swindling people

[2011thumbelina]

someone has listed a mirka mora silk scarf they bought from the heide museum shop and framed it and people are bidding for it like it's an actual expensive print. they're being fooled, this shouldn't be allowed right?

[twyngwyn]

item # please

[davewil1964]

Does the description say it is an actual expensive print? Or even allude to it being so?

There is a report item facility on every listing. If you feel so strongly about it, as a law enforcement officer you should report it.

eBay do not vet listings. There are millions of items being listed every day. Even if it was logistically possible to vet them all, the expense would be prohibitive.

Caveat emptor.

[padi*0409]

This one ?

324168947341

[davewil1964]

Okay, I've looked at the listing.

I don't see any mention of the Heide Museum shop. I also assume that, according to you, Mora's signature is also counterfeit.

I would like to know how YOU think your opinion and guesses (given you've provided no support for your assertions) are correct, rather than those of the seller.

[chameleon54]

I,m not sure the seller is being dishonest in any way. I went to the museum website and they only had one Mirka Mora silk scarfe design for sale. It was different to the one on ebay and was a limited print run of 200, each scarfe being numbered. It would seem that if the museum once sold the item as you have stated, they have now sold out of the limited print run.

It is common for artists to do signed, limited / numbered print runs of artworks such as fabrics, screen prints, lithographs, ceramics  etc. and these are regarded as collectable art works in their own right, although of much lesser status than the original design piece. One of the prize objects in my antique book collection is a limited run ( 750 copies printed ) book celebrating the artworks of Fredrich McCubbin. This book is signed in pen and ink by McCubbin and features a seperate, small private notation from the artist, along with a period letter from the author on Australian National Art Gallery stationary describing his relationship with the artist. I paid a much higher price for this than otherwise would be the case, due to the signatures and fact the book had been extensively handled by McCubbin..

I,m no Mirka Mora expert, but I gather she passed away in 2018 and so no new works and limited signed print runs will ever be available again. It seems to me that $300 - $400 would not be out of line for a limited print run scarfe with genuine signature from the artist to the frame. Something is worth what ever someone else is willing to pay for it.

[zanadoo_56]

I agree a limited print or book or some other item signed and numbered can generate interest.  I found that out when I took a lithographic print I'd had for a number of years to a art shop to be framed.  The salesperson was very interested when she saw the pencilled artist's signature in the lower right of the border, ad showed it to other staff in the shop.

I seriously doubt she knew who the artist was and frankly I can't make out the name but I do remember where I got it - Whiskas cat food held a send in the can labels competition to win an original cat themed painting or one of the prints.  There were three paintings and you had to list your preference order on the back of the envelope.  I was surprised to find I'd won one of the prints of my first choice of the paintings.  Framed it looks good on the wall though in my opinion the perspective is pretty weird.  Still, the two cats in the picture look OK.  I don't think it would fetch hundreds of dollars though.  Still, I impressed the shop salesperson for a second.

BTW, if anyone reading this remembers the competition or has a print or the original painting (the cats are a ginger and a siamese) and they have any more details about it (like the name of the artist) I'd be grateful.