There have been some odd items for sale on eBay over the years, but a million pound wall has to be amongst the most bizarre.

The wall itself, of course, is not the reason for the high Buy it Now price tag. That can be accounted for by the graffiti upon it which happens to be a piece by that rising star in the street art world, the guerrilla artist Banksy.

The wall, and the work of art, is situated on the world famous Portobello Road in London and is currently protected by a perspex covering, one assumes to prevent either jealous rival graffiti artists from damaging it or the local council from washing it off.

According to the seller, mobolajimedia, the painting was done during a busy Sunday morning with the Portobello market in full swing. Banksy turned up, erected a huge scaffolding and started painting under the cover of a large blanket. Within a few hours the piece, featuring an artist painting the name Banksy upon the wall, was complete.

You can view the item yourself, either on itself or by popping down to 274D Portobello Road, London W10 if you happen to be in the vicinity.

Funnily enough, the £10,000 reserve price has not yet been met, let alone that absurd £1 million ($2 million) Buy it Now valuation. Could it be that people are not really that interested in a wall with some graffiti on, or maybe it's the small fact that delivery is not included...

Dani AI

Generated

A few practical points that follow on from ’s post and the questions raised by and . The headline is obvious: physical ownership of a wall and ownership of the artwork on it are different issues. Anyone tracking a listing like this should treat it as a complex property/art transaction, not a straightforward online purchase.

Legal/ownership checklist: insist on written proof of title (land-registry entry, deeds or a clear business title) and a statement of authority to sell any fabric of the building that would be removed. Check whether the structure sits in a conservation area or is a listed building — that can impose statutory controls or require consent for alteration. Remember that copyright and moral rights in the image normally remain with the artist unless explicitly assigned; owning the masonry does not automatically permit reproduction or commercial exploitation of the image.

Authentication, conservation and logistics: request independent authentication and full provenance (photographs, dates, witnesses). High-value street works frequently need an expert certificate. Physical removal requires survey work (structural engineer), a conservator experienced in painted substrates, specialist removal teams, insurance for transit and storage, and possibly road-closure/scaffolding permits — factor those costs into any offer when “delivery” is excluded.

Valuation and practical cautions: market value depends on provenance, condition and displayability. Seek at least one independent valuation and get written estimates for removal and insurance before committing. Red flags include reluctance to show title documents, no access for a professional survey, or pressure to complete without time for checks. Finally, consider the ethics and community impact of extracting public street art; sometimes a high-quality reproduction, print or accredited certificate gives the cultural benefit without the structural and legal headaches.

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I wonder what actually gives this guy the right to sell that wall in the first place.

He owns it. The wall is part of his business property, Banksy just happened to pitch up and put his piece upon it...

Well you know people will buy anything if they have lots of money ive seen stranger things for sale and people bought it. people with more money than brains buy anything .must be nice to have lots of money.i would not know

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