Thanks.
I've tried Hang Up, their minimum is £8.5k.

Mission complete.
Thanks to everyone who helped

£8k

Wow nice deal! one of my favourite Banksy image.

Cheers

It doesn't help anyone by keeping it all secret.
Wish we knew more about prices as and when there are sales.

Re-activating the thread, I too own a proof copy of Laugh Now, but its not signed or numbered and Pest Control declined to authenticate via their online form a few - six? - years ago. I know it's real because got it from the office of the owner of the premises where the Santa's Ghetto sales event was held, as one of a selection of samples from the sale. It has a rough pencil sketch on the reverse of two seated figures(!)

Looking through this thread and other online info, I note that there was an Artists Proof edition of 69 that were also signed and numbered. This is neither. Is it possible that there were seventy proofs and this one got taken off the top of the pile as the sale was being set up and before Banksy showed up for the signing? I'm hoping the answer will be positive and have re-applied to Pest Control as anyone who knows what they're looking at can verify this print. I live in Central London and will happily take it to them for verification...

Whether this happens or not, I am determined to sell my Banksy, because I am SO skint. I'll give Pest Control a month, then stick it on eBay, probably. If I can't get verification, some lucky person - most likely, a London-based dealer - is going to get a bargain.

Has it got the wcp stamp on the back?

Yah - you're SOL, bud. Throw a picture up if you'd like, but doesn't sound like that piece was intended for sale, so a COA won't be granted.

I can't ever recall seeing a backdoor LN for sale.

You can now

Thanks for the info.
What's SOL?
And how do I 'throw a picture up'? Do I have to start a new thread to add images?
I have been sending pics to those who message me.

The colours look right from first glance, the problem is if Pest Control won't give it a COA. It will never be considered more than a backdoor print and they and they don't fetch very much. Your best bet maybe just to hang it and enjoy it.

This is cute.

ninorc - Which Santa's Ghetto was it? What year?



Two possible scenarios:

1.  You are a talented grifter. You've done well at playing dumb and setting up potential marks with a fake sketch (on the back of either an authentic or fake print), leading those potential marks to believe they know something which you do not.

[If any con job can be shoehorned into the 'poetic justice' category, this might qualify. It would be difficult to feel sorry for the victim. Their downfall would be their own greed and willingness to take advantage of a seller they perceive to be unknowledgeable.]

Or

2.  You are being truthful. Two separate limbs here:

2.1  The Laugh Now is authentic but definitely not an artist's proof. If your story is accurate, the print would be classed as a commercial sample, not intended for sale and therefore unlikely to receive a Pest Control certificate of authenticity.

On the plus side, however, this wouldn't be a so-called backdoor print (i.e. stolen artwork) as some members have suggested. Nor would it be an unauthorised copy or a counterfeit.

2.2  You are genuinely ignorant regarding the "two seated figures" rough pencil sketch (already referred to by astrobboy). Who knows? This may well have been drawn by the hand of Banksy. As mentioned above, the problem is that getting it officially authenticated would be very difficult, if not impossible.