Poor quality ink will rapidly decompose under UV light (sunlight)
Once this has happened, there is no way of returning the print to its original state
Thankfully these days, (not in the 1970s when the prints were published) there exists UV blocking glass
If a signed print is in original mint condition, with the colours as new, it can be preserved using this glass
Unfortunately , many faded prints can be seen for sale by sellers who are either unaware
(due to lack of knowledge) of how the image should appear, or don't care ,
Here are a few examples...
Britain at Play
>
Industrial town
Level crossing, Burton-on-Trent
Sadly , for anyone purchasing one of these images in the state as shown above,
their value is almost nothing and they will be very difficult to resell .
To clarify several outdated and misinformed comments on the internet regarding 'Going to the Match'
I have recently read on one site... "The previous record price for a Lowry print was also held by an edition of Going To The Match, which sold for £22,000 in 2015." please be wary of old news or misinformation..
Over the last couple of years, several copies of the signed limited edition of Lowry's 'Going to the Match' have been sold at auction (total price including commissions etc.)..
£ 46,784 2/6/23
£ 42,470 27/4/22
£ 41,100 9/12/21
£ 37,520 28/4/21
£ 34,528 24/8/22
Some of these images were not in particularly good condition, in my opinion.
In October, 2022 the original painting 'Going to the Match' was sold for just under eight million pounds,
and returned to the Lowry museum where it is on permanent display.
In 2015 the signed limited edition of 'Going to the Match' was sold for £28,160.
and a few years later the signed print 'Going to the Match' was sold for £32,000...
Prices are now well in excess of £55,000.
One was sold recently for £ 75,000