Value my art: what is my artwork worth?
If you own a painting, print, photograph, sculpture or design object and want to know what it might fetch, the best guide is what similar works by the same artist have sold for at auction. OpeningBid's Value my work does that from our auction price database, which holds more than 14 million art and design lots from over 500 houses (as of 19 October 2026).
It gives an estimated auction range, not an appraisal. This page explains how it works, what it can and cannot tell you, and what it costs.
Valuing a work needs a free account.
Value a workHow it works
- Who made it. Choose the artist or maker. We can only value works by artists with auction results in the database.
- About the work. Medium, size, year, edition number for prints, and condition. A title helps us look for this exact work.
- The estimate. A price model trained on past auction results compares it with sales of the same artist's work, taking account of medium, size, year made, edition and attribution, and how the artist's market has been moving. It never sees the auction house's estimate or a photo. You see:
- an estimated auction range, or a clearly labelled rough guide when the evidence is looser (see below);
- the comparable works themselves;
- whether this exact work or edition has sold before.
The figure is the price if it sells, including the buyer's premium, which is how auction results are usually reported. We make no claim about whether it will sell.
Three kinds of answer
How firm the answer is depends on the evidence, and we tell you which one you are getting:
- A valuation when the evidence is tight: the range runs no more than four times from low to high. About one work in five gets one.
- A rough guide when the artist's prices vary widely or there are few sales: a wider range, clearly labelled, shown after the sales themselves, which then say more than the range does.
- No figure when the artist has no auction record with us, or prices spread too widely for even a rough guide. We show the closest sales we found and say why, and you can follow the artist to hear when their work comes up for sale.
What the estimate does not cover
The range assumes a typical example. Condition, provenance and authenticity can move a price a long way, and we cannot see them. It is not a valuation for insurance, probate or sale. For those, ask a qualified appraiser or the auction house that would sell the work.
Selling the work
The result lists the auction houses with the best record for works like yours, and why: how many comparable works they sold and how recently.
If you want a house to look at the work, you can ask for an introduction from the result page. We share your name, contact details and the work's description (and photos, if you added them) with that house, and only with your consent. OpeningBid may receive a referral fee if you consign.
Free and Premium
| Free account | Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Valuations | 5 a month | Up to 25 a day |
| The estimated range (or rough guide) and the sales behind it | Yes | Yes |
| Comparable works | The top 3, the work only | Up to 24, with auction house and price |
| Has this work sold before? | Yes, with the date | Yes, with house and price |
| Where to sell | The top house | The full ranking |
| Save works to your collection, revalued monthly | Yes | |
| Price | Free | £4.99 a month or £50 a year, no VAT added |
Your photos and details
Adding a photo is optional. If you add one, it stays private to your account. We use it only to look for this work in past sales, and we delete it after 90 days or when you ask. Your valuations are private to you.
Questions
How do I find out what my painting is worth? Start with what similar works by the same artist have sold for at auction. Value my work does that comparison for you. For a formal valuation for insurance, probate or sale, ask a qualified appraiser or an auction house.
Is this an appraisal? No. It is an estimate from past auction results. It does not account for condition, provenance or authenticity, and it is not a valuation for insurance, probate or sale.
Is it free? Yes. A free account includes 5 valuations a month. Premium adds more valuations, every comparable sale with house and price, and a saved collection.
What if my artist is not listed? We can only value works by artists with auction results in our database. If the artist is not there we tell you rather than guess; if there are only a few comparable sales, you get a clearly labelled rough guide.
Do you share my details with auction houses? Only if you ask for an introduction to a house, and only with that house. OpeningBid may receive a referral fee if you consign.