Banksy sets up Central Park stall selling original stencils worth $30,000 disguised as knock-offs - makes just $420

Banksy set up a stand selling authentic stencils near New York's Central Park on Saturday

An unknown man was posted at the one-off, pop-up stall

Three shoppers bought just eight canvases over seven hours - a total haul of $420



One consumer haggled the price down by 50 per cent

Street artist Banksy is known for being elusive, but he surprised even his most ardent fans by secretly selling his authentic artworks near Central Park for just $60 each on Saturday.



On his 13th day in New York City, the UK-based artist displayed dozens of original, signed canvases at a pop-up stall attended by an unknown man.



The graffiti painter is in the middle of a month-long residency in New York, producing one piece of street art per day until October 31.



Scroll down for video

An art fan who unwittingly bought two paintings by street artist Banksy in Central Park for just $60 each last October is expected to receive a $160,000 windfall when the prints go up for auction

Surprising: For his 13th day in New York, Banksy pulled a fantastic prank by setting up an unannounced art stall with dozens of 100% original signed canvases for $60 each

The artwork stand opened about midday with an inventory value estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Each small to medium-sized canvas is worth at least $30,000.



Yet over seven hours, just three people bought eight canvases - a total haul of $420.

The first sale was at 3.30pm to a woman who bought two canvases for her children - and she managed to wrangle a 50 per cent discount.



Half an hour later, a New Zealand woman purchased some art. Video shows the vendor embracing her warmly and kissing her cheek.



Bemused: The stand was manned by an unknown man who seemed completely uninterested in what he was doing

First customer: The store made its first sale at 3.30pm on Saturday. A woman bought two canvases for her children but negotiated a 50 per cent discount

Sale no. 2: At 4pm, a woman from New Zealand bought two artworks, to the delight of the merchant

At 5.30pm, a Chicago man rocked up seeking art for his new house: 'I just need something for the walls.' He left with four original Banksys.

The disinterested-looking vendor shut up shop at 6.30pm.



But don't expect a repeat performance. Banksy's website points out that the pop-up stand was a one-off: 'The stall will not be there again today.'

Each day during his Better Out Than In residency , Banksy has posted a snapshot of his latest project and includes the location for fans to check out. The work varies from simple stencils to large, detailed murals.

