Gonna be honest, when I was in Bangkok some years ago, I was shown a good condition 1 sheet as well as a 2 sheet but with water damage and a big hole on right upper side. Since I wanted the poster to be hanged, I chose the 1sh, smaller, better condition. Both were offered at same price, I paid much less than this, about 80-90 USD I think. Someone said here he was offered 2sh recently at about 500 USD, that seems to be the price.
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I spoke to a Thai seller in Bgk about poster 1sh not being real, being a reproduction. He somehow acknowledged this when I mentioned the issue with line but said to me that he is legit seller and never sold fake... but that other Thai sellers are all doing it. They are selling these backdoor to collectors but he stopped. You call it "commercial poster", some call it "fake poster"... I think better terms is "limited original reproduction"
I think these repro were made in the late 90s and they are not printed anymore nowadays, someone made one batch.
As for people raising concerns and questions of authentication, just forget it... when you start engaging with people to get the truth, you realise poster sellers is a small world and everybody has their own little secret. I wonder what makes people think that one guy can sell fakes while others sellers being totally unaware or not selling fake
Same questions for collectors who bought fakes, especially over 100 USD, do you really think they will come out in public and claim it is a fake ??
Even getting info on other thai posters is difficult as you get facetious answers and no clear replies -
http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php?topic=11550.0You speak to collectors, they will throw at you it is a fake with low offer of 70 USD. And few buyers who have similar posters will simply not reply due to possible financial loss.
As for me, I wrote to the second Thai seller I was supposed to meet just to get an answer on these fakes. I told him/her that I presumably bought fake posters from the first seller and that I am disappointed that I didn't get any warning about this (here on forum or by email). I also asked if the posters are really fake and mentioned that the first seller said lot bad thing about him/her. No answer. I wrote another email, no answer. Few months, I wrote another email asking if these posters are available, I got an immediate reply "They have been sold some months ago" . I asked for market prices, no answer. I fail to understand why no one here took time to warn me too when I posted about the shop here, so many knowledgeable people, especially knowing that most knowledgeable people agree on fact they are fake. Pfffff.
It says a lot, people are dishonest and clearly lack of empathy I wrote to first seller to put pressure, I asked about fakes and to have my money back and return them. He replied this:
"
It has been for a several years that we do sell the poster as well as be a first of poster seller in online. Our shop is well known.
Every time after we finished bidding the poster that got high price, the other seller will offer the price in order to find the same poster as well. Somehow they don't know where it from but we know the source. It makes us get a problem to deal in the same price that have brought before. Because the buzz of high price gone wide in market, so it makes us to stop selling online. There are a lot of many poster still out there and some of it got less because we sell it in the shop. Actually, the poster that you brought from us is the one that we intend to sell to someone because he ordered it.
If you want to return the poster back please contact the address below. We will return your money immediately after received the poster from you.
Please send parcel back with registered airmail. Our shop open since 1997, the only one shop, no branch, never move before. So, there is no reason to be afraid and sell the fake one. We had opened official shop, and it always been for long time. Just let you know, we will never cheat and disappear from you. This returning of goods is the standard swap that every buyer and seller do. You return my product and I return your money. Our poster shop has been in XXXX, for almost 18 years. We never move the shop to anywhere. That's why I would to tell you that please do not judge us as thief. If you got the problem, come and find me in Bangkok. I'm ready to meet you all the times."
This said, the image is great, the movie is too and Thai posters are really good !!
And life is good !