If anyone in the NYC area is going to the signing and could pick me up a signed copy for my collection I would be extremely grateful. I would cover cost of course and am open to a small service fee.

The book release was a complete shit show. People were buying 5 - 10 books at a time and the artist was signing and doodling them all. You could tell that 90% of these books will be flipped on EBAY because the people were asking for him specifically NOT to dedicate the books to anyone. Kaws looked tired but stayed 45 minutes more than he was scheduled to. I waited on line for over 2 hours and didn't get a signed book. They sold 800 books at the show to about 150 people and they have another 4,200 to sell online. The cost at the show was $40 for the book and $10 to get into the show. It seems that there is definitely a pattern with the real fans that just wanted 1 book for their collection versus the majority that were there as a business. For the forum people who reached out to me for a book I am sorry to report I failed you. If anyone has a spare signed one please send me a PM as I would gladly trade you an unsigned one and little something something for your generosity. About 150 people were still online when Kaws left for the evening.

They're starting to pop up on the bay... Not too bad for signed ones.

update: Damn, two sold quick!

update 2: Double Damn. Here come the resellers.

Was there and saw much of this. 

Saw people leaving with 10+ books and people with girlfriends, friends, parents with them in order to grab more.

Enjoy the book, flip through it and read thes**t out of it.  It's lovely.  But don't fish for a signed one for some time until the prices crash(as they will).

And if you go to the fair, grab a copy of Rene Ricard's notebook from Morel.  They are out-of-print but have some there.  Amazing insight into the mind of the man who helped make Basquiat famous.  Retail is $25.




disclosure: I own multiple copies of the Ricard book for both my own collection(one for car and one for home bookshelf), Christmas gifts, and to potentially sell later.  I actively buy and sell books on both Amazon and eBay.  So, bias should probably be assumed.

It's annoying that Kaws allows multiple items at signings... but I have a feeling that more flippers on eBay add to his hype and he actively allows it for this purpose.
Shame for those having to queue for hours though just for one signed item!

that's a shame but glad i didn't go. when Kaws had his show at Aldrich a few years ago he would sign books that without dedications but wouldn't do a drawing unless the book was dedicated... 

should be 1 book signed per person.  (if there is more time and he wants to stay), people can queue up again for additional books.  just seems common sense.  sorry to hear of those who waited and were unable to get a book signed.

I haven't seen any signed ones sell on eBay?
Wonder why kaws decided NOT to dedicate doodles like he usually does eg at ysp.

Couple of general thoughts. I have not seen the ebay listings but every book i saw doodled was personalized, every book that i saw not personalized was not doodled.

I dont know if that pattern kept up, but i bought three books and each was for a specific person, incribed to that person and doodled. That seemed to be the common trend at the front of the line, that the people buying multiples were buying them for specific people.

Kaws was a real gentleman to spend as much time on each personalized book as he did, but that did make it hard for people at the back of the line. Hard to fault the guy for wanting to make them special and perhaps the gallery should have cut the line sooner or limited it to one per person, but i think the number of ebay books will be lowish

He did not sign any retail items from what i saw and politely declined to sign every black sketch book i saw offered to him. So it was just books.

Thanks for the link

Any one else having a different book added to their cart when they try and purchase? This is what shows up for me:

KAWS - DOWNTIME
Item #: ISBN 978-1-9325434-7-6
$48

Sorry, in the US here.