Edward Gorey Auction Prices and Value Guide
Edward Gorey auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 526 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Edward Gorey auction prices: quick answer
Edward Gorey auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Edward Gorey
- Source records
- 526
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Edward Gorey market snapshot
Edward Gorey shows deep auction liquidity with 479 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $475. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 5 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2026-01-27.
Realized price distribution
- Under $1,000 (65.1% · 293 sales)
- $1,000 to $10,000 (29.6% · 133 sales)
- $10,000+ (5.3% · 24 sales)
- Median sale (last 12 months)
- $550
- Sales recorded (last 12 months)
- 5
- Median shift vs prior year
- +15.8%
- Latest recorded sale
- 2026-01-27
Artist context
About Edward Gorey
Born
1925
Died
2000
Nationality
American
Also known as
Edward St. John Gorey, Edward Saint John Gorey
Edward Gorey was an American artist, author, illustrator, and costume designer whose distinctive practice joined literary storytelling with meticulous drawing. Born in 1925 and active until his death in 2000, he created his own illustrated books while also producing covers and illustrations for works by other writers. Gorey is especially associated with finely hatched, predominantly black-and-white pen-and-ink images. His compact narratives frequently place enigmatic or unsettling events within imagined Victorian or Edwardian surroundings, balancing dark humor, theatricality, and deliberate ambiguity. The Gashlycrumb Tinies is among the best-documented titles connected with his authorship and illustration. Collectors may encounter Gorey's work through original drawings, book-related illustrations, printed editions, and objects derived from his visual vocabulary. His continuing visibility is supported by library authority records and by the Edward Gorey Charitable Trust, which preserves and promotes his literary and artistic legacy.
Pen-and-ink drawingBook illustrationCover artBlack-and-white hatched drawingUnsettling narrative scenesImagined Victorian and Edwardian settings
Common works and media
Auction and appraisal contexts may include original pen-and-ink drawings, black-and-white illustrations, book and cover artwork, works on paper, prints, published or limited editions, and decorative or mixed-media objects based on Gorey's designs. For editioned or publication-related material, the specific title, printing, edition statement, signature, inscription, and relationship to an original illustration are important distinctions.
Market and appraisal context
Edward Gorey's auction market spans works on paper and prints as well as editions, mixed-media objects, decorative material, and some entries classified more broadly as fine art. A useful appraisal begins by identifying the precise medium, dimensions, date, subject, publication relationship, and edition status of the object. Signatures, inscriptions, provenance, exhibition or catalogue references, condition, restoration, and confidence in attribution should then be compared with closely related public sales. Reported auction totals are not always presented on the same basis and may include buyer premiums or fees. Private sales, incomplete feeds, and later attribution changes can also limit the conclusions supported by public records, so an observed result should not be treated as a universal price prediction.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Works on paper and prints
- Fine art and paintings
- Sculpture and mixed media
- Decorative art and editions
Value drivers
- Medium, dimensions, date, and place within Gorey's career
- Condition, restoration history, and surface quality
- Signature, inscriptions, edition information, and attribution confidence
- Provenance, exhibition history, and catalogue references
- Subject matter, rarity, and recent comparable public auction sales
Appraisal caveats
- Public auction results are starting points rather than final appraisals.
- Reported sale totals may include buyer premiums or other fees, so comparisons should use consistent price bases.
- Private transactions, incomplete auction feeds, and later attribution changes may not appear in the available records.
- Authentication, condition, and edition status can materially affect comparability.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Bibliothèque nationale de France library authority
- Wikidata library authority
- IdRef library authority
- Edward Gorey artist official site
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
Data basis
This page is built from Appraisily's public auction market index. Private transactions, incomplete sale feeds, and attribution changes may not be fully represented.
Artist value FAQ
How much is Edward Gorey worth?
Comparable public auction sales are the best starting point, but final value depends on the specific artwork, condition, size, medium, provenance, and attribution confidence.
Can Appraisily value my Edward Gorey artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.