A somewhat disconcerting if not surreal post.



It is you who is the supposed art-world professional here.

You are the one who:

(i)  deals in prints for a living, on a daily basis;

(ii)  was an early customer of Pictures On Walls and a Banksy collector; and

(iii)  has been a member of this message board since 2006.



So when somebody in your position asks strangers on the internet for advice about buying a Banksy print, it might easily suggest:

(a)  they're showing signs of MCI;

(b)  their forum account has been hacked; or

(c)  they're attempting to be humorous.


__________


But in case your post is actually genuine, then my advice would be as follows:


1.  Get a feel for the seller, for their openness, integrity and trustworthiness, including how forthcoming and reasonably prompt they are at answering your questions — whether about the print's history, any previous restoration or repair work carried out on the print (including professional flattening), or the seller's own identity and professional/private contact details.


2.  Ensure the print comes with a Pest Control Office certificate of authenticity.


3.  Verify the COA, print edition number, and seller details with Pest Control Office beforehand.


4.  Consider getting references from the seller for their previous sale transactions, and checking those references.


5.  Carefully examine the print in person for any undisclosed condition issues — preferably in a well-lit room with natural sunlight, and ensuring the print is also checked in raking light.


6.  Arrange an in-person payment-for-print exchange at a venue you are comfortable with, such as your own business premises or even at a bank — and, if you prefer for security reasons, in the company of one of your family members, friends or colleagues.


7.  Choose a payment method that is acceptable to both you and the seller (a bank transfer would typically be the norm for such a large transaction).


8.  In addition to the print itself and its corresponding COA, consider asking the seller to provide a signed provenance letter addressed to you — identifying the print by its name and edition number, and setting out its full ownership history and, if applicable, its full exhibition and restoration history.

I'm going to agree here. This post doesn't make sense.

All true met of course

But you guys have way way more experience of buying expensive banksy prints and how to minimise the risk
Last time I bought a banksy it was £600 on eBay

Genuinely thanks for that info.
Hope that explains

I bought a unsigned IFTL off eBay in 2009ish for £575