(Fr)agile
1 work
Banksy Early Counting Set For Sale
Banksy
Early Counting Set, 2019
Sculpture - Wooden counting set Signed
20.5 x 10.6 x 5.9 inch 52 x 27 x 15 cm
Edition
Edition of 25
About this work
At once tragic and darkly humorous, *Early Learning Counting Set* exemplifies the biting satire and socio-political commentary that define Banksy’s body of work. Released through the first iteration of his online store, Gross Domestic Product, the piece targets the ongoing refugee crisis—specifically, the dangerous journeys many undertake across the Mediterranean and the English Channel to escape war or oppressive regimes.The artwork shows a family loading a baby and their belongings into the back of a truck—much like those often seen passing through European ports. Standing nearby are miniature wooden figures dressed as professionals: a doctor, a chemist, a firefighter. In contrast, the migrant family is depicted in plain, generic clothing. This visual disparity is striking. The uniformed bystanders are immediately recognizable and individualized, while the migrants remain faceless and anonymous—a poignant reflection of how society often dehumanizes and overlooks those most in need.Disguised as a children's toy, the piece is constructed from wooden blocks styled like an educational counting set. The original product description twisted this familiar format into something disturbingly satirical: *“Engage all your child’s learning muscles with this fun counting game. See how many figures they can fit in the truck while it makes a quick stop.”* The unsettling contrast between the innocent aesthetic and the devastating subject matter is classic Banksy—inviting viewers to confront uncomfortable truths beneath a layer of irony.Anticipating backlash, Banksy pledged all proceeds from the piece to charities supporting refugee rescue operations. Still, some critics viewed the work as crossing a line—arguing it trivialized a humanitarian crisis. But this tension is central to Banksy’s approach. His work thrives on provocation, forcing audiences into a moral and emotional reckoning.*Early Learning Counting Set* continues a long-standing tradition in Banksy’s oeuvre where irony and ethical discomfort coexist. In *Very Little Helps*, children salute a Tesco bag as if it were a national flag. In *Morons*, he mocks the art world and his own commercial success with the blunt phrase: *“I can’t believe you morons actually buy this shit.”* Whether through street art, installations, or collectible merchandise, Banksy targets political hypocrisy, social apathy, and cultural consumerism with a sharp, unrelenting edge.Despite his critiques of capitalism and the art market, Banksy remains engaged with them—albeit on his own terms. He’s spoken out against the speculative resale of his work, yet launched both Gross Domestic Product and an official authentication service to control distribution and protect his intellectual property.When Gross Domestic Product launched in a mock storefront in Croydon, thousands flocked to see the pieces on display. Rather than using a standard e-commerce model, Banksy invited prospective buyers to *apply* for a chance to purchase—an effort to challenge market elitism and give ordinary people a shot at collecting his work. Ironically, this only amplified the value and exclusivity of the objects, whose limited availability made them even more desirable.In *Early Learning Counting Set*, Banksy distills many of the contradictions that define his practice: sincerity and sarcasm, innocence and peril, critique and complicity. It’s a powerful reminder that art can still disturb, confront, and disrupt—even when it comes packaged like a child’s toy.
Price on Application
Auction History
People Who Enjoy Waving Flags Don't Deserve To Have One · Banksy · Bonhams · 2025-10 · $104,056
People Who Enjoy Waving Flags Don't Deserve To Have One · Banksy · Bonhams · 2025-04 · $134,246
Have a Nice Day · Banksy · Christie's · 2026-03 · $94,494
Numbered in pencil · Banksy · Sotheby's · 2025-09 · $18,480
I Fought The Law · Banksy · Sotheby's · 2025-09 · $0
More series by Banksy
About the Early Counting Set Series
Banksy Early Counting Set Prints For Sale
Banksy's Early Counting Set represents a pivotal moment in the British street artist's evolution, showcasing his transition from guerrilla stencil work to more conceptual, collectible pieces. Created during the early 2000s, this series demonstrates Banksy's characteristic wit and social commentary through deceptively simple imagery that challenges viewers' perceptions.
The works in this series employ mixed media and stencil techniques, hallmarks of Banksy's distinctive aesthetic. Each piece functions as both individual artwork and part of a larger narrative, reflecting the artist's growing influence in the contemporary art market during this transformative period.
