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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by double uo globe on Apr 28, 2022 22:56:47 GMT 1,
I saw this before I purchased but it looked like a legit soup cans print to me. I could be wrong. I’ve seen a lot of the fake Banksy prints shipping from Spain on eBay but isn’t it possible there are some legit collectors in Spain? Like I said the print looks spot on compared to another I’ve seen except the signature. I have seen his signature differ from print to print but obviously I’m not an expert. I sent the same photos to a gallery to get an insurance estimate and they wanted to purchase it from me.
I saw this before I purchased but it looked like a legit soup cans print to me. I could be wrong. I’ve seen a lot of the fake Banksy prints shipping from Spain on eBay but isn’t it possible there are some legit collectors in Spain? Like I said the print looks spot on compared to another I’ve seen except the signature. I have seen his signature differ from print to print but obviously I’m not an expert. I sent the same photos to a gallery to get an insurance estimate and they wanted to purchase it from me.
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by double uo globe on Apr 28, 2022 23:20:00 GMT 1, Yeah interesting one. Provenance is pretty solid, but the signature isn’t as close to the edge as any of the other examples I see on the internet.
I’ve actually seen some with the signature further from the edge than this one. The signature itself is the only thing I’m questioning.
Yeah interesting one. Provenance is pretty solid, but the signature isn’t as close to the edge as any of the other examples I see on the internet. I’ve actually seen some with the signature further from the edge than this one. The signature itself is the only thing I’m questioning.
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by double uo globe on Apr 29, 2022 0:29:52 GMT 1, Well they did have the buy it now at $20,000 at first. I messaged them asking the lowest they would take and they made me an offer for $18,000 but somebody bid on it shortly after so the buy it now offer was invalidated.
Well they did have the buy it now at $20,000 at first. I messaged them asking the lowest they would take and they made me an offer for $18,000 but somebody bid on it shortly after so the buy it now offer was invalidated.
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akn220
New Member
Posts • 12
Likes • 3
November 2010
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by akn220 on Apr 29, 2022 16:04:23 GMT 1, I'm sorry to say, but this isn't looking good. My mom has a Kawsbob AP that she got directly from The Aldrich and I studied all the images I have. I wish I were in person so I could get an even better look, but I can definitely tell you that the signature on hers is signed/numbered with green pencil. Maybe this was only done for the APs, but I would suspect not. The color plays off the color of Spongebob's spots.
The signature on the one you're showing also does look a bit wonky. I've seen Kaws do less than perfect signatures before, but this one just feels sloppy and lacks some of the very subtle characteristics that his letters have. There's almost always a very tight and lean look with a sharp angle to the right in his print signatures (my mom also has the Ups and Downs portfolio and the signatures are the same in quality).
The line/slash between the edition number (xx/100) is also suspect. The one you're showing sort of bows out to the left, where my mom's appears straight, but actually has an extremely subtle S shape to the line. Like imagine the general curve of an S, flipped the other way, and stretched out as thin as you could make it. A super super slight bow to the right in the upper half, and super super slight bow to the left in the lower half. These kind of subtleties are usually very unique to a particular person's handwriting, and don't often change so drastically, especially when the writing is done all at the same time as is done with prints like these.
It's also important to note that my mom's number ascends diagonally from left to right. The number on the left is lower than the number on the right. The one you're showing has the number on the left very oddly higher than the number on the right. This is uncharacteristic of the way Kaws writes.
I'm also concerned about the texture of the paper in these photos. The photos of my mom's make the print look far more smooth, where yours looks oddly textured, and just sort of "cheaper" in comparison. The printing also seems off. This is supposed to be a multi layer screenprint, and on the real thing, there is a very subtle bit of texture for every printed element. On yours it seems to be one even surface, as if the ink has been printed *into* the paper, rather than *onto* the paper. The colors also just seem more dull than what I'm seeing in my own photos.
I don't claim to be any sort of professional authenticator, but I'm an extremely visual and detail-oriented person, and love "find the difference" sort of games because I notice the small things. Things just don't seem right when I compare your photos to mine. If I get a chance to see my mom's again soon, I can give another impression, but I'm really leaning towards this being a fake (this is supported by the other suspect Banksy things this person has sold), and you should take action sooner than later because the sale just happened and you're still very protected. I'm sorry you've gotta deal with such a situation, but I hope all will be resolved in the end without much headache.
Edit: I found this: www.artspace.com/kaws/kawsbob
The number on the left does appear higher on the left than the right, unlike my mom's, however the line in between the numbers is exactly the same. Look at the close up images and there's just such a noticeable difference in the quality of the writing. The pencil color also seems to be a green tone, though it's pretty subtle in the images here.
I also found this: www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/original-fake-kaws-kawsbob-for-the-aldrich-museum-c-9154501984
I wonder if it's in any way related to what you ended up with.
Edit 2: Found this as well, a recent sale: fineart.ha.com/itm/prints-and-multiples/kaws-b-1974-kawsbob-yellow-2011screenprint-in-colors-on-wove-paper20-x-20-inches-508-x/a/8075-66065.s?type=ArtNet-UrbanArt-8075-03112022
Zoom in to the signature and it's definitely got a green tone to it. The pencil color in yours is just totally wrong, and that alone should tell you to fuck this guy and get your money back.
I'm sorry to say, but this isn't looking good. My mom has a Kawsbob AP that she got directly from The Aldrich and I studied all the images I have. I wish I were in person so I could get an even better look, but I can definitely tell you that the signature on hers is signed/numbered with green pencil. Maybe this was only done for the APs, but I would suspect not. The color plays off the color of Spongebob's spots. The signature on the one you're showing also does look a bit wonky. I've seen Kaws do less than perfect signatures before, but this one just feels sloppy and lacks some of the very subtle characteristics that his letters have. There's almost always a very tight and lean look with a sharp angle to the right in his print signatures (my mom also has the Ups and Downs portfolio and the signatures are the same in quality). The line/slash between the edition number (xx/100) is also suspect. The one you're showing sort of bows out to the left, where my mom's appears straight, but actually has an extremely subtle S shape to the line. Like imagine the general curve of an S, flipped the other way, and stretched out as thin as you could make it. A super super slight bow to the right in the upper half, and super super slight bow to the left in the lower half. These kind of subtleties are usually very unique to a particular person's handwriting, and don't often change so drastically, especially when the writing is done all at the same time as is done with prints like these. It's also important to note that my mom's number ascends diagonally from left to right. The number on the left is lower than the number on the right. The one you're showing has the number on the left very oddly higher than the number on the right. This is uncharacteristic of the way Kaws writes. I'm also concerned about the texture of the paper in these photos. The photos of my mom's make the print look far more smooth, where yours looks oddly textured, and just sort of "cheaper" in comparison. The printing also seems off. This is supposed to be a multi layer screenprint, and on the real thing, there is a very subtle bit of texture for every printed element. On yours it seems to be one even surface, as if the ink has been printed *into* the paper, rather than *onto* the paper. The colors also just seem more dull than what I'm seeing in my own photos. I don't claim to be any sort of professional authenticator, but I'm an extremely visual and detail-oriented person, and love "find the difference" sort of games because I notice the small things. Things just don't seem right when I compare your photos to mine. If I get a chance to see my mom's again soon, I can give another impression, but I'm really leaning towards this being a fake (this is supported by the other suspect Banksy things this person has sold), and you should take action sooner than later because the sale just happened and you're still very protected. I'm sorry you've gotta deal with such a situation, but I hope all will be resolved in the end without much headache. Edit: I found this: www.artspace.com/kaws/kawsbobThe number on the left does appear higher on the left than the right, unlike my mom's, however the line in between the numbers is exactly the same. Look at the close up images and there's just such a noticeable difference in the quality of the writing. The pencil color also seems to be a green tone, though it's pretty subtle in the images here. I also found this: www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/original-fake-kaws-kawsbob-for-the-aldrich-museum-c-9154501984I wonder if it's in any way related to what you ended up with. Edit 2: Found this as well, a recent sale: fineart.ha.com/itm/prints-and-multiples/kaws-b-1974-kawsbob-yellow-2011screenprint-in-colors-on-wove-paper20-x-20-inches-508-x/a/8075-66065.s?type=ArtNet-UrbanArt-8075-03112022Zoom in to the signature and it's definitely got a green tone to it. The pencil color in yours is just totally wrong, and that alone should tell you to fuck this guy and get your money back.
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akn220
New Member
Posts • 12
Likes • 3
November 2010
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by akn220 on Apr 29, 2022 16:46:57 GMT 1, Yeah interesting one. Provenance is pretty solid, but the signature isn’t as close to the edge as any of the other examples I see on the internet. Having a brochure, ticket, and receipt isn't solid provenance though. They can give you all that but the print itself could still be fake. What would be closer to solid provenance is a timestamped photo of the work in a timestamped email from the day of purchase where the appearance of the number and signature matches exactly to how it appears in person. Like some proof that what they got on the day they got the receipt is the same as what they mailed this buyer. I really suspect this print is fake for many reasons that I outlined in this thread. I'd love to be wrong, but there's a lot that seems off about this.
Yeah interesting one. Provenance is pretty solid, but the signature isn’t as close to the edge as any of the other examples I see on the internet. Having a brochure, ticket, and receipt isn't solid provenance though. They can give you all that but the print itself could still be fake. What would be closer to solid provenance is a timestamped photo of the work in a timestamped email from the day of purchase where the appearance of the number and signature matches exactly to how it appears in person. Like some proof that what they got on the day they got the receipt is the same as what they mailed this buyer. I really suspect this print is fake for many reasons that I outlined in this thread. I'd love to be wrong, but there's a lot that seems off about this.
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akn220
New Member
Posts • 12
Likes • 3
November 2010
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by akn220 on Apr 29, 2022 17:15:14 GMT 1,
The differences are so clear when you compare. It's just not done by the same hand.
The differences are so clear when you compare. It's just not done by the same hand.
