Ben Jacobs

Authenticated collectible or fake collectible? How to be re-assured which one you have.

Whether you are a collector or a fan, you deserve to know whether your collectible is genuine or fake. The following article aims to help you find out and realise the best value of your memorabilia.

When dealing with V.I.P collectibles, the truest assurance as to the reliability or integrity of the item being sold without a proven lineage via provenance, is to have an accompanying quality certificate of authenticity, referred to as a COA.
 
It is not unheard of autograph hunters stapling photos of themselves with the luminary simultaneously as the autograph is being signed to confirm in some small way its ancestry. This is adequate for some but be warned, this will never subrogate a modern certificate of authentication from a respected merchant.

Most of us know what having confidence in people means, but what squarely does it stand for in the realms of paraphernalia trading?
To me, it would most unquestionably mean that buyers and sellers alike should have their emotions put at ease by an inherent completeness and veracity in not only the product in question, but also the party one is buying from. In brief, does the trader have inviolate decidedness in the numerous processes of authentication.

If one is not an expert at the paticular types of items they are dealing in, there is limited chance that piece of paraphernalia will be noticed as a fraud on sight. So let’s regard the other determinants mentioned briefly above with more detail. 

First and foremost, when purchasing any autograph or autographed item purporting to have come from a superstar, the item should be accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (COA). But not all COA’s are considered equal because just about every person can put out one. It will not necessarily follow that a signed piece of memorabilia appended with a COA makes it assuredly authentic. The dealer’s reputation that issues the COA is probably the single most integral ingredient in substantiating reliability. Let’s be realistic though, even Sotheby’s and Christies has traded fakes. Nevertheless, the retailer standing behind a trade is often the greatest testament a buyer has today, however ancillary. But one must always do their own investigating and ask a fair share of questions.

The most trusted trading firms for memorabilia offer 100% lifetime guarantees. Invoices should clearly state their trading names, business numbers (if applicable in your state) contact numbers, physical and web addreses, emails etc. These contact details must be accessible. If you are unsure of a reputable dealer , look for an industry certified autograph dealer such as those associated with such associations as the  International Autograph Collectors Club & Dealers Alliance (IADA-CC)or the Universal Autograph Collectors Club (UACC). There are also ample amounts of esteemed authentication services out there if you are considering operating on a commercial scale.

Secondly, one should closely examine the authentication process. It must be accepted as customary in the profession and proven to have stood the test of time.
But how is this standard brought about? What is regarded as othodox authentication of memorabilia and especially in say the case of Michael Jackson autographed memorabilia, what is accepted as an advantageous level of authentication to enable a purchased piece to maintain or indeed multiply it’s eventual monetary return.

Many allegiant fans of Michael Jackson will own for the sake of possessing a piece of memorabilia of Michael’s alone. Myriads on the othre hand, are out to make a quick buck alone. Regardless, every collector who obtains any paraphernalia of the stars must be attentive of the feasibility of it also morphing into a quality investment at some point in times to come.

The most reliable trading businesses for memorabilia will customarily chaperone the paid exclusive signings of stars. These exclusive signings are usually attested to by a representative of the trusted trading business. The trading co-op may chronologically imprint a tamper-proof hologram, which is attached to each COA’s. A matching tamper proof sequentially indexed hologram is then affixed to the item with the autograph. This has the affect of creating a certified and precise match. Some merchants will also provide a photograph of the star in question at the signing, which will pass with the item. The holograms numbering is then scrupulously catalogued and accommodated at the trading businesses secured location/s.

If you can’t enshrine these basic principles into your collectible trading thoughts then you are taking on volumes of risk, thereby tempting providence with a probable future  investment. You weren’t born yesterday, ask questions, investigate, test the waters. Do anything you must to not be a victim to con artists with trades so fanciful as to defy belief.

Happy collecting and trading trails to you.

Ben.

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