Robert Louis Stevenson Auction Prices and Value Guide

Robert Louis Stevenson auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 247 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Robert Louis Stevenson auction prices: quick answer

Robert Louis Stevenson auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
Robert Louis Stevenson
Source records
247
Market update
2026-02-16

Robert Louis Stevenson market snapshot

Robert Louis Stevenson shows developing auction liquidity with 26 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $300. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 3 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2025-08-09.

Realized price distribution

  • Under $1,000 (85.0% · 17 sales)
  • $1,000 to $10,000 (15.0% · 3 sales)
  • $10,000+ (0.0% · 0 sales)
Median sale (last 12 months)
$400
Sales recorded (last 12 months)
3
Median shift vs prior year
+100.0%
Latest recorded sale
2025-08-09

Artist context

About Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet, and travel writer whose works rank among the most widely read in the English language. Born in Edinburgh and trained in law, Stevenson turned to writing full time, producing landmarks of adventure and psychological fiction including Treasure Island (1883), Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), Kidnapped (1886), and A Child's Garden of Verses (1885). Persistent ill health led him to travel through France, North America, and the South Pacific, settling finally in Samoa, where he died at forty-four. His exploration of moral ambiguity, vivid prose style, and tales of adventure have kept his works continuously in print and adapted across media for over a century. Collectors encounter Stevenson in auction contexts chiefly through first editions, signed copies, original manuscripts, correspondence, and illustrated editions of his novels.

Victorian literaturemanuscripts and autograph lettersprinted books and first editionsillustrated editions and printsadventure and maritime fictionmoral duality and the GothicScottish landscape and historySouth Pacific travel

Common works and media

First UK and American editions of Treasure Island, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Kidnapped, A Child's Garden of Verses, The Master of Ballantrae, and Weir of Hermiston; signed and inscribed copies across his published output; original manuscripts, literary drafts, and corrected proofs; autograph letters to family, publishers, and literary contemporaries; illustrated editions with plates by artists such as Walter Crane, Edmund Dulac, N.C. Wyeth, and others; travel writing including In the South Seas, Travels with a Donkey, and An Inland Voyage; ephemera including publishers' announcements and photographic portraits.

Market and appraisal context

Collectible Stevenson material at auction is dominated by literary rarities rather than visual art. First editions in original publisher's cloth, especially Treasure Island and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde with correct issue points, tend to attract the strongest bids. Signed or inscribed presentation copies and original manuscripts with literary content carry significant premiums over routine correspondence. Condition of the binding, presence of original dust jackets where applicable, and documented provenance all influence value. Illustrated editions featuring work by notable artists also appear regularly. Collectors should verify signatures and manuscript attributions with a qualified specialist, as Stevenson's autograph has been widely reproduced.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Appraisal caveats

  • Robert Louis Stevenson was a literary figure rather than a visual artist; lots in this artist record are books, manuscripts, letters, and ephemera, not fine art.
  • Signature authentication should be confirmed by a qualified specialist, as Stevenson autographs have been widely reproduced and forged.
  • Auction estimates for Stevenson material vary widely by condition, edition state, and literary significance of the specific title.

Evidence

Sources for artist context

This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.

Source-grounded artist Markdown

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.

LLM-readable Markdown summary for Robert Louis Stevenson

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Robert Louis Stevenson 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 Robert Louis Stevenson artwork?

Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.