> Source: https://www.openingbid.art/artist/bill-owens · updated 2026-11-03

# Bill Owens (b. 1938)

## What is Bill Owens’s work worth? {#value}

As of 3 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 32 auction results for Bill Owens at 13 houses since 2004. Over the last 24 months the median price was $819 including buyer’s premium (middle half $64–$1,216, n=9). The auction record is $16,800 for Selected Images from Suburbia (2024, Sotheby's). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.

**Top auction records: paintings, drawings & sculpture**

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Selected Images from Suburbia, 1968 | Gelatin silver prints | $16,800 | Sotheby's | Oct 2024 |
| 2 | selected images from 'suburbia' | A group of 4 photographs from the series Suburbia, comprising, 'Reagan on TV,' 'Richie,' 'Before the Dissolution of our Marriage,' and 'Tupperware Party,' each signed by the photographer in pencil and with his credit/edition stamp, numbered and dated by him in pencil, on the reverse, matted, framed, a Photographs Do Not Bend Gallery, Dallas, label on the reverse, 1971, printed 1999-2000, each one from an edition of 15 (4) | $13,750 | Sotheby's | Apr 2008 |
| 3 | I don’t feel that Richie playing with guns will have a negative effect, 1970; Our house is built with the living room in the back, 1970 | Cartes-de-visite | $3,750 | Phillips | Oct 2014 |
| 4 | Reagan, 1938 | Ink | $2,800 | Swann Auction Galleries | May 2007 |
| 5 | Richie (from the Suburbia series), 1971 | Cartes-de-visite | $2,772 | Los Angeles Modern Auctions | Dec 2024 |
| 6 | Suburbia, 1973 | Stamped green cloth; matching slipcase | $2,200 | Swann Auction Galleries | Dec 2007 |
| 7 | Surburbia, 1971 | Flush mounted silver print | $2,000 | Swann Auction Galleries | Feb 2005 |
| 8 | Untitled (from "Suburbia"), 1938 | Pencil and an edition hand stamp with the print date and number on verso | $1,800 | Swann Auction Galleries | May 2010 |
| 9 | Our Kind of People, 1938 | Photograph | $1,500 | Swann Auction Galleries | May 2005 |

**Top auction records: prints & editions**

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Selected Images from Suburbia, 1968-1972 | Cartes-de-visite | $3,048 | Phillips | Dec 2024 |

**Median price by medium (last 24 months, n ≥ 5)**

| Medium | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Photographs | 20 | $1,041 |
| Other | 8 | $632 |

**Median price by size (last 24 months, n ≥ 5)**

| Size | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Small (under 50 cm) | 18 | $1,145 |

Data as of 3 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 32 results from 13 houses · [How we compute these figures](https://www.openingbid.art/methodology/price-data)


Bill Owens is an American artist with 80 auction lots recorded since 2004, median price $1,014. Some sold prices are not yet verified as premium-inclusive or hammer, and are marked on this page.

A work by Bill Owens sold in 2026 for $1,216, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.

## What is a Bill Owens work worth?

Across 32 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Bill Owens work is $1,014.

The median Bill Owens photograph sells for $1,047 across 26 lots.

The median Bill Owens print sells for $243 across 1 lots.

Small (under 50 cm) Bill Owens photographs typically sell for $934–$2,779 (the middle half of 20 sold lots).

Some prices are not yet basis-verified (premium-inclusive or hammer).

## Price breakdown by category

| Category | Lots tracked | Median price | Record price | Sell-through | Last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prints & Editions | 1 | $243 | $243 | — | 2024-07-26 |
| Photography | 37 | $1,047‡ | $16,800 | 70.3% | 2026-08-30 |

‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

## Price by size

### Photography

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 20 | $934–$2,779‡ | $1,145‡ | $16,800 |

‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

Size is the work's longest edge. Cells appear only with at least 5 sold lots.

## Notable results

| Medium | Year | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Photography | 2024 | $16,800 |
| Photography | 2015 | $8,691‡ |
| Prints & Editions | 2024 | $243 |

‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

The highest recorded result in each medium. The full sale history is in the OpeningBid app (free sign-up).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a Bill Owens worth?

Across 32 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Bill Owens work is $1,014. The median Bill Owens photograph sells for $1,047 across 26 lots. The median Bill Owens print sells for $243 across 1 lots. Small (under 50 cm) Bill Owens photographs typically sell for $934–$2,779 (the middle half of 20 sold lots). Some prices are not yet basis-verified (premium-inclusive or hammer).

### What is the average price of a Bill Owens photograph?

Based on 26 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Bill Owens photograph is $1,047. Some prices are not yet basis-verified (premium-inclusive or hammer).

### What is Bill Owens's most expensive photograph?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Bill Owens photograph is $16,800.

### What is the average price of a small Bill Owens photograph?

Based on 20 sold lots, the median auction price of a small Bill Owens photograph (small (under 50 cm)) is $1,145, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results. Some prices are not yet basis-verified (premium-inclusive or hammer).

### What is Bill Owens's auction record?

Bill Owens's auction record is $16,800, set in 2024.

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Data last updated 2026-11-03. OpeningBid tracks 15,596,131 auction lots from 579 auction houses, refreshed nightly.

Cite this page as: OpeningBid, “Bill Owens auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/bill-owens (updated 2026-11-03).

Historical auction data, not investment advice. Prices are premium-inclusive USD where the buyer's premium is recorded. Figures marked † are hammer prices (buyer's premium not included); ‡ marks a price whose basis is not yet verified. Non-USD results are converted at the sale month's rate.