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by double uo globe on Apr 29, 2022 17:17:10 GMT 1, I'm sorry to say, but this isn't looking good. My mom has a Kawsbob AP that she got directly from The Aldrich and I studied all the images I have. I wish I were in person so I could get an even better look, but I can definitely tell you that the signature on hers is signed/numbered with green pencil. Maybe this was only done for the APs, but I would suspect not. The color plays off the color of Spongebob's spots. The signature on the one you're showing also does look a bit wonky. I've seen Kaws do less than perfect signatures before, but this one just feels sloppy and lacks some of the very subtle characteristics that his letters have. There's almost always a very tight and lean look with a sharp angle to the right in his print signatures (my mom also has the Ups and Downs portfolio and the signatures are the same in quality). The line/slash between the edition number (xx/100) is also suspect. The one you're showing sort of bows out to the left, where my mom's appears straight, but actually has an extremely subtle S shape to the line. Like imagine the general curve of an S, flipped the other way, and stretched out as thin as you could make it. A super super slight bow to the right in the upper half, and super super slight bow to the left in the lower half. These kind of subtleties are usually very unique to a particular person's handwriting, and don't often change so drastically, especially when the writing is done all at the same time as is done with prints like these. It's also important to note that my mom's number ascends diagonally from left to right. The number on the left is lower than the number on the right. The one you're showing has the number on the left very oddly higher than the number on the right. This is uncharacteristic of the way Kaws writes. I'm also concerned about the texture of the paper in these photos. The photos of my mom's make the print look far more smooth, where yours looks oddly textured, and just sort of "cheaper" in comparison. The printing also seems off. This is supposed to be a multi layer screenprint, and on the real thing, there is a very subtle bit of texture for every printed element. On yours it seems to be one even surface, as if the ink has been printed *into* the paper, rather than *onto* the paper. The colors also just seem more dull than what I'm seeing in my own photos. I don't claim to be any sort of professional authenticator, but I'm an extremely visual and detail-oriented person, and love "find the difference" sort of games because I notice the small things. Things just don't seem right when I compare your photos to mine. If I get a chance to see my mom's again soon, I can give another impression, but I'm really leaning towards this being a fake (this is supported by the other suspect Banksy things this person has sold), and you should take action sooner than later because the sale just happened and you're still very protected. I'm sorry you've gotta deal with such a situation, but I hope all will be resolved in the end without much headache. Edit: I found this: www.artspace.com/kaws/kawsbobThe number on the left does appear higher on the left than the right, unlike my mom's, however the line in between the numbers is exactly the same. Look at the close up images and there's just such a noticeable difference in the quality of the writing. The pencil color also seems to be a green tone, though it's pretty subtle in the images here. I also found this: www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/original-fake-kaws-kawsbob-for-the-aldrich-museum-c-9154501984I wonder if it's in any way related to what you ended up with. Edit 2: Found this as well, a recent sale: fineart.ha.com/itm/prints-and-multiples/kaws-b-1974-kawsbob-yellow-2011screenprint-in-colors-on-wove-paper20-x-20-inches-508-x/a/8075-66065.s?type=ArtNet-UrbanArt-8075-03112022Zoom in to the signature and it's definitely got a green tone to it. The pencil color in yours is just totally wrong, and that alone should tell you to fuck this guy and get your money back.
If you could get any pictures of your mother’s I would greatly appreciate it. I don’t know if the green was for the artist proofs but I thought the signatures were with graphite. I’ve never seen that Original Fake for The Aldrich poster. Do you know if that was on BFK Rives?
I'm sorry to say, but this isn't looking good. My mom has a Kawsbob AP that she got directly from The Aldrich and I studied all the images I have. I wish I were in person so I could get an even better look, but I can definitely tell you that the signature on hers is signed/numbered with green pencil. Maybe this was only done for the APs, but I would suspect not. The color plays off the color of Spongebob's spots. The signature on the one you're showing also does look a bit wonky. I've seen Kaws do less than perfect signatures before, but this one just feels sloppy and lacks some of the very subtle characteristics that his letters have. There's almost always a very tight and lean look with a sharp angle to the right in his print signatures (my mom also has the Ups and Downs portfolio and the signatures are the same in quality). The line/slash between the edition number (xx/100) is also suspect. The one you're showing sort of bows out to the left, where my mom's appears straight, but actually has an extremely subtle S shape to the line. Like imagine the general curve of an S, flipped the other way, and stretched out as thin as you could make it. A super super slight bow to the right in the upper half, and super super slight bow to the left in the lower half. These kind of subtleties are usually very unique to a particular person's handwriting, and don't often change so drastically, especially when the writing is done all at the same time as is done with prints like these. It's also important to note that my mom's number ascends diagonally from left to right. The number on the left is lower than the number on the right. The one you're showing has the number on the left very oddly higher than the number on the right. This is uncharacteristic of the way Kaws writes. I'm also concerned about the texture of the paper in these photos. The photos of my mom's make the print look far more smooth, where yours looks oddly textured, and just sort of "cheaper" in comparison. The printing also seems off. This is supposed to be a multi layer screenprint, and on the real thing, there is a very subtle bit of texture for every printed element. On yours it seems to be one even surface, as if the ink has been printed *into* the paper, rather than *onto* the paper. The colors also just seem more dull than what I'm seeing in my own photos. I don't claim to be any sort of professional authenticator, but I'm an extremely visual and detail-oriented person, and love "find the difference" sort of games because I notice the small things. Things just don't seem right when I compare your photos to mine. If I get a chance to see my mom's again soon, I can give another impression, but I'm really leaning towards this being a fake (this is supported by the other suspect Banksy things this person has sold), and you should take action sooner than later because the sale just happened and you're still very protected. I'm sorry you've gotta deal with such a situation, but I hope all will be resolved in the end without much headache. Edit: I found this: www.artspace.com/kaws/kawsbobThe number on the left does appear higher on the left than the right, unlike my mom's, however the line in between the numbers is exactly the same. Look at the close up images and there's just such a noticeable difference in the quality of the writing. The pencil color also seems to be a green tone, though it's pretty subtle in the images here. I also found this: www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/original-fake-kaws-kawsbob-for-the-aldrich-museum-c-9154501984I wonder if it's in any way related to what you ended up with. Edit 2: Found this as well, a recent sale: fineart.ha.com/itm/prints-and-multiples/kaws-b-1974-kawsbob-yellow-2011screenprint-in-colors-on-wove-paper20-x-20-inches-508-x/a/8075-66065.s?type=ArtNet-UrbanArt-8075-03112022Zoom in to the signature and it's definitely got a green tone to it. The pencil color in yours is just totally wrong, and that alone should tell you to fuck this guy and get your money back. If you could get any pictures of your mother’s I would greatly appreciate it. I don’t know if the green was for the artist proofs but I thought the signatures were with graphite. I’ve never seen that Original Fake for The Aldrich poster. Do you know if that was on BFK Rives?
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akn220
New Member
Posts • 12
Likes • 3
November 2010
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by akn220 on Apr 29, 2022 17:26:12 GMT 1, I'm sorry to say, but this isn't looking good. My mom has a Kawsbob AP that she got directly from The Aldrich and I studied all the images I have. I wish I were in person so I could get an even better look, but I can definitely tell you that the signature on hers is signed/numbered with green pencil. Maybe this was only done for the APs, but I would suspect not. The color plays off the color of Spongebob's spots. The signature on the one you're showing also does look a bit wonky. I've seen Kaws do less than perfect signatures before, but this one just feels sloppy and lacks some of the very subtle characteristics that his letters have. There's almost always a very tight and lean look with a sharp angle to the right in his print signatures (my mom also has the Ups and Downs portfolio and the signatures are the same in quality). The line/slash between the edition number (xx/100) is also suspect. The one you're showing sort of bows out to the left, where my mom's appears straight, but actually has an extremely subtle S shape to the line. Like imagine the general curve of an S, flipped the other way, and stretched out as thin as you could make it. A super super slight bow to the right in the upper half, and super super slight bow to the left in the lower half. These kind of subtleties are usually very unique to a particular person's handwriting, and don't often change so drastically, especially when the writing is done all at the same time as is done with prints like these. It's also important to note that my mom's number ascends diagonally from left to right. The number on the left is lower than the number on the right. The one you're showing has the number on the left very oddly higher than the number on the right. This is uncharacteristic of the way Kaws writes. I'm also concerned about the texture of the paper in these photos. The photos of my mom's make the print look far more smooth, where yours looks oddly textured, and just sort of "cheaper" in comparison. The printing also seems off. This is supposed to be a multi layer screenprint, and on the real thing, there is a very subtle bit of texture for every printed element. On yours it seems to be one even surface, as if the ink has been printed *into* the paper, rather than *onto* the paper. The colors also just seem more dull than what I'm seeing in my own photos. I don't claim to be any sort of professional authenticator, but I'm an extremely visual and detail-oriented person, and love "find the difference" sort of games because I notice the small things. Things just don't seem right when I compare your photos to mine. If I get a chance to see my mom's again soon, I can give another impression, but I'm really leaning towards this being a fake (this is supported by the other suspect Banksy things this person has sold), and you should take action sooner than later because the sale just happened and you're still very protected. I'm sorry you've gotta deal with such a situation, but I hope all will be resolved in the end without much headache. Edit: I found this: www.artspace.com/kaws/kawsbobThe number on the left does appear higher on the left than the right, unlike my mom's, however the line in between the numbers is exactly the same. Look at the close up images and there's just such a noticeable difference in the quality of the writing. The pencil color also seems to be a green tone, though it's pretty subtle in the images here. I also found this: www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/original-fake-kaws-kawsbob-for-the-aldrich-museum-c-9154501984I wonder if it's in any way related to what you ended up with. Edit 2: Found this as well, a recent sale: fineart.ha.com/itm/prints-and-multiples/kaws-b-1974-kawsbob-yellow-2011screenprint-in-colors-on-wove-paper20-x-20-inches-508-x/a/8075-66065.s?type=ArtNet-UrbanArt-8075-03112022Zoom in to the signature and it's definitely got a green tone to it. The pencil color in yours is just totally wrong, and that alone should tell you to fuck this guy and get your money back. If you could get any pictures of your mother’s I would greatly appreciate it. I don’t know if the green was for the artist proofs but I thought the signatures were with graphite. I’ve never seen that Original Fake for The Aldrich poster. Do you know if that was on BFK Rives? I have no idea about the paper type for that poster, but anyone can acquire Rives BFK paper. I'd rather not share my mother's out of respect for her privacy, but you can see in other photos online that the color of the pencil is just wrong on the one you have. I have access to the artnet price database and can see if I can find any other examples.
I also just posted a signature comparison for you of a legit one from the standard edition compared to yours, and the tone, and even the weight of the pencil line is noticeably different. The legit one has a softer thicker line than yours, and the color tone is different. I even played around in photoshop a bunch to see how each signature reacted to different levels of contrast and saturation and there's a noticeable difference. You mentioned you have a friend that has a real one. Are you able to compare yours to their print in person?
