Tomi Ungerer Auction Prices and Value Guide
Tomi Ungerer auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 612 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Tomi Ungerer auction prices: quick answer
Tomi Ungerer auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Tomi Ungerer
- Source records
- 612
- Market update
- 2026-02-16
Tomi Ungerer market snapshot
Tomi Ungerer shows deep auction liquidity with 200 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $320. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 11 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2025-11-25.
Realized price distribution
- Under $1,000 (80.2% · 93 sales)
- $1,000 to $10,000 (19.8% · 23 sales)
- $10,000+ (0.0% · 0 sales)
- Median sale (last 12 months)
- $1,700
- Sales recorded (last 12 months)
- 11
- Median shift vs prior year
- +100.0%
- Latest recorded sale
- 2025-11-25
Artist context
About Tomi Ungerer
Tomi Ungerer (1931–2019) was a French illustrator, writer, and cartoonist born in Strasbourg, Alsace. Over a career spanning six decades, he published more than 140 books ranging from celebrated children's literature to sharp political satire and autobiography. After moving to the United States in 1956, Ungerer became a prominent editorial illustrator and poster designer, producing iconic images for the civil rights movement and anti-Vietnam War campaigns. He settled in Ireland in 1976. His children's books, including the Mellops series and The Three Robbers, are regarded as classics of the genre, while his adult collages and drawings explore provocative and fantastical themes. A museum dedicated to his work, Musée Tomi Ungerer, is located in his native Strasbourg. His graphic output spans drawing, collage, poster design, and photography.
Social and political graphic artChildren's book illustrationink drawinglithographic postercollagegraphic illustrationsocial satirepolitical protest and civil rightschildren's fantasy and adventureautobiography
Common works and media
Original ink and wash illustrations, lithographic posters (especially political and advertising designs from the 1960s), collages, editorial drawings, and photographic works. Signed limited-edition prints of poster designs appear regularly at auction. Early editions of children's books such as the Mellops series, The Three Robbers, and Crictor are common in the illustrated book market. Film posters and book covers bearing his artwork also circulate among collectors.
Market and appraisal context
Tomi Ungerer's auction market is active and broadly distributed, with 222 catalogued lots spanning 2004 to April 2026 and 128 lots carrying recorded prices. The market is anchored by a median realised price of approximately USD 300 / EUR 300, with an interquartile range of roughly USD 150–750 and a ceiling of USD 5,500 (Honeymoon via Eastern poster, Poster Auctions International, March 2025). Liquidity is moderate: 12 priced lots in the most recent 12 months, down from 28 in the prior period, suggesting a cooling but still functional secondary market. Trading is concentrated in Germany (Henry's Auktionshaus, Auktionshaus Schwerin, Kunstauktionshaus Schloss Ahlden, K&K Heidelberg) and the United States (Poster Auctions International, Swann Auction Galleries, Fairhill Auction, Millea Bros), with occasional appearances at French, Swiss, and UK houses. The strongest prices are for original ink-and-wash drawings and iconic advertising/political posters; printed multiples, serigraphs, and offset lithographs trade in the lower range (EUR 45–390). Political posters from the 1960s—particularly civil-rights and anti-war imagery—command consistent premiums among graphic-design collectors.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- original ink drawing
- lithographic poster
- serigraph / screenprint
- offset lithograph
- collage
Value drivers
- Medium identification: original drawings command higher values than printed posters or book reproductions
- Political posters and 1960s counterculture material are especially sought by design collectors
- Provenance, exhibition history, and inclusion in the Musée Tomi Ungerer collection may affect value
- Condition, signature presence, and edition size for prints significantly affect appraisal
- First editions and signed children's books carry value in the rare book market
- Medium is the primary value driver: original ink/wash drawings and paintings consistently realise EUR 350–2,000+, while serigraphs, offset lithographs, and printed posters trade in the EUR 45–390 range
Appraisal caveats
- Ungerer's output was prolific and spans mass-produced posters to unique works on paper; careful identification of medium and edition is essential
- No single catalogue raisonné is referenced in the available sources; attribution should be corroborated
- The breadth of published work means many items encountered at auction are reproductions rather than originals
- No single published catalogue raisonné is available for Ungerer's graphic output; attribution should be corroborated against estate records (tomiungerer.com) or museum archives
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Wikidata library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- VIAF library authority
- Library of Congress library authority
- RKD library authority
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 Tomi Ungerer 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 Tomi Ungerer artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.