> Source: https://www.openingbid.art/artist/billie-holiday · updated 2026-11-01

# Billie Holiday

## What is Billie Holiday’s work worth? {#value}

As of 2 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 27 auction results for Billie Holiday at 3 houses since 2004. Over the last 24 months the median price was $600 including buyer’s premium (middle half $300–$2,500, n=21). The auction record is $4,250 for original orchestral arrangement sheets for 'Lover Man', 'A Love Affair', 'Please Come Home', 'Sleepy Time Down South', 'You Took Advantage of Me', 'All of You', 'Deed I Do', 'Sometimes I'm Happy', 'For All We Know' (2025, Clars Auction Gallery). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.

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

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | original orchestral arrangement sheets for 'Lover Man', 'A Love Affair', 'Please Come Home', 'Sleepy Time Down South', 'You Took Advantage of Me', 'All of You', 'Deed I Do', 'Sometimes I'm Happy', 'For All We Know' | Original orchestral arrangement sheets | $4,250 | Clars Auction Gallery | Nov 2025 |
| 2 | handwritten letter to a fan at the Taft School in Watertown, CT, 1938 | Handwritten in ink on paper | $3,750 | Clars Auction Gallery | Nov 2025 |
| 3 | handwritten letter to her last husband, Louie Mackay, circa 1957 | Pencil on two sheets | $3,250 | Clars Auction Gallery | Sep 2025 |
| 4 | handwritten letter to her last husband, Louie Mackay, circa 1957 | Pencil on two sheets | $3,000 | Clars Auction Gallery | Nov 2025 |
| 5 | Archive of over 1000 pages of documents, letters, contracts, some music, and a few photographs, 1936-1970s | Documents, letters, contracts, some music, and a few photographs | $2,800 | Swann Auction Galleries | Feb 2004 |
| 6 | handwritten letter to a fan at the Taft School in Watertown, CT, 1938 | Handwritten in ink on paper | $2,750 | Clars Auction Gallery | Sep 2025 |
| 7 | Lady Sings the Blues, 1956 | First edition book | $2,500 | Clars Auction Gallery | Nov 2025 |
| 8 | Photograph by Carole Reiff (1934-1984), circa 1984 | Photograph | $2,000 | Swann Auction Galleries | Jul 2021 |
| 9 | (MUSIC.) HOLIDAY, BILLIE. Signed Contract and Signed Photograph., 1952 | Folio, and 8x10 glossy, publicity photograph | $1,920 | Swann Auction Galleries | Mar 2011 |
| 10 | Important small archive of materials relating to Bille Holiday, 1950s-1960s | Photograph | $1,900 | Swann Auction Galleries | Feb 2005 |


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

| Medium | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Photographs | 5 | $1,920 |
| Other | 17 | $450 |

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

| Size | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Small (under 50 cm) | 6 | $700 |

Data as of 2 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 27 results from 3 houses · [How we compute these figures](https://www.openingbid.art/methodology/price-data)


Billie Holiday is an artist with 28 auction lots recorded since 2004, median price $840. Some sold prices are not yet verified as premium-inclusive or hammer, and are marked on this page.

A work by Billie Holiday sold in 2026 for $1,000, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.

## What is a Billie Holiday work worth?

Across 27 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Billie Holiday work is $840.

The median Billie Holiday print sells for $388 across 8 lots.

The median Billie Holiday photograph sells for $1,900 across 7 lots.

The median Billie Holiday work on paper sells for $2,875 across 6 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 | 8 | $388 | $4,250 | — | 2025-11-21 |
| Works on Paper | 6 | $2,875 | $3,750 | — | 2026-02-21 |
| Photography | 7 | $1,900‡ | $2,800 | — | 2026-02-05 |

‡ 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) | 5 | $543–$1,920‡ | $600‡ | $2,000 |

‡ 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Prints & Editions | 2025 | $4,250 |
| Works on Paper | 2025 | $3,750 |
| Works on Paper | 2025 | $3,250 |
| Photography | 2004 | $2,800 |
| Prints & Editions | 2025 | $2,500 |
| Photography | 2021 | $2,000 |

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 Billie Holiday worth?

Across 27 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Billie Holiday work is $840. The median Billie Holiday print sells for $388 across 8 lots. The median Billie Holiday photograph sells for $1,900 across 7 lots. The median Billie Holiday work on paper sells for $2,875 across 6 lots. Some prices are not yet basis-verified (premium-inclusive or hammer).

### What is Billie Holiday's auction record?

Billie Holiday's auction record is $4,250, set in 2025.

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Data last updated 2026-11-01. OpeningBid tracks 15,222,099 auction lots from 571 auction houses, refreshed nightly.

Cite this page as: OpeningBid, “Billie Holiday auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/billie-holiday (updated 2026-11-01).

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.