I'm sorry to say, but this isn't looking good. My mom has a Kawsbob AP that she got directly from The Aldrich and I studied all the images I have. I wish I were in person so I could get an even better look, but I can definitely tell you that the signature on hers is signed/numbered with green pencil. Maybe this was only done for the APs, but I would suspect not. The color plays off the color of Spongebob's spots. The signature on the one you're showing also does look a bit wonky. I've seen Kaws do less than perfect signatures before, but this one just feels sloppy and lacks some of the very subtle characteristics that his letters have. There's almost always a very tight and lean look with a sharp angle to the right in his print signatures (my mom also has the Ups and Downs portfolio and the signatures are the same in quality). The line/slash between the edition number (xx/100) is also suspect. The one you're showing sort of bows out to the left, where my mom's appears straight, but actually has an extremely subtle S shape to the line. Like imagine the general curve of an S, flipped the other way, and stretched out as thin as you could make it. A super super slight bow to the right in the upper half, and super super slight bow to the left in the lower half. These kind of subtleties are usually very unique to a particular person's handwriting, and don't often change so drastically, especially when the writing is done all at the same time as is done with prints like these. It's also important to note that my mom's number ascends diagonally from left to right. The number on the left is lower than the number on the right. The one you're showing has the number on the left very oddly higher than the number on the right. This is uncharacteristic of the way Kaws writes. I'm also concerned about the texture of the paper in these photos. The photos of my mom's make the print look far more smooth, where yours looks oddly textured, and just sort of "cheaper" in comparison. The printing also seems off. This is supposed to be a multi layer screenprint, and on the real thing, there is a very subtle bit of texture for every printed element. On yours it seems to be one even surface, as if the ink has been printed *into* the paper, rather than *onto* the paper. The colors also just seem more dull than what I'm seeing in my own photos. I don't claim to be any sort of professional authenticator, but I'm an extremely visual and detail-oriented person, and love "find the difference" sort of games because I notice the small things. Things just don't seem right when I compare your photos to mine. If I get a chance to see my mom's again soon, I can give another impression, but I'm really leaning towards this being a fake (this is supported by the other suspect Banksy things this person has sold), and you should take action sooner than later because the sale just happened and you're still very protected. I'm sorry you've gotta deal with such a situation, but I hope all will be resolved in the end without much headache. Edit: I found this: www.artspace.com/kaws/kawsbobThe number on the left does appear higher on the left than the right, unlike my mom's, however the line in between the numbers is exactly the same. Look at the close up images and there's just such a noticeable difference in the quality of the writing. The pencil color also seems to be a green tone, though it's pretty subtle in the images here. I also found this: www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/original-fake-kaws-kawsbob-for-the-aldrich-museum-c-9154501984I wonder if it's in any way related to what you ended up with. Edit 2: Found this as well, a recent sale: fineart.ha.com/itm/prints-and-multiples/kaws-b-1974-kawsbob-yellow-2011screenprint-in-colors-on-wove-paper20-x-20-inches-508-x/a/8075-66065.s?type=ArtNet-UrbanArt-8075-03112022Zoom in to the signature and it's definitely got a green tone to it. The pencil color in yours is just totally wrong, and that alone should tell you to fuck this guy and get your money back. If you could get any pictures of your mother’s I would greatly appreciate it. I don’t know if the green was for the artist proofs but I thought the signatures were with graphite. I’ve never seen that Original Fake for The Aldrich poster. Do you know if that was on BFK Rives? I have no idea about the paper type for that poster, but anyone can acquire Rives BFK paper. I'd rather not share my mother's out of respect for her privacy, but you can see in other photos online that the color of the pencil is just wrong on the one you have. I have access to the artnet price database and can see if I can find any other examples. I also just posted a signature comparison for you of a legit one from the standard edition compared to yours, and the tone, and even the weight of the pencil line is noticeably different. The legit one has a softer thicker line than yours, and the color tone is different. I even played around in photoshop a bunch to see how each signature reacted to different levels of contrast and saturation and there's a noticeable difference. You mentioned you have a friend that has a real one. Are you able to compare yours to their print in person?
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akn220
New Member
Posts • 12
Likes • 3
November 2010
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by akn220 on Apr 29, 2022 17:37:34 GMT 1, OMG! Just totally remembered something else that should help seal the deal on this being fake. From my experience of buying 3 different editions from The Aldrich in the past, they always provided you with a folder that contains a brochure/documentation/ephemera from the related exhibition or just related to the artist, as well as a certificate of authenticity. You could maybe even call them to confirm this, as it's been a few years since I've seen the folder. Just find out if every Kawsbob came with a certificate (probably in a folder). Tell them your situation as well. Maybe they even have a photo of the print that matches your number. They're very nice people and it's a small operation, so you shouldn't have trouble getting help. If this seller was legit and conscientious enough to have saved a receipt to give you, they would've had the certificate too. I suspect they have the real one and just made a copy, but gave away the receipt because they still have the certificate, which is what really matters. For all we know the receipt could be a forgery too. It's not that hard to do with the right machine and a little research and photoshop.
OMG! Just totally remembered something else that should help seal the deal on this being fake. From my experience of buying 3 different editions from The Aldrich in the past, they always provided you with a folder that contains a brochure/documentation/ephemera from the related exhibition or just related to the artist, as well as a certificate of authenticity. You could maybe even call them to confirm this, as it's been a few years since I've seen the folder. Just find out if every Kawsbob came with a certificate (probably in a folder). Tell them your situation as well. Maybe they even have a photo of the print that matches your number. They're very nice people and it's a small operation, so you shouldn't have trouble getting help. If this seller was legit and conscientious enough to have saved a receipt to give you, they would've had the certificate too. I suspect they have the real one and just made a copy, but gave away the receipt because they still have the certificate, which is what really matters. For all we know the receipt could be a forgery too. It's not that hard to do with the right machine and a little research and photoshop.
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by double uo globe on Apr 29, 2022 17:43:09 GMT 1, If you could get any pictures of your mother’s I would greatly appreciate it. I don’t know if the green was for the artist proofs but I thought the signatures were with graphite. I’ve never seen that Original Fake for The Aldrich poster. Do you know if that was on BFK Rives? I have no idea about the paper type for that poster, but anyone can acquire Rives BFK paper. I'd rather not share my mother's out of respect for her privacy, but you can see in other photos online that the color of the pencil is just wrong on the one you have. I have access to the artnet price database and can see if I can find any other examples. I also just posted a signature comparison for you of a legit one from the standard edition compared to yours, and the tone, and even the weight of the pencil line is noticeably different. The legit one has a softer thicker line than yours, and the color tone is different. I even played around in photoshop a bunch to see how each signature reacted to different levels of contrast and saturation and there's a noticeable difference. You mentioned you have a friend that has a real one. Are you able to compare yours to their print in person?
His is framed so I can’t examine it outside the frame but it looks pretty much exactly the same aside from the signature.
If you could get any pictures of your mother’s I would greatly appreciate it. I don’t know if the green was for the artist proofs but I thought the signatures were with graphite. I’ve never seen that Original Fake for The Aldrich poster. Do you know if that was on BFK Rives? I have no idea about the paper type for that poster, but anyone can acquire Rives BFK paper. I'd rather not share my mother's out of respect for her privacy, but you can see in other photos online that the color of the pencil is just wrong on the one you have. I have access to the artnet price database and can see if I can find any other examples. I also just posted a signature comparison for you of a legit one from the standard edition compared to yours, and the tone, and even the weight of the pencil line is noticeably different. The legit one has a softer thicker line than yours, and the color tone is different. I even played around in photoshop a bunch to see how each signature reacted to different levels of contrast and saturation and there's a noticeable difference. You mentioned you have a friend that has a real one. Are you able to compare yours to their print in person? His is framed so I can’t examine it outside the frame but it looks pretty much exactly the same aside from the signature.
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by double uo globe on Apr 29, 2022 17:49:58 GMT 1, OMG! Just totally remembered something else that should help seal the deal on this being fake. From my experience of buying 3 different editions from The Aldrich in the past, they always provided you with a folder that contains a brochure/documentation/ephemera from the related exhibition or just related to the artist, as well as a certificate of authenticity. You could maybe even call them to confirm this, as it's been a few years since I've seen the folder. Just find out if every Kawsbob came with a certificate (probably in a folder). Tell them your situation as well. Maybe they even have a photo of the print that matches your number. They're very nice people and it's a small operation, so you shouldn't have trouble getting help. If this seller was legit and conscientious enough to have saved a receipt to give you, they would've had the certificate too. I suspect they have the real one and just made a copy, but gave away the receipt because they still have the certificate, which is what really matters. For all we know the receipt could be a forgery too. It's not that hard to do with the right machine and a little research and photoshop.
I will do this actually! Thank you everybody for the help. The seller said they registered it themself with The Aldrich Museum registry and gave me the information it was registered under but I had no idea how to confirm that with Aldrich. I emailed them but nobody answered so maybe I will try calling. The seller insists that they bought it with their own Vida card at the fair and that there were no intermediaries in the process.
OMG! Just totally remembered something else that should help seal the deal on this being fake. From my experience of buying 3 different editions from The Aldrich in the past, they always provided you with a folder that contains a brochure/documentation/ephemera from the related exhibition or just related to the artist, as well as a certificate of authenticity. You could maybe even call them to confirm this, as it's been a few years since I've seen the folder. Just find out if every Kawsbob came with a certificate (probably in a folder). Tell them your situation as well. Maybe they even have a photo of the print that matches your number. They're very nice people and it's a small operation, so you shouldn't have trouble getting help. If this seller was legit and conscientious enough to have saved a receipt to give you, they would've had the certificate too. I suspect they have the real one and just made a copy, but gave away the receipt because they still have the certificate, which is what really matters. For all we know the receipt could be a forgery too. It's not that hard to do with the right machine and a little research and photoshop. I will do this actually! Thank you everybody for the help. The seller said they registered it themself with The Aldrich Museum registry and gave me the information it was registered under but I had no idea how to confirm that with Aldrich. I emailed them but nobody answered so maybe I will try calling. The seller insists that they bought it with their own Vida card at the fair and that there were no intermediaries in the process.
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akn220
New Member
Posts • 12
Likes • 3
November 2010
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by akn220 on Apr 29, 2022 17:56:06 GMT 1, OMG! Just totally remembered something else that should help seal the deal on this being fake. From my experience of buying 3 different editions from The Aldrich in the past, they always provided you with a folder that contains a brochure/documentation/ephemera from the related exhibition or just related to the artist, as well as a certificate of authenticity. You could maybe even call them to confirm this, as it's been a few years since I've seen the folder. Just find out if every Kawsbob came with a certificate (probably in a folder). Tell them your situation as well. Maybe they even have a photo of the print that matches your number. They're very nice people and it's a small operation, so you shouldn't have trouble getting help. If this seller was legit and conscientious enough to have saved a receipt to give you, they would've had the certificate too. I suspect they have the real one and just made a copy, but gave away the receipt because they still have the certificate, which is what really matters. For all we know the receipt could be a forgery too. It's not that hard to do with the right machine and a little research and photoshop. I will do this actually! Thank you everybody for the help. The seller said they registered it themself with The Aldrich Museum registry and gave me the information it was registered under but I had no idea how to confirm that with Aldrich. I emailed them but nobody answered so maybe I will try calling. The seller insists that they bought it with their own Vida card at the fair and that there were no intermediaries in the process. Definitely give them a call and you should get through to someone. I'm not sure if things have changed a bit with covid, but if you have trouble getting through to anyone, let me know and I can probably get in contact with someone. I'm also hoping to go there soon for an upcoming exhibition, so I can maybe help then if the matter isn't resolved sooner. By the way, the thing about "registering" the print with the "Aldrich Museum registry" sounds like total bullshit to me.
