimate. Sam Szafran has 41 recorded auction lots, 95% of them sold, most often at Ader. Half of the priced sales fell between $1,068Sign up free to see and $29,649Sign up free to see.
Record price: $258,691Sign up free to see for Escalier rue de Seine (Autoportrait), circa 1979-1980, PBA Auctions (Pierre Bergé & Associés), December 2019.
Past auction results, not a valuation. Condition, size, subject, date and provenance decide what a particular work brings. Full price guide: what is a Sam Szafran work worth? → · Compare works like yours by medium and size →
Recent Sam Szafran results
- Escalier, 1977-1978 — $7,269Sign up free to see, Digard Auction, Jun 2026
- Escalier, 1977-1978 — $10,601Sign up free to see, Digard Auction, Jun 2026
- Escalier, 1977-1978 — $10,601Sign up free to see, Digard Auction, Jun 2026
- Aralias aquarellée vert III-419 — $7,572Sign up free to see, Digard Auction, Jun 2026
- Philodendrons, c. 1990 — $63,604Sign up free to see, Digard Auction, Jun 2026
- UNTITLED , 1958 — $1,158Sign up free to see, Lyon & Turnbull, Oct 2025
Where Sam Szafran sells
| Auction house | Lots | Sold | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ader | 8 | 8 | $1.4kSign up free to see |
| Drouot Estimations | 7 | 7 | $1.4kSign up free to see |
| PIASA | 6 | 6 | $2.1kSign 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 Sam Szafran 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 →
Sam Szafran 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 Sam Szafran appraisal →
Selling Sam Szafran: questions
How do I sell a Sam Szafran work?
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 Sam Szafran at auction?
ArtSell has recorded 41 Sam Szafran lots between 2010 and 2026, and 95% of them sold; 28 priced sales came in the last five years.
What have Sam Szafran works sold for?
Half of the 39 priced sales were between $1,068 and $29,649 (median $3,013); the record is $258,691. 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.
Sam Szafran price guideAll Sam Szafran auction resultsSam Szafran works on paperSam Szafran printsSam Szafran paintings
Seller guides
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