[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking.

Baren Digest             Saturday, 17 January 1998     Volume 02 : Number 038

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From: Patrick Robinson <psyberdude@compuserve.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 1998 12:55:27 -0500
Subject: [Baren 161] Re: 'Edition Numbers' 

Graham wrote:

>Have you ever heard about and have experience with editions be it hand
>pulled or of the high speed press reproductions that are produced and sold
>to different markets.  i.e. a run for the American, one for the European
>and one for the Asian  markets all with there own numbers.?

Sure . . .  Salvador Dali, by way of Center Art Galleries in Honolulu, 
Hawaii, was quite infamous for doing that. There was a numbered edition 
for the U.S. and a Roman Numeral edition for Europe. They would show a 
"limited edition" of only 500 imperessions . . . and conveniently forget 
the 1,500 with European edition numbers, along with the 500,000 (just 
kidding) numbered in Mandarin Chinese!

You see, at this point only New York, California, and Hawaii have laws 
that demand a tirage (breakdown) of the edition. Such tirages list ALL 
the prints that were produced, and even list prints done of the same 
image in another media. In the rest of the country (in Europe and Asia as 
well) there seems to be no prohibition of listing only a "numbered 
edition" and NOT mentioning that there is also a sub-edition that is open 
and unnumbered. As David and others have commented, this whole "limited 
edition" numbering system is really nothing more than an attempt at 
creating "rarity" where none exists. And I'm very much afraid that it 
works!

Patrick

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 1998 12:33:30 -0800
Subject: [Baren 162] Re: 'Edition Numbers' 

>Patrick wrote.
>As David and others have commented, this whole "limited
>edition" numbering system is really nothing more than an attempt at
>creating "rarity" where none exists. And I'm very much afraid that it
>works!

Thanks for this Patrick.
Yes indeed it is very sad and certainly fits David's discription of being
dishonest.
I never mince words about this when I see it being done by local artist. I
have written article and these get to the culprits even if I have to mail
it to them direct. I am known for the guy that will spread the word about
dishonest practices.

We have a guy on the Coast   ...Roy Henry Vickers who is a indian and has
done some very lovely silk screen images that were introduced at 75 to 120
editions. They were strongly price at $1000.00 to 1200.00 six or seven
years ago.   He then took the images and had thousands of reproduction made
that sold for $30.00 The screen prints are now worth half the price.  I
spread the word.

Mind you something good has come of this practice.
I have learned for Roy's mistake. Mind you he owns his own airplane and I
drive a 8 year old car.

Graham

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From: David Bull <davebull@asahi-net.email.ne.jp>
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 06:43:08 +0900
Subject: [Baren 163] Re: 'Edition Numbers' 

Pat wrote:

> You see, at this point only New York, California, and Hawaii have laws
> that demand a tirage (breakdown) of the edition. 

How does this work?   I make un-numbered prints, but one of my
collectors lives in California - does this mean that I 'should' be
publishing some kind of list describing how my edition is made up?  And
what if I was, say, to decide to sell some prints in Hawaii - what would
I be asked to do?

Dave

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From: Patrick Robinson <psyberdude@compuserve.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 1998 20:16:49 -0500
Subject: [Baren 164] Re: 'Edition Numbers' 

David wrote:

>How does this work?   I make un-numbered prints, but one of my
>collectors lives in California - does this mean that I 'should' be
>publishing some kind of list describing how my edition is made up?  And
>what if I was, say, to decide to sell some prints in Hawaii - what would
>I be asked to do?

No, the laws apply only to those who sell <from within> the juristiction. 
If you selling from another country, or even another state for that 
matter, you are only governed by the laws applying to your own locale. If 
Japan has a disclosure law, then you would have to provide a breakdown of 
the edition to each person who purchased one of your prints. 

Actually, from the standpoint of an appraiser I'd have to say that it 
would be nice if EVERY printmaker would provide that kind of information 
. . . for help in determining value downline. The more database 
information there is, the easier a print can be judged as to its relative 
value. But there are no legal requirements for this, except by the 
aforementioned three states.

Patrick

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End of Baren Digest V2 #38
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