If I was in London I would camp out i think. I lined up here in Toronto for 2.5hrs to get a Burtynsky print. I was thrilled when I got there and found out they handed out numbers so you didn't have to wait or could wait inside. They even offered wine while you waited. That is the way to have a line up.

Any way back on topic. I like the idea of having a combo lotto and Q as they did with no ball games. To make the lotto a bit more fair they could either have you fill out your full credit card and shipping info up front so you can only enter once or let people enter as many times as they want and charge 10gbp or something per entry for charity.

If anyone wants to camp out and make some money selling it pm me and maybe we can make a deal.

IMO there is nothing wrong with flipping after lining up all night. That is working for it and you should get paid. A way to earn some cash in a tough economy.

Ohh you mean like doing a print of the queen in heels sitting on the face of the girl from Failes Launch Tonight ;D?

I think the print looks fantastic. Awesome tribute to Haring

Amen to that.

good post! the bingo tickets thing is a good idea

If it's anything like the one that was on show, definately very red, rather than orange.

'suggestions are pointless I even spoke to Simon about it last year'

Banksy is the tail that wags this dog I reckon, it must be his call. POW or Banksy hardly need the publicity of reports of a couple of hundred nutters queuing up outside their store? The reputational damage should someone croak (and it's gonna be fking cold) surely exceeds the reward?

Klyde's post seems to make a lot of sense - mmmike's post (para 3) is pretty repulsive and parallel to online pimping imo. As always, this annual thread brings out the best and the worst in people.

Great Idea win-win situation saves all the B/S that surrounds this print release just pay your money and take your chance, simples!

I'd agree with you also Grafik - why not do that again? As you say it worked well.

It also works for people who can't just drop everything at 30 minutes notice to rock off to London on the chance of being at the right place at the right time.

Simon, Dora, Jamie Hewlett (and Banksy?) I'm sure read this (and other) forums - why wouldn't they? They absolutely give a shit and it's naive to think otherwise.

Banksy has a life, why would he care too much about the opinions of those that have no lives and post on internet messageboards?

to queue or not to queue is that the question?

I think POW's method of releasing the print last year was spot on and I'll explain why.

Whatever system is used to distribute the print is going to annoy someone. I've read posts in the past where people have been successful in print lotteries a number of times, as well as those who have never won a thing.

POW did the charity bingo/raffle ticket thing for the open day a couple of years ago. Wisely they limited the number of tickets which could be bought, as that would tip the scales in favour of those with more disposable income to buy multiple tickets. The other problem was the ridiculously long slow-moving queue and for the vast majority of queuers this was a waste of a day as they turned up simply to win the chance to buy a Banksy print.

Queuing up on Commercial St last year was difficult. Most of us spent in excess of 15 hours waiting to buy the print on an unrelenting cold winter night. During the evening people from all over the UK joined the queue and I think everyone who arrived before 5am was successful. The alternative colourway/on-line lottery gave everyone around the world a chance to buy print.

Many of us who live in the UK have had to read about shows and print releases happening in the U.S which we would all have loved to attend, but not been able to. Last week there was a KAWS release in NYC, even going back to Banksy's Barely Legal show in L.A. there was a whole string of Banksy prints released to commemorate the show we in the UK (which includes London(!)) had no chance of buying.

This year I would do exactly what was done last year, but with one change. I would not announce the release until 3pm the day before the print comes out.

Last year some people queued for a ridiculous amount of time. I seemed to remember someone got there on the Thursday before the Saturday release. One of the problems with ridiculously early queuing is that once the word gets out, panic sets in and a lot of people join the queue much, much earlier than they intended. One of the other problem with 'advance warning' is that rich flippers can organise teams.

I guarantee everyone who wants to buy a print has already decided if they are prepared to queue up overnight already. London is easily accessible from the whole of the British Isles, so if you want the print badly enough you'll have enough time to get to the queue.

I know this might all sound a bit harsh, but we're all of us who are planning to queue up are already on stand-by in our heads. I'm sure many people already have their tents and sleeping bags ready for the queue. Londoners will have an advantage, but if it's like last years queue or even when 'Flags' was released in 2007 at the height of Banksy's popularity, you won't miss out.

Is this 2006? ghetto?

Lol

Its a west end art exhibition with bouncers at the door.

Ahh 2006! The good old days before every Tom, Dick and Harry were releasing prints.