OMG! Just totally remembered something else that should help seal the deal on this being fake. From my experience of buying 3 different editions from The Aldrich in the past, they always provided you with a folder that contains a brochure/documentation/ephemera from the related exhibition or just related to the artist, as well as a certificate of authenticity. You could maybe even call them to confirm this, as it's been a few years since I've seen the folder. Just find out if every Kawsbob came with a certificate (probably in a folder). Tell them your situation as well. Maybe they even have a photo of the print that matches your number. They're very nice people and it's a small operation, so you shouldn't have trouble getting help. If this seller was legit and conscientious enough to have saved a receipt to give you, they would've had the certificate too. I suspect they have the real one and just made a copy, but gave away the receipt because they still have the certificate, which is what really matters. For all we know the receipt could be a forgery too. It's not that hard to do with the right machine and a little research and photoshop. I will do this actually! Thank you everybody for the help. The seller said they registered it themself with The Aldrich Museum registry and gave me the information it was registered under but I had no idea how to confirm that with Aldrich. I emailed them but nobody answered so maybe I will try calling. The seller insists that they bought it with their own Vida card at the fair and that there were no intermediaries in the process. Definitely give them a call and you should get through to someone. I'm not sure if things have changed a bit with covid, but if you have trouble getting through to anyone, let me know and I can probably get in contact with someone. I'm also hoping to go there soon for an upcoming exhibition, so I can maybe help then if the matter isn't resolved sooner. By the way, the thing about "registering" the print with the "Aldrich Museum registry" sounds like total bullshit to me.
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by double uo globe on Apr 29, 2022 18:01:21 GMT 1, I will do this actually! Thank you everybody for the help. The seller said they registered it themself with The Aldrich Museum registry and gave me the information it was registered under but I had no idea how to confirm that with Aldrich. I emailed them but nobody answered so maybe I will try calling. The seller insists that they bought it with their own Vida card at the fair and that there were no intermediaries in the process. Definitely give them a call and you should get through to someone. I'm not sure if things have changed a bit with covid, but if you have trouble getting through to anyone, let me know and I can probably get in contact with someone. I'm also hoping to go there soon for an upcoming exhibition, so I can maybe help then if the matter isn't resolved sooner. By the way, the thing about "registering" the print with the "Aldrich Museum registry" sounds like total bullshit to me.
I thought that too. I had never heard of them having a registry before.
I will do this actually! Thank you everybody for the help. The seller said they registered it themself with The Aldrich Museum registry and gave me the information it was registered under but I had no idea how to confirm that with Aldrich. I emailed them but nobody answered so maybe I will try calling. The seller insists that they bought it with their own Vida card at the fair and that there were no intermediaries in the process. Definitely give them a call and you should get through to someone. I'm not sure if things have changed a bit with covid, but if you have trouble getting through to anyone, let me know and I can probably get in contact with someone. I'm also hoping to go there soon for an upcoming exhibition, so I can maybe help then if the matter isn't resolved sooner. By the way, the thing about "registering" the print with the "Aldrich Museum registry" sounds like total bullshit to me. I thought that too. I had never heard of them having a registry before.
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met
Junior Member
Posts • 2,688
Likes • 6,318
June 2009
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by met on Apr 29, 2022 19:23:06 GMT 1, I'm sorry to say, but this isn't looking good. My mom has a Kawsbob AP that she got directly from The Aldrich and I studied all the images I have. I wish I were in person so I could get an even better look, but I can definitely tell you that the signature on hers is signed/numbered with green pencil. Maybe this was only done for the APs, but I would suspect not. The color plays off the color of Spongebob's spots. The signature on the one you're showing also does look a bit wonky. I've seen Kaws do less than perfect signatures before, but this one just feels sloppy and lacks some of the very subtle characteristics that his letters have. There's almost always a very tight and lean look with a sharp angle to the right in his print signatures (my mom also has the Ups and Downs portfolio and the signatures are the same in quality). The line/slash between the edition number (xx/100) is also suspect. The one you're showing sort of bows out to the left, where my mom's appears straight, but actually has an extremely subtle S shape to the line. Like imagine the general curve of an S, flipped the other way, and stretched out as thin as you could make it. A super super slight bow to the right in the upper half, and super super slight bow to the left in the lower half. These kind of subtleties are usually very unique to a particular person's handwriting, and don't often change so drastically, especially when the writing is done all at the same time as is done with prints like these. It's also important to note that my mom's number ascends diagonally from left to right. The number on the left is lower than the number on the right. The one you're showing has the number on the left very oddly higher than the number on the right. This is uncharacteristic of the way Kaws writes. I'm also concerned about the texture of the paper in these photos. The photos of my mom's make the print look far more smooth, where yours looks oddly textured, and just sort of "cheaper" in comparison. The printing also seems off. This is supposed to be a multi layer screenprint, and on the real thing, there is a very subtle bit of texture for every printed element. On yours it seems to be one even surface, as if the ink has been printed *into* the paper, rather than *onto* the paper. The colors also just seem more dull than what I'm seeing in my own photos. I don't claim to be any sort of professional authenticator, but I'm an extremely visual and detail-oriented person, and love "find the difference" sort of games because I notice the small things. Things just don't seem right when I compare your photos to mine. If I get a chance to see my mom's again soon, I can give another impression, but I'm really leaning towards this being a fake (this is supported by the other suspect Banksy things this person has sold), and you should take action sooner than later because the sale just happened and you're still very protected. I'm sorry you've gotta deal with such a situation, but I hope all will be resolved in the end without much headache. Edit: I found this: www.artspace.com/kaws/kawsbobThe number on the left does appear higher on the left than the right, unlike my mom's, however the line in between the numbers is exactly the same. Look at the close up images and there's just such a noticeable difference in the quality of the writing. The pencil color also seems to be a green tone, though it's pretty subtle in the images here. I also found this: www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/original-fake-kaws-kawsbob-for-the-aldrich-museum-c-9154501984I wonder if it's in any way related to what you ended up with. Edit 2: Found this as well, a recent sale: fineart.ha.com/itm/prints-and-multiples/kaws-b-1974-kawsbob-yellow-2011screenprint-in-colors-on-wove-paper20-x-20-inches-508-x/a/8075-66065.s?type=ArtNet-UrbanArt-8075-03112022Zoom in to the signature and it's definitely got a green tone to it. The pencil color in yours is just totally wrong, and that alone should tell you to fuck this guy and get your money back.
Excellent effort.
I'm not especially interested in KAWS' work. That said, I too am observant and pretty good at spotting inconsistencies.
The execution of both the signature and "11" date is completely off with double uo globe's piece.
Likewise (as you've mentioned) with the choice of pencil — but also the hardness of the pencil, and the force with which it's been applied to the paper. The physical placement of signature and date seem wrong as well.
All 100 prints from the regular edition will have been signed and dated at the same time. Their appearance should therefore be near identical. And that does seem to be the case with past lots of yellow KAWSBOB prints sold by Sotheby's*, Christie's*, Phillips**, Bonhams*, and Heritage Auctions*.
But with the eBay print, the signature and date stick out like sore thumbs. There is a visible absence of muscle memory and fluidity of hand movement. One example to illustrate:
Sotheby's New York print from its 22 October 2021 sale*:
eBay print:
Besides reaching out to The Aldrich in case the museum has retained buyer records, double uo globe may wish to consider sending KAWS an email or Instagram message attaching a couple of photos (of the full print and a close-up of the signature and date).
With luck, the artist or somebody on his team might even respond.
__________
geester already showed the eBay seller, visualgallery, as lacking credibility. They previously sold counterfeit Banksy artwork. This in itself is a bright red flag.
Has the seller, who's apparently based in Barcelona, explained how they even acquired the print at Editions/Artists’ Books Fair in 2010? Former US resident? Good timing with a holiday?
Query too the likelihood of an honest KAWS collector listing a five-figure print on eBay using the auction format and a starting price of $1.
I'm sorry to say, but this isn't looking good. My mom has a Kawsbob AP that she got directly from The Aldrich and I studied all the images I have. I wish I were in person so I could get an even better look, but I can definitely tell you that the signature on hers is signed/numbered with green pencil. Maybe this was only done for the APs, but I would suspect not. The color plays off the color of Spongebob's spots. The signature on the one you're showing also does look a bit wonky. I've seen Kaws do less than perfect signatures before, but this one just feels sloppy and lacks some of the very subtle characteristics that his letters have. There's almost always a very tight and lean look with a sharp angle to the right in his print signatures (my mom also has the Ups and Downs portfolio and the signatures are the same in quality). The line/slash between the edition number (xx/100) is also suspect. The one you're showing sort of bows out to the left, where my mom's appears straight, but actually has an extremely subtle S shape to the line. Like imagine the general curve of an S, flipped the other way, and stretched out as thin as you could make it. A super super slight bow to the right in the upper half, and super super slight bow to the left in the lower half. These kind of subtleties are usually very unique to a particular person's handwriting, and don't often change so drastically, especially when the writing is done all at the same time as is done with prints like these. It's also important to note that my mom's number ascends diagonally from left to right. The number on the left is lower than the number on the right. The one you're showing has the number on the left very oddly higher than the number on the right. This is uncharacteristic of the way Kaws writes. I'm also concerned about the texture of the paper in these photos. The photos of my mom's make the print look far more smooth, where yours looks oddly textured, and just sort of "cheaper" in comparison. The printing also seems off. This is supposed to be a multi layer screenprint, and on the real thing, there is a very subtle bit of texture for every printed element. On yours it seems to be one even surface, as if the ink has been printed *into* the paper, rather than *onto* the paper. The colors also just seem more dull than what I'm seeing in my own photos. I don't claim to be any sort of professional authenticator, but I'm an extremely visual and detail-oriented person, and love "find the difference" sort of games because I notice the small things. Things just don't seem right when I compare your photos to mine. If I get a chance to see my mom's again soon, I can give another impression, but I'm really leaning towards this being a fake (this is supported by the other suspect Banksy things this person has sold), and you should take action sooner than later because the sale just happened and you're still very protected. I'm sorry you've gotta deal with such a situation, but I hope all will be resolved in the end without much headache. Edit: I found this: www.artspace.com/kaws/kawsbobThe number on the left does appear higher on the left than the right, unlike my mom's, however the line in between the numbers is exactly the same. Look at the close up images and there's just such a noticeable difference in the quality of the writing. The pencil color also seems to be a green tone, though it's pretty subtle in the images here. I also found this: www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/original-fake-kaws-kawsbob-for-the-aldrich-museum-c-9154501984I wonder if it's in any way related to what you ended up with. Edit 2: Found this as well, a recent sale: fineart.ha.com/itm/prints-and-multiples/kaws-b-1974-kawsbob-yellow-2011screenprint-in-colors-on-wove-paper20-x-20-inches-508-x/a/8075-66065.s?type=ArtNet-UrbanArt-8075-03112022Zoom in to the signature and it's definitely got a green tone to it. The pencil color in yours is just totally wrong, and that alone should tell you to fuck this guy and get your money back.
