In 1984 when Onslows was founded £50,000 would be the whole 300 lot auction total, a very successful one at that.  In the May 5 auction, it only took ten lots to make the same sum.  Proof enough of how successful the market for original posters has become, the internet has of course helped to bring the art form to a worldwide marketplace.  Vintage posters had been an undervalued asset class but has now been recognised as a respected area to collect and posters have turned out to be a good investment. 

The hugely successful auction of posters we held in November 2019 was always going to be a hard act to follow but follow it we did with some great results.  Top billing went to the very rare and early Michelin tyre poster by O'Galop from 1904 selling for £13,125, estimate £7000-10000 it is one the earliest know posters from the eponymous company.  Second billing went to the London Opinion Kitchener news stand poster, this was the first time this poster has appeared at auction, it was the poster that spawned the most famous poster ever printed "Kitchener Wants You", that poster we know is rare but the London Opinion rare still.  It came into us amongst a collection of WW1 posters the vendor had no idea of its importance.  On the day several bidders pushed the price way beyond our toe in the water estimate of £2000-4000 making £13,750, the bidder had been prepared to go to twice that to secure it.

Paul Nash's rarely seen National Gallery poster "The Battle of Britain" printed in 1940 and in mint condition doubled it's estimate, selling for £4,125.  The buyer from Kent bought it because they live beneath the skies where the Battle took place and in memory of "The Few".  A lovely group of eleven London Underground posters from around 1914 including three by Edward Mcknight Kauffer, all in original untouched condition and found rolled in an antique shop on the Wirral made a total of £7,500.