This is the first in a series of articles intended to discuss and build upon the tools of authentication: concepts, terminology, definitions, analysis, and more. While Certificates of Authenticity, or “COAs”, have been the topic of a number of previous articles, the scope of this feature is to define and categorize COAs by 1) their source and 2) their function. [Read more…]
News broke internationally earlier this month when eBay announced that, beginning mid-June, PayPal would be the only method of payment permitted on eBay transactions taking place in Australia.
See Associated Press story “EBay’s PayPal rule in Australia draws fire“. [Read more…]
One thing many collectors do not consider are the potential (unfortunate) “what if?” possibilities we can encounter in buying and selling original props, wardrobe, and other artifacts from film and television.
In the event a problem arises, it is best that both Buyer and Seller have a common understanding of the consequences and responsibilities.
Also, there are areas in which specifics are often not addressed or clarified appropriately, such as ancillary costs and other details beyond the “purchase price” (i.e. shipping costs, shipping method, etc.).
I recently developed an “Original Prop Purchase Agreement” for one of my own purchases, so I decided to simplify it, convert it into a more basic template, and offer it here as a tool for other collectors to consider, edit, amend, and/or employ however they see fit: [Read more…]
Rick Spector of Stairway to the Stars forwarded a link to an interesting article, given the discussion initiated in Part I of this series.
This is an interesting development in how it relates to certain auction house policies (see Odyssey Auctions Terms and Conditions in prior article). [Read more…]
I have had very limited experiences in buying direct from auction houses, but there are terms and conditions of sale, unique to each company/event, that can differ from other buying experiences. I would highly recommend that any collector, before participating in such an auction, carefully review the terms and conditions of the sale, typically outlined in the catalog. Even with the same company, these are prone to change catalog to catalog, sale to sale. [Read more…]
Article Summary: An opinion piece about original prop Certificates of Authenticity and dealer/retailer “guarantees”, including the Origins of the COA, The “Guarantee” (Money Back, Lifetime), The Studio Reseller COA & Guarantee, The Professional Dealer COA – Issues of Lost Provenance, Professional Dealer COA Questions, Individual & Private Seller COAs & LOAs, and the Auction House COA & Guarantee. [Read more…]