Excellent effort.
I'm not especially interested in KAWS' work. That said, I too am observant and pretty good at spotting inconsistencies.
The execution of both the signature and "11" date is completely off with double uo globe's piece.
Likewise (as you've mentioned) with the choice of pencil — but also the hardness of the pencil, and the force with which it's been applied to the paper. The physical placement of signature and date seem wrong as well.
All 100 prints from the regular edition will have been signed and dated at the same time. Their appearance should therefore be near identical. And that does seem to be the case with past lots of yellow KAWSBOB prints sold by Sotheby's*, Christie's*, Phillips**, Bonhams*, and Heritage Auctions*.
But with the eBay print, the signature and date stick out like sore thumbs. There is a visible absence of muscle memory and fluidity of hand movement. One example to illustrate:
Sotheby's New York print from its 22 October 2021 sale*:
eBay print:
Besides reaching out to The Aldrich in case the museum has retained buyer records, double uo globe may wish to consider sending KAWS an email or Instagram message attaching a couple of photos (of the full print and a close-up of the signature and date).
With luck, the artist or somebody on his team might even respond.
__________
geester already showed the eBay seller, visualgallery, as lacking credibility. They previously sold counterfeit Banksy artwork. This in itself is a bright red flag.
Has the seller, who's apparently based in Barcelona, explained how they even acquired the print at Editions/Artists’ Books Fair in 2010? Former US resident? Good timing with a holiday?
Query too the likelihood of an honest KAWS collector listing a five-figure print on eBay using the auction format and a starting price of $1.
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by double uo globe on Apr 29, 2022 19:52:28 GMT 1, I'm sorry to say, but this isn't looking good. My mom has a Kawsbob AP that she got directly from The Aldrich and I studied all the images I have. I wish I were in person so I could get an even better look, but I can definitely tell you that the signature on hers is signed/numbered with green pencil. Maybe this was only done for the APs, but I would suspect not. The color plays off the color of Spongebob's spots. The signature on the one you're showing also does look a bit wonky. I've seen Kaws do less than perfect signatures before, but this one just feels sloppy and lacks some of the very subtle characteristics that his letters have. There's almost always a very tight and lean look with a sharp angle to the right in his print signatures (my mom also has the Ups and Downs portfolio and the signatures are the same in quality). The line/slash between the edition number (xx/100) is also suspect. The one you're showing sort of bows out to the left, where my mom's appears straight, but actually has an extremely subtle S shape to the line. Like imagine the general curve of an S, flipped the other way, and stretched out as thin as you could make it. A super super slight bow to the right in the upper half, and super super slight bow to the left in the lower half. These kind of subtleties are usually very unique to a particular person's handwriting, and don't often change so drastically, especially when the writing is done all at the same time as is done with prints like these. It's also important to note that my mom's number ascends diagonally from left to right. The number on the left is lower than the number on the right. The one you're showing has the number on the left very oddly higher than the number on the right. This is uncharacteristic of the way Kaws writes. I'm also concerned about the texture of the paper in these photos. The photos of my mom's make the print look far more smooth, where yours looks oddly textured, and just sort of "cheaper" in comparison. The printing also seems off. This is supposed to be a multi layer screenprint, and on the real thing, there is a very subtle bit of texture for every printed element. On yours it seems to be one even surface, as if the ink has been printed *into* the paper, rather than *onto* the paper. The colors also just seem more dull than what I'm seeing in my own photos. I don't claim to be any sort of professional authenticator, but I'm an extremely visual and detail-oriented person, and love "find the difference" sort of games because I notice the small things. Things just don't seem right when I compare your photos to mine. If I get a chance to see my mom's again soon, I can give another impression, but I'm really leaning towards this being a fake (this is supported by the other suspect Banksy things this person has sold), and you should take action sooner than later because the sale just happened and you're still very protected. I'm sorry you've gotta deal with such a situation, but I hope all will be resolved in the end without much headache. Edit: I found this: www.artspace.com/kaws/kawsbobThe number on the left does appear higher on the left than the right, unlike my mom's, however the line in between the numbers is exactly the same. Look at the close up images and there's just such a noticeable difference in the quality of the writing. The pencil color also seems to be a green tone, though it's pretty subtle in the images here. I also found this: www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/original-fake-kaws-kawsbob-for-the-aldrich-museum-c-9154501984I wonder if it's in any way related to what you ended up with. Edit 2: Found this as well, a recent sale: fineart.ha.com/itm/prints-and-multiples/kaws-b-1974-kawsbob-yellow-2011screenprint-in-colors-on-wove-paper20-x-20-inches-508-x/a/8075-66065.s?type=ArtNet-UrbanArt-8075-03112022Zoom in to the signature and it's definitely got a green tone to it. The pencil color in yours is just totally wrong, and that alone should tell you to fuck this guy and get your money back. Excellent effort.
I'm not especially interested in KAWS' work. That said, I too am observant and pretty good at spotting inconsistencies.
The execution of both the signature and "11" date is completely off with double uo globe's piece.
Likewise (as you've mentioned) with the choice of pencil — but also the hardness of the pencil, and the force with which it's been applied to the paper. The physical placement of signature and date seem wrong as well.
All 100 prints from the regular edition will have been signed and dated at the same time. Their appearance should therefore be near identical. And that does seem to be the case with past lots of yellow KAWSBOB prints sold by Sotheby's*, Christie's*, Phillips**, Bonhams*, and Heritage Auctions*.
But with the eBay print, the signature and date stick out like sore thumbs. There is a visible absence of muscle memory and fluidity of hand movement. One example to illustrate:
Sotheby's New York print from its 22 October 2021 sale*:
eBay print:
Besides reaching out to The Aldrich in case the museum has retained buyer records, double uo globe may wish to consider sending KAWS an email or Instagram message attaching a couple of photos (of the full print and a close-up of the signature and date).
With luck, the artist or somebody on his team might even respond.
__________
geester already showed the eBay seller, visualgallery, as lacking credibility. They previously sold counterfeit Banksy artwork. This in itself is a bright red flag.
Has the seller, who's apparently based in Barcelona, explained how they even acquired the print at Editions/Artists’ Books Fair in 2010? Former US resident? Good timing with a holiday?
Query too the likelihood of an honest KAWS collector listing a five-figure print on eBay using the auction format and a starting price of $1.
I’ve tried contacting KAWS and his team several times over the years for authentication and nobody has ever answered me. I did contact The Aldrich though and they asked me for some information that they are going to pass along to their registrar so we shall see!
I'm sorry to say, but this isn't looking good. My mom has a Kawsbob AP that she got directly from The Aldrich and I studied all the images I have. I wish I were in person so I could get an even better look, but I can definitely tell you that the signature on hers is signed/numbered with green pencil. Maybe this was only done for the APs, but I would suspect not. The color plays off the color of Spongebob's spots. The signature on the one you're showing also does look a bit wonky. I've seen Kaws do less than perfect signatures before, but this one just feels sloppy and lacks some of the very subtle characteristics that his letters have. There's almost always a very tight and lean look with a sharp angle to the right in his print signatures (my mom also has the Ups and Downs portfolio and the signatures are the same in quality). The line/slash between the edition number (xx/100) is also suspect. The one you're showing sort of bows out to the left, where my mom's appears straight, but actually has an extremely subtle S shape to the line. Like imagine the general curve of an S, flipped the other way, and stretched out as thin as you could make it. A super super slight bow to the right in the upper half, and super super slight bow to the left in the lower half. These kind of subtleties are usually very unique to a particular person's handwriting, and don't often change so drastically, especially when the writing is done all at the same time as is done with prints like these. It's also important to note that my mom's number ascends diagonally from left to right. The number on the left is lower than the number on the right. The one you're showing has the number on the left very oddly higher than the number on the right. This is uncharacteristic of the way Kaws writes. I'm also concerned about the texture of the paper in these photos. The photos of my mom's make the print look far more smooth, where yours looks oddly textured, and just sort of "cheaper" in comparison. The printing also seems off. This is supposed to be a multi layer screenprint, and on the real thing, there is a very subtle bit of texture for every printed element. On yours it seems to be one even surface, as if the ink has been printed *into* the paper, rather than *onto* the paper. The colors also just seem more dull than what I'm seeing in my own photos. I don't claim to be any sort of professional authenticator, but I'm an extremely visual and detail-oriented person, and love "find the difference" sort of games because I notice the small things. Things just don't seem right when I compare your photos to mine. If I get a chance to see my mom's again soon, I can give another impression, but I'm really leaning towards this being a fake (this is supported by the other suspect Banksy things this person has sold), and you should take action sooner than later because the sale just happened and you're still very protected. I'm sorry you've gotta deal with such a situation, but I hope all will be resolved in the end without much headache. Edit: I found this: www.artspace.com/kaws/kawsbobThe number on the left does appear higher on the left than the right, unlike my mom's, however the line in between the numbers is exactly the same. Look at the close up images and there's just such a noticeable difference in the quality of the writing. The pencil color also seems to be a green tone, though it's pretty subtle in the images here. I also found this: www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/original-fake-kaws-kawsbob-for-the-aldrich-museum-c-9154501984I wonder if it's in any way related to what you ended up with. Edit 2: Found this as well, a recent sale: fineart.ha.com/itm/prints-and-multiples/kaws-b-1974-kawsbob-yellow-2011screenprint-in-colors-on-wove-paper20-x-20-inches-508-x/a/8075-66065.s?type=ArtNet-UrbanArt-8075-03112022Zoom in to the signature and it's definitely got a green tone to it. The pencil color in yours is just totally wrong, and that alone should tell you to fuck this guy and get your money back. Excellent effort.
I'm not especially interested in KAWS' work. That said, I too am observant and pretty good at spotting inconsistencies.
The execution of both the signature and "11" date is completely off with double uo globe's piece.
Likewise (as you've mentioned) with the choice of pencil — but also the hardness of the pencil, and the force with which it's been applied to the paper. The physical placement of signature and date seem wrong as well.
All 100 prints from the regular edition will have been signed and dated at the same time. Their appearance should therefore be near identical. And that does seem to be the case with past lots of yellow KAWSBOB prints sold by Sotheby's*, Christie's*, Phillips**, Bonhams*, and Heritage Auctions*.
