"Rare Type 1 Photos" -- Huh?

[Kevin]

Rare 'Type 1' Photos of Celebrities Up For Auction

An auction house offers iconic type 1 photographs that capture history and culture in equal measure.

petapixel.com

Several type 1 photographs depicting significant moments and celebrities are up for auction, including a young Jeff Bezos and a candid Marilyn Monroe.

Type 1 photographs, which are prints developed within two years of the shot taken from the original negative, have been gaining popularity in recent years. That’s also driven the price of these rare images up quite a bit.

OK, bearing in mind that I'm an idiot, can somebody explain to me what exactly makes a print done within the first two years of the negative worth so much money? I mean, it's a print, not the original negative.... there could've been a huge number of prints done in the first few years, and why two years? What is so special about a print done within two years as opposed to three years or five years or even ten years later?

What am I not understanding?

 

[Charzes44]

Rare 'Type 1' Photos of Celebrities Up For Auction

An auction house offers iconic type 1 photographs that capture history and culture in equal measure.

petapixel.com

OK, bearing in mind that I'm an idiot, can somebody explain to me what exactly makes a print done within the first two years of the negative worth so much money? I mean, it's a print, not the original negative.... there could've been a huge number of prints done in the first few years, and why two years? What is so special about a print done within two years as opposed to three years or five years or even ten years later?

What am I not understanding?

Your problem is Kevin, you do not have more money than sense!

 

[agentlossing]

I smelleth AI-generated BS!

 

[IanE]

Bitcoin and NFT style of BS. Old saying 'fools and their money are soon parted'

 

[fredlong]

Rare 'Type 1' Photos of Celebrities Up For Auction

An auction house offers iconic type 1 photographs that capture history and culture in equal measure.

petapixel.com

OK, bearing in mind that I'm an idiot, can somebody explain to me what exactly makes a print done within the first two years of the negative worth so much money? I mean, it's a print, not the original negative.... there could've been a huge number of prints done in the first few years, and why two years? What is so special about a print done within two years as opposed to three years or five years or even ten years later?

What am I not understanding?

The value is created by the buyers literally "buying into it". The sellers create some additional exclusivity and if it sells then the value is created. With numbered prints, lower numbers have more value even if all the prints were done at the same time. It's common for lowest numbers to be held back and sold later for higher prices.

So what you're not understanding is that it's about galleries and auction houses finding ways to jack up the price of art which increases their commissions.