HL makes 10-12 Artists Proofs of new issues. Fewer were made in the early years. A current issued item might command a premium of $50-$100. A long retired piece could be expected to appreciate more.
But the market for AP's is small - only a relatively few collectors are looking for them.
APs may differ slightly in coloration since they are often used to test different painting schemes (more true of older APs than new ones.)
APs often don't come with a box and don't have the actual label. They may have a hand written "Paint Sample" or "Artist's Proof" on the bottom. More recent ones have a computer printed paper label identifying the name of the piece and "Paint Sample" or "Artist's Proof". The flags on AP's issued in the last few years have been marked "AP", but in the early years, the flag was just left blank.
A blank flag does not necessarily mean an AP, however. Occassionally, an unnumbered HL makes it into a shipment.
APs are used at shows to introduce not-yet-produced items and reps use them in their show rooms to show retail dealers pieces so they can write orders.
Once an item is retired, the APs can be disposed of by the reps in any way they choose. They are encouraged to use them as drawing pieces at a dealer event or to be given to charitable groups for auctions.
Very few ever seem to make it to the secondary market.
[This message has been edited by JChidester.]