But with the eBay print, the signature and date stick out like sore thumbs. There is a visible absence of muscle memory and fluidity of hand movement. One example to illustrate:
Sotheby's New York print from its 22 October 2021 sale*:
eBay print:
Besides reaching out to The Aldrich in case the museum has retained buyer records, double uo globe may wish to consider sending KAWS an email or Instagram message attaching a couple of photos (of the full print and a close-up of the signature and date).
With luck, the artist or somebody on his team might even respond.
__________
geester already showed the eBay seller, visualgallery, as lacking credibility. They previously sold counterfeit Banksy artwork. This in itself is a bright red flag.
Has the seller, who's apparently based in Barcelona, explained how they even acquired the print at Editions/Artists’ Books Fair in 2010? Former US resident? Good timing with a holiday?
Query too the likelihood of an honest KAWS collector listing a five-figure print on eBay using the auction format and a starting price of $1.
I’ve tried contacting KAWS and his team several times over the years for authentication and nobody has ever answered me. I did contact The Aldrich though and they asked me for some information that they are going to pass along to their registrar so we shall see!
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akn220
New Member
Posts • 12
Likes • 3
November 2010
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by akn220 on Apr 29, 2022 23:13:14 GMT 1, Excellent effort.
I'm not especially interested in KAWS' work. That said, I too am observant and pretty good at spotting inconsistencies.
The execution of both the signature and "11" date is completely off with double uo globe 's piece.
Likewise (as you've mentioned) with the choice of pencil — but also the hardness of the pencil, and the force with which it's been applied to the paper. The physical placement of signature and date seem wrong as well.
All 100 prints from the regular edition will have been signed and dated at the same time. Their appearance should therefore be near identical. And that does seem to be the case with past lots of yellow KAWSBOB prints sold by Sotheby's*, Christie's*, Phillips**, Bonhams*, and Heritage Auctions*.
But with the eBay print, the signature and date stick out like sore thumbs. There is a visible absence of muscle memory and fluidity of hand movement. One example to illustrate:
Sotheby's New York print from its 22 October 2021 sale*:
eBay print:
Besides reaching out to The Aldrich in case the museum has retained buyer records, double uo globe may wish to consider sending KAWS an email or Instagram message attaching a couple of photos (of the full print and a close-up of the signature and date).
With luck, the artist or somebody on his team might even respond.
__________
geester already showed the eBay seller, visualgallery, as lacking credibility. They previously sold counterfeit Banksy artwork. This in itself is a bright red flag.
Has the seller, who's apparently based in Barcelona, explained how they even acquired the print at Editions/Artists’ Books Fair in 2010? Former US resident? Good timing with a holiday?
Query too the likelihood of an honest KAWS collector listing a five-figure print on eBay using the auction format and a starting price of $1.
I’ve tried contacting KAWS and his team several times over the years for authentication and nobody has ever answered me. I did contact The Aldrich though and they asked me for some information that they are going to pass along to their registrar so we shall see! Great to hear you got through! Best of luck. Of course I'd love to be totally wrong about this, but if I'm not, at least you should be able to get your money back by filing a case on ebay. Make sure you save all the info you have on this person too. Like name and address, just in case you need to get authorities involved in some way. I feel like this is high end enough that he could get in real trouble but who knows.
Excellent effort.
I'm not especially interested in KAWS' work. That said, I too am observant and pretty good at spotting inconsistencies.
The execution of both the signature and "11" date is completely off with double uo globe 's piece.
Likewise (as you've mentioned) with the choice of pencil — but also the hardness of the pencil, and the force with which it's been applied to the paper. The physical placement of signature and date seem wrong as well.
All 100 prints from the regular edition will have been signed and dated at the same time. Their appearance should therefore be near identical. And that does seem to be the case with past lots of yellow KAWSBOB prints sold by Sotheby's*, Christie's*, Phillips**, Bonhams*, and Heritage Auctions*.
But with the eBay print, the signature and date stick out like sore thumbs. There is a visible absence of muscle memory and fluidity of hand movement. One example to illustrate:
Sotheby's New York print from its 22 October 2021 sale*:
eBay print:
Besides reaching out to The Aldrich in case the museum has retained buyer records, double uo globe may wish to consider sending KAWS an email or Instagram message attaching a couple of photos (of the full print and a close-up of the signature and date).
With luck, the artist or somebody on his team might even respond.
__________
geester already showed the eBay seller, visualgallery, as lacking credibility. They previously sold counterfeit Banksy artwork. This in itself is a bright red flag.
Has the seller, who's apparently based in Barcelona, explained how they even acquired the print at Editions/Artists’ Books Fair in 2010? Former US resident? Good timing with a holiday?
Query too the likelihood of an honest KAWS collector listing a five-figure print on eBay using the auction format and a starting price of $1.
I’ve tried contacting KAWS and his team several times over the years for authentication and nobody has ever answered me. I did contact The Aldrich though and they asked me for some information that they are going to pass along to their registrar so we shall see! Great to hear you got through! Best of luck. Of course I'd love to be totally wrong about this, but if I'm not, at least you should be able to get your money back by filing a case on ebay. Make sure you save all the info you have on this person too. Like name and address, just in case you need to get authorities involved in some way. I feel like this is high end enough that he could get in real trouble but who knows.
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apprint
New Member
Posts • 583
Likes • 127
January 2012
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by apprint on Apr 29, 2022 23:29:23 GMT 1, Fake 100%
Fake 100%
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brule
New Member
Posts • 182
Likes • 131
November 2021
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by brule on Apr 30, 2022 0:26:46 GMT 1, If that guy did buy one originally, he’s probably sold it several times already. Agree the signature is fishy.
If that guy did buy one originally, he’s probably sold it several times already. Agree the signature is fishy.
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by double uo globe on Apr 30, 2022 1:16:17 GMT 1, The hardness of the signature is really what’s making me suspicious. The placement is fine on it as it’s different on different KAWSBOB’s and I’ve found some KAWS signatures on other prints and canvases that look very similar to this one but I can’t get over the hardness of it. The actual print itself looks identical to an authentic one besides the signature. Either way, I also submitted it to Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Tate Ward to see if they could authenticate it for me. If anybody else knows anywhere in the NYC area where I could take it to be authenticated, I’d appreciate it. I will be able to recover my money if it’s not authentic but I just don’t want to return it unless I’m sure. People have been messaging the seller asking to buy it if I return it ever since I made this post on here which is pretty shady.
The hardness of the signature is really what’s making me suspicious. The placement is fine on it as it’s different on different KAWSBOB’s and I’ve found some KAWS signatures on other prints and canvases that look very similar to this one but I can’t get over the hardness of it. The actual print itself looks identical to an authentic one besides the signature. Either way, I also submitted it to Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Tate Ward to see if they could authenticate it for me. If anybody else knows anywhere in the NYC area where I could take it to be authenticated, I’d appreciate it. I will be able to recover my money if it’s not authentic but I just don’t want to return it unless I’m sure. People have been messaging the seller asking to buy it if I return it ever since I made this post on here which is pretty shady.
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Hairbland
Junior Member
Posts • 2,943
Likes • 2,731
November 2010
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by Hairbland on Apr 30, 2022 1:28:22 GMT 1, The hardness of the signature is really what’s making me suspicious. The placement is fine on it as it’s different on different KAWSBOB’s and I’ve found some KAWS signatures on other prints and canvases that look very similar to this one but I can’t get over the hardness of it. The actual print itself looks identical to an authentic one besides the signature. Either way, I also submitted it to Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Tate Ward to see if they could authenticate it for me. If anybody else knows anywhere in the NYC area where I could take it to be authenticated, I’d appreciate it. I will be able to recover my money if it’s not authentic but I just don’t want to return it unless I’m sure. People have been messaging the seller asking to buy it if I return it ever since I made this post on here which is pretty shady. the owner of Toy Tokyo is friends with Brian from earliest days and just did some online thing with him. He might be able to help.
The hardness of the signature is really what’s making me suspicious. The placement is fine on it as it’s different on different KAWSBOB’s and I’ve found some KAWS signatures on other prints and canvases that look very similar to this one but I can’t get over the hardness of it. The actual print itself looks identical to an authentic one besides the signature. Either way, I also submitted it to Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Tate Ward to see if they could authenticate it for me. If anybody else knows anywhere in the NYC area where I could take it to be authenticated, I’d appreciate it. I will be able to recover my money if it’s not authentic but I just don’t want to return it unless I’m sure. People have been messaging the seller asking to buy it if I return it ever since I made this post on here which is pretty shady. the owner of Toy Tokyo is friends with Brian from earliest days and just did some online thing with him. He might be able to help.
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met
Junior Member
Posts • 2,688
Likes • 6,318
June 2009
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by met on Apr 30, 2022 11:42:08 GMT 1, The hardness of the signature is really what’s making me suspicious. The placement is fine on it as it’s different on different KAWSBOB’s and I’ve found some KAWS signatures on other prints and canvases that look very similar to this one but I can’t get over the hardness of it. The actual print itself looks identical to an authentic one besides the signature. Either way, I also submitted it to Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Tate Ward to see if they could authenticate it for me. If anybody else knows anywhere in the NYC area where I could take it to be authenticated, I’d appreciate it. I will be able to recover my money if it’s not authentic but I just don’t want to return it unless I’m sure. People have been messaging the seller asking to buy it if I return it ever since I made this post on here which is pretty shady.
I've yet to see a KAWS 'W' look like the one on the eBay print.
But, regardless, the appearance of KAWS's signature on different prints or canvases is far less relevant than his signature on other copies of the regular numbered edition of the yellow KAWSBOB print.
Again, all of these will have been signed at the same time, one after the other, and probably in a manner similar to the way Dabs Myla are working below. The whole exercise could have been completed in 20 minutes.
Under such conditions, one would normally expect KAWS's signatures and dates to be almost identical throughout this edition. And as mentioned in my earlier post, that does seem to be the case with the yellow KAWSBOB prints sold by the major auction houses.
Among the numbered edition of 100, the only "odd man out" I've witnessed would be the print you recently purchased on eBay.
__________
Admittedly, the choice of "visualgallery" as an eBay user ID is rather good.
For many novice art collectors, a name with the word "gallery" in it will convey signals of legitimacy, trustworthiness and credibility — even if the person behind the veil is just some man-child living in mom's basement.
But when we scratch the surface and examine details of visualgallery's eBay account*, things become less reassuring:
1. Newly-registered account, dated from 6 February 2022.
2. Seller based in Spain, the source country for what seems to be a disproportionate amount of the fake artwork sold on eBay.
3. Very limited feedback received as a seller, for only six eBay sales, including purported Neverland memorabilia and an autograph supposedly by Michael Jackson.
4. As previously posted by geester, this eBayer already has a history of selling counterfeits:
(i) at least two "Banksy" Soup Cans posters; and (ii) rubbish described as having been purchased at Dismaland, including embellished dollar bills and a "Banksy" Girl with Balloon canvas* (see images below).
