Authenticating black panther items, in this case Huey Newton for Congress poster.

These items can fetch very high prices. But I am real confused by the following posters. The first one sold $3100 at Heritage Jan 2019; which is right in line with what authentic black panther stuff goes for. The second one sold $610 at Pennsville NJ June 2020. So maybe someone got a bargain. The third one sold $245 at Pennsville Oct 2020. THat one is entitled "After Huey Newton for Congress..." suggesting that this one (and others?) is a later printing or something like that. Well they all look the same to me, does anyone have insight into these? thank you.

 

Here's one that sold in 2018 for $6,500: https://catalogue.swanngalleries.co...S-Congress?saleno=2471&lotNo=111&refNo=742567

It could be that something that was considered extremely rare isn't really that rare now with a number of other examples popping up, and price declining each time. Also, condition matters.

 

Well yes thats a distinct possibility especially where there is probably not a large market. I have seen stuff like that happen in the case of rare books. Where hitherto unknown book pops up commands huge dollars and suddenly theres a dozen out there at less than half price. Even ten known books can change things a lot.

In the case of books there might be less that ten people who co/lecte say 19th cent feminist books. This also true in cast iron where theres a couple old guys in NY who pay top dollar then six months later the same piece might get one third...crazy

But having said that I don't think the civil rights movement is that niche. Also theres also the issue that pennsville hedged there bets by saying ''after huey,'' like they don't thinks original. I've seen some original black panther posters from c1965 and they are on cheap paper so authentication seems difficult.

Also with the BLM movement and general times we live in you'd think a real huey newton poster would command more than 245. I think theres a good size market I guess