Welcome, fellow autograph collector, to #3 in a series of how to improve your autograph collection!
Regardless of which side of the fence you sit on, Certificates of Authenticity (or COAs for short) have come to be a necessary evil in the autograph market. Now, don't get me wrong-- COAs do nothing to increase the value of a forgery. However, they do offer peace of mind to collectors, provided that their items are authentic to begin with. As a collector and part-time seller of my (extra) autographs, I have come to realize that some buyers won't even look at an autograph if it doesn't come with a COA (apparently, authenticity isn't on the top of their radar). The problem with this logic is that any Average Joe can print one out on his home computer. It can be anything from a letter, a photograph, or even a simple slip of paper stating the item's authenticity. If the item is a fake, this does nothing more than boost the confidence of an unsuspecting collector. If COAs are important to you when making a purchase, here are some key things to look for: * Is there is up-to-date contact information on it (a web site, phone number, or a valid street address, for example)? * Is there a money-back guarantee? What are the terms? How long does it last (7 days, 30 days, lifetime)? Longer is better. * Does the seller tell you where and/or when the item was signed? If the seller can tell you where it was signed, that's generally a good sign that they have nothing to hide. However, be sure to use this information to your advantage. Do your research and find out whether that person was actually there at that place and time. If so, did they sign? Sometimes celebrities make public appearances but don't sign anything for whatever reason.
0 Comments
|
Welcome!If you've ever wanted to know the ins-and-outs of In-Person (IP) graphing, or if you've ever wanted to know what goes through a grapher's head, this is the place to be! Archives
December 2018
Categories
All
|