Note these items were also accompanied by a fake invoice or debit/credit card receipt, along with emphatic assurances regarding their genuineness ("BANKSY 100% ORIGINAL", "authentic BANKSY", etc.):
The hardness of the signature is really what’s making me suspicious. The placement is fine on it as it’s different on different KAWSBOB’s and I’ve found some KAWS signatures on other prints and canvases that look very similar to this one but I can’t get over the hardness of it. The actual print itself looks identical to an authentic one besides the signature. Either way, I also submitted it to Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Tate Ward to see if they could authenticate it for me. If anybody else knows anywhere in the NYC area where I could take it to be authenticated, I’d appreciate it. I will be able to recover my money if it’s not authentic but I just don’t want to return it unless I’m sure. People have been messaging the seller asking to buy it if I return it ever since I made this post on here which is pretty shady.
I've yet to see a KAWS 'W' look like the one on the eBay print.
But, regardless, the appearance of KAWS's signature on different prints or canvases is far less relevant than his signature on other copies of the regular numbered edition of the yellow KAWSBOB print.
Again, all of these will have been signed at the same time, one after the other, and probably in a manner similar to the way Dabs Myla are working below. The whole exercise could have been completed in 20 minutes.
Under such conditions, one would normally expect KAWS's signatures and dates to be almost identical throughout this edition. And as mentioned in my earlier post, that does seem to be the case with the yellow KAWSBOB prints sold by the major auction houses.
Among the numbered edition of 100, the only "odd man out" I've witnessed would be the print you recently purchased on eBay.
__________
Admittedly, the choice of "visualgallery" as an eBay user ID is rather good.
For many novice art collectors, a name with the word "gallery" in it will convey signals of legitimacy, trustworthiness and credibility — even if the person behind the veil is just some man-child living in mom's basement.
But when we scratch the surface and examine details of visualgallery's eBay account*, things become less reassuring:
1. Newly-registered account, dated from 6 February 2022.
2. Seller based in Spain, the source country for what seems to be a disproportionate amount of the fake artwork sold on eBay.
3. Very limited feedback received as a seller, for only six eBay sales, including purported Neverland memorabilia and an autograph supposedly by Michael Jackson.
4. As previously posted by geester, this eBayer already has a history of selling counterfeits:
(i) at least two "Banksy" Soup Cans posters; and (ii) rubbish described as having been purchased at Dismaland, including embellished dollar bills and a "Banksy" Girl with Balloon canvas* (see images below).
Note these items were also accompanied by a fake invoice or debit/credit card receipt, along with emphatic assurances regarding their genuineness ("BANKSY 100% ORIGINAL", "authentic BANKSY", etc.):
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compound
New Member
Posts • 165
Likes • 182
January 2022
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by compound on Apr 30, 2022 14:39:08 GMT 1, The hardness of the signature is really what’s making me suspicious. The placement is fine on it as it’s different on different KAWSBOB’s and I’ve found some KAWS signatures on other prints and canvases that look very similar to this one but I can’t get over the hardness of it. The actual print itself looks identical to an authentic one besides the signature. Either way, I also submitted it to Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Tate Ward to see if they could authenticate it for me. If anybody else knows anywhere in the NYC area where I could take it to be authenticated, I’d appreciate it. I will be able to recover my money if it’s not authentic but I just don’t want to return it unless I’m sure. People have been messaging the seller asking to buy it if I return it ever since I made this post on here which is pretty shady. I've yet to see a KAWS 'W' look like the one on the eBay print.
But, regardless, the appearance of KAWS's signature on different prints or canvases is far less relevant than his signature on other copies of the regular numbered edition of the yellow KAWSBOB print.
Again, all of these will have been signed at the same time, one after the other, and probably in a manner similar to the way Dabs Myla are working below. The whole exercise could have been completed in 20 minutes.
Under such conditions, one would normally expect KAWS's signatures and dates to be almost identical throughout this edition. And as mentioned in my earlier post, that does seem to be the case with the yellow KAWSBOB prints sold by the major auction houses.
Among the numbered edition of 100, the only "odd man out" I've witnessed would be the print you recently purchased on eBay.
__________
Admittedly, the choice of "visualgallery" as an eBay user ID is rather good.
For many novice art collectors, a name with the word "gallery" in it will convey signals of legitimacy, trustworthiness and credibility — even if the person behind the veil is just some man-child living in mom's basement.
But when we scratch the surface and examine details of visualgallery's eBay account*, things become less reassuring:
1. Newly-registered account, dated from 6 February 2022.
2. Seller based in Spain, the source country for what seems to be a disproportionate amount of the fake artwork sold on eBay.
3. Very limited feedback received as a seller, for only six eBay sales, including purported Neverland memorabilia and an autograph supposedly by Michael Jackson.
4. As previously posted by geester, this eBayer already has a history of selling counterfeits:
(i) at least two "Banksy" Soup Cans posters; and (ii) rubbish described as having been purchased at Dismaland, including embellished dollar bills and a "Banksy" Girl with Balloon canvas* (see images below).
Note these items were also accompanied by a fake invoice or debit/credit card receipt, along with emphatic assurances regarding their genuineness ("BANKSY 100% ORIGINAL", "authentic BANKSY", etc.):
I’m sorry to the buyer, but looking at the effort he goes in to fake dismaland Stuff, I know very little of Kaws - but I wouldn’t touch it with a Tory mps. It stinks
The hardness of the signature is really what’s making me suspicious. The placement is fine on it as it’s different on different KAWSBOB’s and I’ve found some KAWS signatures on other prints and canvases that look very similar to this one but I can’t get over the hardness of it. The actual print itself looks identical to an authentic one besides the signature. Either way, I also submitted it to Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Tate Ward to see if they could authenticate it for me. If anybody else knows anywhere in the NYC area where I could take it to be authenticated, I’d appreciate it. I will be able to recover my money if it’s not authentic but I just don’t want to return it unless I’m sure. People have been messaging the seller asking to buy it if I return it ever since I made this post on here which is pretty shady. I've yet to see a KAWS 'W' look like the one on the eBay print.
But, regardless, the appearance of KAWS's signature on different prints or canvases is far less relevant than his signature on other copies of the regular numbered edition of the yellow KAWSBOB print.
Again, all of these will have been signed at the same time, one after the other, and probably in a manner similar to the way Dabs Myla are working below. The whole exercise could have been completed in 20 minutes.
Under such conditions, one would normally expect KAWS's signatures and dates to be almost identical throughout this edition. And as mentioned in my earlier post, that does seem to be the case with the yellow KAWSBOB prints sold by the major auction houses.
Among the numbered edition of 100, the only "odd man out" I've witnessed would be the print you recently purchased on eBay.
__________
Admittedly, the choice of "visualgallery" as an eBay user ID is rather good.
For many novice art collectors, a name with the word "gallery" in it will convey signals of legitimacy, trustworthiness and credibility — even if the person behind the veil is just some man-child living in mom's basement.
But when we scratch the surface and examine details of visualgallery's eBay account*, things become less reassuring:
1. Newly-registered account, dated from 6 February 2022.
2. Seller based in Spain, the source country for what seems to be a disproportionate amount of the fake artwork sold on eBay.
3. Very limited feedback received as a seller, for only six eBay sales, including purported Neverland memorabilia and an autograph supposedly by Michael Jackson.
4. As previously posted by geester, this eBayer already has a history of selling counterfeits:
(i) at least two "Banksy" Soup Cans posters; and (ii) rubbish described as having been purchased at Dismaland, including embellished dollar bills and a "Banksy" Girl with Balloon canvas* (see images below).
Note these items were also accompanied by a fake invoice or debit/credit card receipt, along with emphatic assurances regarding their genuineness ("BANKSY 100% ORIGINAL", "authentic BANKSY", etc.):
I’m sorry to the buyer, but looking at the effort he goes in to fake dismaland Stuff, I know very little of Kaws - but I wouldn’t touch it with a Tory mps. It stinks
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by double uo globe on Apr 30, 2022 15:32:49 GMT 1, I've yet to see a KAWS 'W' look like the one on the eBay print.
But, regardless, the appearance of KAWS's signature on different prints or canvases is far less relevant than his signature on other copies of the regular numbered edition of the yellow KAWSBOB print.
Again, all of these will have been signed at the same time, one after the other, and probably in a manner similar to the way Dabs Myla are working below. The whole exercise could have been completed in 20 minutes.
Under such conditions, one would normally expect KAWS's signatures and dates to be almost identical throughout this edition. And as mentioned in my earlier post, that does seem to be the case with the yellow KAWSBOB prints sold by the major auction houses.
Among the numbered edition of 100, the only "odd man out" I've witnessed would be the print you recently purchased on eBay.
__________
Admittedly, the choice of "visualgallery" as an eBay user ID is rather good.
For many novice art collectors, a name with the word "gallery" in it will convey signals of legitimacy, trustworthiness and credibility — even if the person behind the veil is just some man-child living in mom's basement.
But when we scratch the surface and examine details of visualgallery's eBay account*, things become less reassuring:
1. Newly-registered account, dated from 6 February 2022.
2. Seller based in Spain, the source country for what seems to be a disproportionate amount of the fake artwork sold on eBay.
3. Very limited feedback received as a seller, for only six eBay sales, including purported Neverland memorabilia and an autograph supposedly by Michael Jackson.
4. As previously posted by geester, this eBayer already has a history of selling counterfeits:
(i) at least two "Banksy" Soup Cans posters; and (ii) rubbish described as having been purchased at Dismaland, including embellished dollar bills and a "Banksy" Girl with Balloon canvas* (see images below).
Note these items were also accompanied by a fake invoice or debit/credit card receipt, along with emphatic assurances regarding their genuineness ("BANKSY 100% ORIGINAL", "authentic BANKSY", etc.):
I’m sorry to the buyer, but looking at the effort he goes in to fake dismaland Stuff, I know very little of Kaws - but I wouldn’t touch it with a Tory mps. It stinks
Where do you see that they sold 2 Soup Can posters? I only see one sold in their history. Anything you see wrong with that Soup Cans poster in particular besides it’s origin country? There were quite a few of them made and POW was even selling 5 packs of them at one point so it’s not hard to imagine that some legit ones ended up in Spain but then again I’m not an expert and I have seen the fakes for sale on eBay by sellers in Spain. Also, he shouldn’t have advertised that canvas as a Banksy original but we all know and I’m sure whoever bought it knew they weren’t getting a $100,000 signed print with Pest Control COA. It’s pretty obvious that it was a cheap copy and it’s well known that they were sold by tons of street vendors on the outskirts of Dismaland.
I've yet to see a KAWS 'W' look like the one on the eBay print.
But, regardless, the appearance of KAWS's signature on different prints or canvases is far less relevant than his signature on other copies of the regular numbered edition of the yellow KAWSBOB print.
