AI Appraisal Estimate

This item is a framed commemorative art print featuring portrait and action illustrations of a baseball player wearing the number 24 for the San Francisco Giants, stylistically consistent with depictions of Willie Mays. The artwork employs a montage composition showing a large central portrait flanked by smaller action figures at bat and in the field. The piece bears a printed signature and date reading 'Robert Stephen Simon '86' at the bottom center, suggesting a 1986 creation or copyright, which is consistent with the sports-themed works of American artist Robert Stephen Simon. The print is housed in a simple black thin-profile frame with a wide white mat and an internal orange border. In terms of physical condition, there are visible surface scuffs and smudges on the glass or plexiglass front, and some minor debris or wear visible along the inner edges of the matting. The artwork employs a painterly, realistic style typical of late-20th-century sports memorabilia. As this identification is based on digital images, the status of the signature as a hand-signed or plate-signed element cannot be determined without physical inspection, and its status as a work by Simon is a hypothesis based on visible markings.

Based on my examination of the provided images, this item appears to be a framed lithographic print commemorating Willie Mays, bearing a signature and date consistent with the sports-themed work of Robert Stephen Simon from 1986. While the composition and stylistic execution match the artist’s known aesthetic, I cannot verify from a photo whether the signature is hand-signed in pencil/ink or a plate-signed element of the printing process. Physical inspection would be required to determine the printing method and its status as a limited edition versus a mass-produced poster. The valuation of $50-$150 is based on the hypothesis that this is a standard vintage sports print in fair to good condition, accounting for the visible surface scuffs and minor debris under the glazing. The market for late-20th-century sports memorabilia is generally stable, though value is heavily dictated by the presence of a verifiable hand-signature from either the artist or the athlete. If this were determined to be an unauthenticated or modern reproduction lacking any hand-signed elements, the value would likely fall below $30. Conversely, if the signature is hand-applied and the print is a numbered limited edition, it could reach the higher end of the estimate. To confirm these factors and provide a more precise valuation, an in-person examination by a specialist in sports philately and printmaking would be necessary to assess paper quality, ink depth, and the veracity of the markings.