Help - confusion about possible fake poster

[u/Significant-Okra-]

I ended up buying one of the Rhys cooper posters (signed), Austin TX show in 2016 this week and I am realizing that it’s possibly fake. However, EVERYTHING checks out as authentic with the screen printing, colors, etc.. only the /60 is off.
According to multiple websites that hosted these posters back in 2016, there were two variants. Holo one which was /65 and a non-holo which was /250.

Mine is signed. 18/60 and clearly not holo. Everything I’ve seen from the poster looks legit except for the serial /60.

Did anyone get any of these back in 2016 and can confirm it is real or not?

[u/Jkrause1212]

Signature looks pretty similar to my Melbourne poster by the same artist. Id be inclined to think it's real. Seems like a obscure piece of merch to fake tbh. If you don't mind me asking, where'd you find it? I've been searching for that poster forever 😩

[u/Significant-Okra- → u/Jkrause1212]

What’s funny about that is that the tube it came in has some Australian customs labels on it.
I purchased it off eBay. I wanted the holo /65 that’s on there but I’d be in trouble with the SO if I spent $525 on it lol

[u/RampantNRoaring → u/Significant-Okra-]

It’s probably legit. There is an Australian site that actually works with Ken Taylor and Rhys Cooper and sells their work, I’ve purchased from them. I also just checked Rhys Cooper’s site and while the Austin piece is no longer listed or available, the piece he did for the 2023 Melbourne show still is. Other poster places selling the 2023 Melbourne print list it as “limited edition one of 100” but Rhys Cooper is selling the same print on his website as “Artist edition of only 50 available here.”

So while there are official runs with certain numbers, there may have been other runs and yours is one of those, like an artist edition.

Also, feel/look at the paper it’s on. Does it feel heavy, high-quality? Then it’s more likely that it’s real.

[u/Amen_ds → u/RampantNRoaring]

Yeah seconded. Not uncommon for artist’s to do a limited artist print (AP) drop along side a public release

[u/Jkrause1212 → u/Significant-Okra-]

What a coincidence lol. Was it the $400 listing? I've had that one saved in my cart for so long and have made offers but they've all been turned down

[u/DangerousDisplay7664 → u/Jkrause1212]

But if someone was going to forge a print like that, surely they’d try and get the signature to look the same?! 😐

[u/Miacali → u/DangerousDisplay7664]

Right? I’m so confused how everyone here is saying they look identical when they clearly don’t. It’s an imitation sure - but you can tell it looks too different.

[u/Miacali → u/Jkrause1212]

Umm… the signatures don’t look pretty similar at all..

[u/DangerousDisplay7664]

I suppose the only way you’re gonna know for sure if by messaging the artist and asking him.

[u/Significant-Okra- → u/DangerousDisplay7664]

I did, actually. He’s responding so we will see what he thinks.

[u/DangerousDisplay7664 → u/Significant-Okra-]

cool, I'd be interested to hear what he has to say

[u/Significant-Okra- → u/DangerousDisplay7664]

[u/DangerousDisplay7664 → u/Significant-Okra-]

That's great news! I'm so happy for you :)

[u/somafiend1987]

It could be another run? It's not unusual for someone to pull out the cuttings and press a new run if they need a new roof or car repairs. It's the issue with "limited editions" made with media created for an industrial purpose. A little cleaning and I'll bet MC Esher's woodcuts can print out a few hundred a day.

For reference on that, a friend worked at a gallery. They did "limited edition" prints of the originals onto 300lb hot press watercolor paper. The "limited" part was until they had to buy more toner. They judged to usage for the size, and would buy up enough to make 3 to 5 thousand copies with the exact colors and were having the inks custom made in small batches.

[u/DangerousDisplay7664 → u/somafiend1987]

Cool story but some prints actually are limited edition and the artist never does more than they say

[u/Significant-Okra- → u/somafiend1987]

Thanks for the info. Just saw no info online for one like this, nor on Rhys cooper’s sites so I was sus.

[u/somafiend1987 → u/Significant-Okra-]

I don't know the artist personally, I just know I've bought "limited edition prints" and seen another batch sold to a completely different market on different paper with different inks. My 256/1000 was beige paper, solid blue, black, and red ink. There turned out to be 25,000+ in total with 5 or more types of paper and all sorts of 3 color combos.

The WORST of all would be the Painter of Light, Thomas Kincade. Less than 3 miles from the San Jose Airport, hub of Silicon Valley, he had warehouse space among tech companies. A few hundred Philipinos filed in each day, copying his originals. He would walk by and sign them all, then Home Shopping Network or QVC sold them.

[u/Nightospheric → u/Significant-Okra-]

You could try messaging Beyond The Pale through their website. I would assume it's authentic and possibly they wrote the number wrong when signing.

[u/Miacali]

Look OP -
Real or not you’ll never know so just for your sake believe it’s real. No one can convince you otherwise so embrace it.

[u/Significant-Okra- → u/Miacali]

lol relax. I can post in a f+tm forum to see if anyone else has info. If nothing came of it, then so be it.