Again, all of these will have been signed at the same time, one after the other, and probably in a manner similar to the way Dabs Myla are working below. The whole exercise could have been completed in 20 minutes.
Under such conditions, one would normally expect KAWS's signatures and dates to be almost identical throughout this edition. And as mentioned in my earlier post, that does seem to be the case with the yellow KAWSBOB prints sold by the major auction houses.
Among the numbered edition of 100, the only "odd man out" I've witnessed would be the print you recently purchased on eBay.
__________
Admittedly, the choice of "visualgallery" as an eBay user ID is rather good.
For many novice art collectors, a name with the word "gallery" in it will convey signals of legitimacy, trustworthiness and credibility — even if the person behind the veil is just some man-child living in mom's basement.
But when we scratch the surface and examine details of visualgallery's eBay account*, things become less reassuring:
1. Newly-registered account, dated from 6 February 2022.
2. Seller based in Spain, the source country for what seems to be a disproportionate amount of the fake artwork sold on eBay.
3. Very limited feedback received as a seller, for only six eBay sales, including purported Neverland memorabilia and an autograph supposedly by Michael Jackson.
4. As previously posted by geester, this eBayer already has a history of selling counterfeits:
(i) at least two "Banksy" Soup Cans posters; and (ii) rubbish described as having been purchased at Dismaland, including embellished dollar bills and a "Banksy" Girl with Balloon canvas* (see images below).
Note these items were also accompanied by a fake invoice or debit/credit card receipt, along with emphatic assurances regarding their genuineness ("BANKSY 100% ORIGINAL", "authentic BANKSY", etc.):
I’m sorry to the buyer, but looking at the effort he goes in to fake dismaland Stuff, I know very little of Kaws - but I wouldn’t touch it with a Tory mps. It stinks Where do you see that they sold 2 Soup Can posters? I only see one sold in their history. Anything you see wrong with that Soup Cans poster in particular besides it’s origin country? There were quite a few of them made and POW was even selling 5 packs of them at one point so it’s not hard to imagine that some legit ones ended up in Spain but then again I’m not an expert and I have seen the fakes for sale on eBay by sellers in Spain. Also, he shouldn’t have advertised that canvas as a Banksy original but we all know and I’m sure whoever bought it knew they weren’t getting a $100,000 signed print with Pest Control COA. It’s pretty obvious that it was a cheap copy and it’s well known that they were sold by tons of street vendors on the outskirts of Dismaland.
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ca
Junior Member
Posts • 1,920
Likes • 2,372
March 2011
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by ca on Apr 30, 2022 18:12:12 GMT 1, The efforts the seller puts into producing fakes (i.e dismaland) tells me there is less than 1% chances the print is legit
The efforts the seller puts into producing fakes (i.e dismaland) tells me there is less than 1% chances the print is legit
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LJCal
Junior Member
Posts • 2,825
Likes • 4,240
December 2019
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by LJCal on May 1, 2022 0:13:32 GMT 1, It's 100% fake. I would get a refund through ebay whilst you are able.
It's 100% fake. I would get a refund through ebay whilst you are able.
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Poster Bob
Junior Member
Posts • 5,811
Likes • 5,419
September 2013
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by Poster Bob on May 1, 2022 0:39:28 GMT 1, Link the thread when asking for your refund.
Link the thread when asking for your refund.
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by double uo globe on May 1, 2022 2:32:44 GMT 1, Thanks everybody. I’m just waiting for The Aldrich registrar to confirm what I suspect. That it’s a forgery. I’ll be able to get a refund from eBay and the seller agreed to a return with no problem really.
Thanks everybody. I’m just waiting for The Aldrich registrar to confirm what I suspect. That it’s a forgery. I’ll be able to get a refund from eBay and the seller agreed to a return with no problem really.
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by DAVID HOCKNEY on May 1, 2022 7:00:26 GMT 1, Thanks everybody. I’m just waiting for The Aldrich registrar to confirm what I suspect. That it’s a forgery. I’ll be able to get a refund from eBay and the seller agreed to a return with no problem really. The seller didn't have to agree. You're covered. Report the item as a fake / counterfeit. It should be destroyed. Of course, he wants it back so he can sell it to someone else. Let everyone know the edition number.
Thanks everybody. I’m just waiting for The Aldrich registrar to confirm what I suspect. That it’s a forgery. I’ll be able to get a refund from eBay and the seller agreed to a return with no problem really. The seller didn't have to agree. You're covered. Report the item as a fake / counterfeit. It should be destroyed. Of course, he wants it back so he can sell it to someone else. Let everyone know the edition number.
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met
Junior Member
Posts • 2,688
Likes • 6,318
June 2009
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Kaws • Sponge Bob KawsBob Set, Yellow, Black, Red, by met on May 1, 2022 14:05:07 GMT 1, Can somebody give me a legit check on this KAWSBOB? I can’t really find anything wrong with it and I know the signature can differ from piece to piece but my friend has this same print and the signature is a little different. The signature on 2 of my more recent KAWS prints is a little different as well. I sent pics to a gallery and they wanted to buy it so I’m guessing it’s legit but if anybody with more expertise can chime in, I’d appreciate it. [...]
I saw this before I purchased but it looked like a legit soup cans print to me. I could be wrong. I’ve seen a lot of the fake Banksy prints shipping from Spain on eBay but isn’t it possible there are some legit collectors in Spain? Like I said the print looks spot on compared to another I’ve seen except the signature. I have seen his signature differ from print to print but obviously I’m not an expert. I sent the same photos to a gallery to get an insurance estimate and they wanted to purchase it from me.
It would interest me to learn which gallery this was — to add to my list of establishments with whom I need to be extra cautious on matters of authenticity.
Would you mind confirming?
Yeah interesting one. Provenance is pretty solid, but the signature isn’t as close to the edge as any of the other examples I see on the internet. I’ve actually seen some with the signature further from the edge than this one. The signature itself is the only thing I’m questioning.
Re. the fact you've seen some prints with the signature (and date) positioned further away from the right edge than they are on the eBay print (photo attached below):
I assume you're referring to other yellow KAWSBOB prints from the regular edition of 100. Otherwise, that comment would lack relevance, since it only makes sense to compare like with like.
1. By "some", how many did you actually see?
2. Could you post a photo of another yellow KAWSBOB where the signature and date are further away from the right edge of the paper?
After reading your post, I did spend time searching online pretty extensively for examples of such prints, but sadly failed to find any.
The hardness of the signature is really what’s making me suspicious. The placement is fine on it as it’s different on different KAWSBOB’s and I’ve found some KAWS signatures on other prints and canvases that look very similar to this one but I can’t get over the hardness of it. The actual print itself looks identical to an authentic one besides the signature. Either way, I also submitted it to Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Tate Ward to see if they could authenticate it for me. If anybody else knows anywhere in the NYC area where I could take it to be authenticated, I’d appreciate it. I will be able to recover my money if it’s not authentic but I just don’t want to return it unless I’m sure. People have been messaging the seller asking to buy it if I return it ever since I made this post on here which is pretty shady.
Step back, pause, and re-read that last sentence. Then think it through.
From a position of detachment and healthy scepticism, query how wise it is to accept at face value this kind of assertion by the eBay seller, visualgallery.
With an eBay account registered less than three months ago, the seller already has previous form when it comes to defrauding their fellow eBayers.
They also have an incentive to suggest to you — i.e. the winning bidder who recently paid them $12,100 + $250 shipping — that the KAWS print is authentic, as well as highly sought-after by other collectors. And in case that incentive isn't clear, it is to discourage you from initiating a full refund through eBay, PayPal, and/or your payment card issuer.
My suspicion is that, for visualgallery, the issue then becomes a question of assessing how naive you might be, and how open you are to manipulation.
__________
Will post additional comments tonight or tomorrow.
Can somebody give me a legit check on this KAWSBOB? I can’t really find anything wrong with it and I know the signature can differ from piece to piece but my friend has this same print and the signature is a little different. The signature on 2 of my more recent KAWS prints is a little different as well. I sent pics to a gallery and they wanted to buy it so I’m guessing it’s legit but if anybody with more expertise can chime in, I’d appreciate it. [...]
I saw this before I purchased but it looked like a legit soup cans print to me. I could be wrong. I’ve seen a lot of the fake Banksy prints shipping from Spain on eBay but isn’t it possible there are some legit collectors in Spain? Like I said the print looks spot on compared to another I’ve seen except the signature. I have seen his signature differ from print to print but obviously I’m not an expert. I sent the same photos to a gallery to get an insurance estimate and they wanted to purchase it from me.
It would interest me to learn which gallery this was — to add to my list of establishments with whom I need to be extra cautious on matters of authenticity.
Would you mind confirming?
Yeah interesting one. Provenance is pretty solid, but the signature isn’t as close to the edge as any of the other examples I see on the internet. I’ve actually seen some with the signature further from the edge than this one. The signature itself is the only thing I’m questioning.
Re. the fact you've seen some prints with the signature (and date) positioned further away from the right edge than they are on the eBay print (photo attached below):
I assume you're referring to other yellow KAWSBOB prints from the regular edition of 100. Otherwise, that comment would lack relevance, since it only makes sense to compare like with like.
1. By "some", how many did you actually see?
2. Could you post a photo of another yellow KAWSBOB where the signature and date are further away from the right edge of the paper?
After reading your post, I did spend time searching online pretty extensively for examples of such prints, but sadly failed to find any.
The hardness of the signature is really what’s making me suspicious. The placement is fine on it as it’s different on different KAWSBOB’s and I’ve found some KAWS signatures on other prints and canvases that look very similar to this one but I can’t get over the hardness of it. The actual print itself looks identical to an authentic one besides the signature. Either way, I also submitted it to Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Tate Ward to see if they could authenticate it for me. If anybody else knows anywhere in the NYC area where I could take it to be authenticated, I’d appreciate it. I will be able to recover my money if it’s not authentic but I just don’t want to return it unless I’m sure. People have been messaging the seller asking to buy it if I return it ever since I made this post on here which is pretty shady.
Step back, pause, and re-read that last sentence. Then think it through.
From a position of detachment and healthy scepticism, query how wise it is to accept at face value this kind of assertion by the eBay seller, visualgallery.
With an eBay account registered less than three months ago, the seller already has previous form when it comes to defrauding their fellow eBayers.
They also have an incentive to suggest to you — i.e. the winning bidder who recently paid them $12,100 + $250 shipping — that the KAWS print is authentic, as well as highly sought-after by other collectors. And in case that incentive isn't clear, it is to discourage you from initiating a full refund through eBay, PayPal, and/or your payment card issuer.
My suspicion is that, for visualgallery, the issue then becomes a question of assessing how naive you might be, and how open you are to manipulation.
__________
Will post additional comments tonight or tomorrow.
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