C and J Goodfriend Drawings and Prints
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Introduction
How do I know it's authentic?
How do I know that the price is right?
Can I Try To negotiate a better price?
Is it a good investment?
Am I getting a bargain?
Shouldn't I buy only famous prints?
Suppose I've never heard of an artist?
What about stolen goods?
What if I don't know about prints or drawings?
How many of them were made?
How good is the quality?
What should I collect?

How do I know that the price is right?

Apart from contemporary published editions, there is no "list price" for prints and certainly none for drawings. The right price, therefore, is simply one that is agreeable to both buyer and seller. A dealer usually sets a price based on what he thinks is fair market value. Different dealers may have different thoughts on the matter, although the variation is frequently less than you might think. Other factors, though, may come into play: the dealer's actual cost, whether he likes the print or not, whether he has two or more of them, whether he knows he has another customer for it, etc. Auction house estimates are based on prior sales, but may be pegged high or low as a psychological selling tool. Obviously, one wants to buy a print or drawing for the lowest possible price. Experienced collectors will tell you, however, that their only real regrets are the things they didn't buy because they thought the price was a bit too high.