Help, Banksy Pricing Advice, by Mister Whisper on Nov 9, 2013 2:24:17 GMT 1,

Nov 8, 2013 21:10:29 GMT 1 RBK said:

Is there really a difference in price achieved if you are selling a print with full /confirmed provenance vs. Pest Control COA these days?

I was under the impression that a potential buyer of a print could confirm with Pest Control that the seller is the registered owner (and then once the sale is complete they can knock themselves out with a COA if they want). Is that not the case?

I was under this impression too. Whether or not you want to pay for a COA, I think it's a good idea to get the piece authenticated through PC, especially since the authentication itself is free. Then you're free to purchase the COA whenever. I had my one lonely Banksy print authenticated back in 2011, but only got around to getting the certificate a few months ago. When I received it, the certificate was signed and dated way back to the submission date in 2011, so apparently they create the COAs as soon as the print is authenticated and file them away until they're requested. My point is, you can have your print authenticated and "assigned" to you through PC for free, and then purchase the COA later if/when you decide you need it.

Nov 9, 2013 0:57:38 GMT 1 silvermyn said:

I think the issue is that a POW receipt is a lot easier to forge than a COA.  If you want to check that a COA is genuine then POW have the exact other half of the Di Faced Tenner from the certificate.  There isn't that kind of security in place with a receipt.

I don't know if forging a receipt is that simple. The receipt itself would be easy to forge, but my print's original receipt had the original purchaser's name on it, and I assume that PC matched it to their records. So unless you had the original purchaser's name, a receipt would be hard to fake. Unless, of course, there are a lot of in-person purchases without names recorded by POW.  But that said, their COA is pretty much bulletproof.  Not only do you have only half a Di Faced Tenner, but you also have only half the serial number written on it.  Plus there's the added elements of the debossed emblem and stars and the hand-stamp, all of which would be difficult to forge.

Nov 9, 2013 0:57:38 GMT 1 silvermyn said:

Schelpped around the world or not, a COA stating the print is genuine is the kind of security people want when they are spending a lot of dough on a print.  Fifty quid is a small price to pay IMHO.

^This.  I've never seen a Banksy edition at one of the big auction houses without a PC cert, which, like it or not, makes the PC COA something of a security standard in the "legitimate art world."  Plus, purchasing a print and then having to wait weeks or months for authentication can be nerve-wracking at best.

Nov 8, 2013 21:10:29 GMT 1 RBK said:

Is there really a difference in price achieved if you are selling a print with full /confirmed provenance vs. Pest Control COA these days?

I was under the impression that a potential buyer of a print could confirm with Pest Control that the seller is the registered owner (and then once the sale is complete they can knock themselves out with a COA if they want). Is that not the case?

I was under this impression too. Whether or not you want to pay for a COA, I think it's a good idea to get the piece authenticated through PC, especially since the authentication itself is free. Then you're free to purchase the COA whenever. I had my one lonely Banksy print authenticated back in 2011, but only got around to getting the certificate a few months ago. When I received it, the certificate was signed and dated way back to the submission date in 2011, so apparently they create the COAs as soon as the print is authenticated and file them away until they're requested. My point is, you can have your print authenticated and "assigned" to you through PC for free, and then purchase the COA later if/when you decide you need it.

Nov 9, 2013 0:57:38 GMT 1 silvermyn said:

I think the issue is that a POW receipt is a lot easier to forge than a COA.  If you want to check that a COA is genuine then POW have the exact other half of the Di Faced Tenner from the certificate.  There isn't that kind of security in place with a receipt.

I don't know if forging a receipt is that simple. The receipt itself would be easy to forge, but my print's original receipt had the original purchaser's name on it, and I assume that PC matched it to their records. So unless you had the original purchaser's name, a receipt would be hard to fake. Unless, of course, there are a lot of in-person purchases without names recorded by POW.  But that said, their COA is pretty much bulletproof.  Not only do you have only half a Di Faced Tenner, but you also have only half the serial number written on it.  Plus there's the added elements of the debossed emblem and stars and the hand-stamp, all of which would be difficult to forge.

Nov 9, 2013 0:57:38 GMT 1 silvermyn said:

Schelpped around the world or not, a COA stating the print is genuine is the kind of security people want when they are spending a lot of dough on a print.  Fifty quid is a small price to pay IMHO.

^This.  I've never seen a Banksy edition at one of the big auction houses without a PC cert, which, like it or not, makes the PC COA something of a security standard in the "legitimate art world."  Plus, purchasing a print and then having to wait weeks or months for authentication can be nerve-wracking at best.