So a few months ago I purchased a signed Arnold Palmer print from an auction. I didn't really know much about it but thought since it was signed I would purchase it.... if I could get it pretty cheap that is. An older gentleman was selling this because he was trying to pay his medical bills. It was bittersweet because I knew I wanted this print but sad he had to sell it to pay for his medical bills. He said that he won this back in 1985 and at that time they valved this (signed) at $3500.00 which he had to claim on his taxes. He then had it professionally framed with conservation glass to protect it. Well I bid on it and won it for less than $100.00. So I tried to do a little online research and didn't find anything. I had kind of gave up on it until I had a bright idea (oh boy... Michele and her bright ideas) and thought I would call a shop in Pennsylvania and sent them pictures of my print to verify.
From my "research" I had no idea about "Fitz" and they told me that it was artist James Fitzpatrick and would value this signed print around $700. (I am jumping for joy because this is A LOT more than I even thought about paying for this print) So my next mission was to find the artist..... I searched the internet again and just found an Irish artist named James Fitzpatrick and his work didn't look anything like this print. I gave up hope again and set the print off to the side. I would see it everyday and thought it's a shame that I don't know anymore about this then the story I was told at the auction. I got another bright idea (here she goes again) and decided I would write Arnold Palmer a letter and attached copies of this print for him to review and see if he could tell me anything. It was worth a shot right?
So less than one week after sending my letter to Arnold Palmer I get this in the mail! Holy smokes that was fast and I have so much more knowledge about this print! This print was taken from the 1985 U.S. Senior Open on the then - PGA Senior Tour was played at the Edgewater Tahoe Golf Club in Stateline NV and was the setting for Jim Fitzpatrick.
They also sent this (I asked....) to compare the signatures! Pretty sweet I thought!
This is the signature on my print.....
So I thought, if I was lucky enough to hear back from Arnold Palmer and his assistant how lucky will I get to find the artist, Jim Fitzpatrick? So I found his website and sent an e-mail to them. I left the office for a lunch meeting and as soon as I walked in the phone rang. I answered it and it was Jim Fitzpatrick.... the artist! Holy moly! We visited about the print, history of the print and Arnold Palmer. He was a super nice guy and great to talk to and gave me an idea on the print. It is a lithograph that was from 1985 and is no longer in print. He personally had 10 of these prints signed by Arnold Palmer for his own collection and said that with the signature they shouldn't be sold for less than $5,000! That's the WOW factor! Although the print he was talking about was originally 24" x 20" (approx) and my print is called a mini print (8 1/2" x 11") it would still be valued close to $3,500+/-. I think I'll be hanging on to this one for awhile as it will only increase in value and now that I have the full story on this print from the main people involved in it's creation I am very happy!
No comments:
Post a Comment