For collectors, the Early Counting Set holds significant investment potential. Banksy's authenticated works from this era have demonstrated strong appreciation, particularly as institutional recognition of street art has increased. The series' conceptual depth and historical importance within Banksy's oeuvre make it highly sought after by serious collectors.
These pieces represent an opportunity to acquire early work from one of the most influential contemporary artists of our time. Enquire for availability and current pricing on works from the Early Counting Set.
About Banksy
Banksy prints for sale at Guy Hepner include authenticated signed and unsigned editions: Girl with Balloon, Choose Your Weapon, Tesco Soup Cans, Fragile, Laugh Now, and Flower Thrower. Buy Banksy prints in New York through our gallery at 177 Tenth Avenue — all works sourced with full provenance and authentication documentation. We also buy Banksy art and offer free valuations for sellers.
Banksy is the world’s most celebrated anonymous street artist — a figure whose identity remains unknown but whose visual language is instantly recognisable across continents. Emerging from the Bristol graffiti scene in the early 1990s, Banksy developed a stencil-based technique that allowed rapid, precise execution on walls, bridges, and public surfaces from London and New York to Gaza and the West Bank. His work fuses dark humour, political provocation, and formal rigour in a way that has made him equally at home on the street and in the auction room. Today, Banksy art for sale represents one of the most dynamic and hotly contested segments of the contemporary secondary market.
Banksy Art For Sale
Banksy art for sale encompasses original spray-painted canvases, unique works on board, signed and unsigned print editions, and — on rare occasions — documented wall works sold with photographic authentication. The breadth of subjects he has addressed is remarkable: consumer capitalism (Tesco Soup Cans, Trolley Hunters), celebrity culture (Kate Moss, Andy Warhol), surveillance and control (Radar Rat, CCTV Watching), and hope and fragility (Girl with Balloon, Fragile).
The benchmark auction event in Banksy’s market history remains the October 2018 Sotheby’s London sale, when Girl with Balloon — having just sold for £1.04 million — was partially shredded by a device concealed in the frame, becoming Love is in the Bin. The reconstituted work subsequently sold in October 2021 for £18.5 million, underscoring the extraordinary commercial power of Banksy’s interventions and the appetite of the global collector base for his most iconic imagery.
Banksy Paintings For Sale
Banksy paintings for sale — unique spray-painted works on canvas or board — are the rarest and most valuable category of his output. These works, typically produced in small numbers for specific shows or commissions, carry full documentation from Pest Control and have appeared at auction with results ranging from six to eight figures. Choose Your Weapon, Monkey Parliament, and large-format stencil canvases from his early 2000s output represent the apex of private collector demand.
Provenance is paramount for Banksy paintings. Unbroken ownership history from first sale through to the present day, combined with a current Pest Control certificate, is the minimum standard for any serious acquisition. Works without this documentation carry substantial authentication risk regardless of visual appearance.
Banksy Prints: Signed vs Unsigned
Banksy print editions form the most accessible and widely traded category of his market. Published through his own distribution channels and in very limited numbers, these screenprints exist in signed and unsigned variants — a distinction that has a significant impact on value. Signed editions — with Banksy’s hand signature — command multiples of two to five times comparable unsigned editions in the same print run.
Key print series sought by collectors include: Girl with Balloon (multiple colourways), Choose Your Weapon, Kate Moss, Tesco Soup Cans, Fragile, Radar Rat, Flower Thrower, and Di-Faced Tenners. Edition sizes vary from as few as 150 to several hundred, and sell-through rates at auction confirm strong secondary demand across all major series.
Banksy Authentication: Pest Control
Pest Control is Banksy’s official authentication body and the only organisation authorised to certify works as genuine. When you buy Banksy prints or original art, a current Pest Control Certificate of Authenticity (COA) is the non-negotiable standard. The COA features a torn currency note — half retained by Pest Control, half with the work — as a security measure, and is registered against a specific edition and owner.
At Guy Hepner Gallery, every Banksy work offered for sale is accompanied by Pest Control documentation. We do not offer works without verified authentication, and our team is available to guide collectors through the acquisition process, including condition reporting, framing recommendations, and insurance valuation.
Ready to buy Banksy art? Contact Guy Hepner to explore our current inventory of authenticated Banksy prints and original works.