Market Watch Keith Haring: Top 10 Most Investable Prints

Haring’s Andy Mouse series (1986) playfully celebrates Pop Art icon Andy Warhol, portraying him in Mickey Mouse shorts and ears. These prints combine Haring's signature vibrant colours and energetic style with Warhol's celebrity status, creating an iconic blend of two blue chip artists in a playful and instantly recognisable caricature. Complete sets and individual prints from this series are exceptionally rare, and remained absent from the market in 2024. However, in 2023 two sets appeared achieving commendable results and still rank as Haring's highest selling prints.

At Christie's in September 2023, Andy Mouse (complete set) achieved a record-breaking £991,182. Just a couple months later, showing continued demand, an additional complete set appeared at Heritage Auctions in October selling for £990,387.

Haring's Dog prints are renowned for their bold, dynamic lines, perfectly capturing his signature blend of playfulness and social commentary. While the dog motif in Haring's broader work often appears in motion or barking, his Dog editions present the figure standing tall, radiating a commanding and confident presence.

Haring's Dog cutout editions, painted on plywood and printed in yellow and red (editions of 10), and white (edition of 15), are highly coveted by collectors. These rare pieces have gained significant momentum in the market, with a yellow Trial Proof (TP) headlining Phillips' Editions sale in June 2024, achieving an impressive £355,600. This result follows a red edition that sold in April 2023 at Sotheby's for £356,955, which still holds the record for an individual print from this sought-after series.

Andy Mouse 4 (1986) vividly captures the essence of Warhol through Haring's playful caricature style, featuring Warhol with bright blue hair, sunglasses, and Looney Tunes-style shoes. Set against a striking orange background, this print stands out as one of two in the series that directly focuses on Warhol's likeness, creatively referencing his signature portrait technique.

While Andy Mouse 4 has historically appeared more frequently at auction compared to other works in the series, its presence has noticeably declined over the past five years, making it increasingly rare. In March 2023, a Printer's Proof (PP) came to auction and achieved an impressive £226,800, reflecting the enduring appeal and value of this iconic print.

Andy Mouse 1 (1986) features Warhol's iconic mouse caricature in a striking portrait style, standing atop a pool of money - ironically composed of $0 bills - against a bold red background. This playful composition offers a sharp nod to consumerism, a recurring theme in Warhol's own work.

Over the past five years, this print has appeared publicly only twice, underscoring its rarity. In October 2023, it set a new record at Bonhams, achieving £208,955 - a significant increase from its initial market appearance in 2009, where it sold for £50,000. This result highlights the impressive value appreciation of this coveted piece over time.

Flowers are a recurring motif among American Pop artists, often reinterpreted through each artist's unique lens. While Haring is best known for his bold figurative symbols, he infused the same dynamic energy into this rare Flowers series. The plants, rendered with expressive, lifelike forms, are often interpreted as phallic symbols - a subtle nod to the fight against HIV and their significance within the gay community.

Cheerful and vibrant in colour, this collection carries added emotional weight, as it was created shortly before Haring's passing in 1990. This connection to the artist’s final years makes these prints particularly coveted. Individual works from the series rarely appear at auction, and complete sets are even more scarce. In April 2023, a complete set emerged at Sotheby's, achieving a record-breaking £173,534 - more than double its modest high estimate of £80,000.

Andy Mouse 3 (1986) blends portraiture with Haring's signature dancing figure motifs, depicting two blue figures holding up a US dollar sign featuring Warhol as the central “president.” Playful and symbolic, the print serves as both a tribute to Warhol and a nod to the intersection of art, commerce, and cultural iconography.

In 2024, this work was sold at SBI Art Auctions in Japan, reflecting Haring's increasing presence in the Asian market. Achieving £135,968 at the hammer in only its fourth auction appearance, it surpassed the previous record set in 2023, also in Japan, where it sold for £93,040 (hammer).

Retrospect (1989) is an exceptionally rare Haring print, combining some of his most recognisable Pop Shop motifs into a single composition. Seldom seen on the market, this print made two appearances in 2024, with a standout sale at Heritage Auctions in October, achieving $200,000 (USD).

While its value has fluctuated slightly since 2018, it continues to demonstrate strong overall appreciation since its market debut. The condition of available works plays a significant role in their performance, as does the uniqueness of the hors de commerce (HC) edition. These special proofs feature subtle differences in colour saturation compared to the standard edition of 75, adding an extra layer of rarity, but also preference.

The first instalment of Haring's six Pop Shop sets, Pop Shop I (1987), features his iconic caricature figures in their signature dynamic, playful interactions, brimming with vibrant energy conveyed through bold movements. Each image in the set is executed using the same five striking colours, creating a cohesive visual narrative.

In October 2023, a complete Pop Shop I set made a rare appearance at Sotheby's, marking only its third auction appearance in five years. The collection achieved an impressive £146,144, securing its place among Haring's top-selling works. This result not only set a new record for the set but also positioned it as the highest-performing Pop Shop complete set to ever appear on the market.

In the 2024 art market, Haring's trajectory took an interesting turn. While his most coveted works remain his colourful and vibrant depictions, his black-and-white pieces commanded attention. These monochromatic works, though less widely recognised, carry the same energy and dynamism and are often rarer on the market. Rather than being tied to a specific series, they are typically associated with a distinct period in Haring's creative timeline.

One standout example is Medusa Head (1986), which resurfaced at Christie’s in April 2024 for the first time since 2020. The piece achieved an impressive £121,586, setting a new auction record and securing its place among Haring's top-selling works.

Similar to the Pop Shop and Andy Mouse collections, Haring's Growing series remains highly coveted and was notably scarce on the market in 2024. In 2023, a series of rare Trial Proofs (TP) from this collection gained significant traction at auction. These works showcase Haring's mastery of his signature continuous line technique, featuring elongated, morphing figures that evoke the imagery of tree branches and towering totems - powerful symbols of life's interconnectedness and boundless energy.

One standout piece, Growing 4 (TP) (1988), set against a crimson red background, appeared at auction in April 2023. It achieved an impressive £101,200, setting a record for an individual print from this collection.