Bidders & Buyers Beware: COAs, Frauds & Fakes

This past week, a big scam was been brought to my attention. This one is older than Nigerian princes to adopt.

In this particular case, it’s a matter of fraudulently selling items, claiming they have been owned and/or worn by celebrities — usually dead celebrities. Dead celebrities are selected for their popularity, the now limited number of available items, their inability to deny owning items, and because bidders are more likely to be sentimental or emotional about such items.

I’m not going to get into the particulars of this specific case, but it’s a good time to point out some tips in evaluating the authenticity of items — not just in celebrity items, but in any category.

COAs or Certificates Of Authenticity

Most COAs are not worth the paper they are printed on. Anyone with a pen and/or a printer (the printer isn’t even a requirement) can make a COA — and there are no laws, governing bodies or agencies which approve or regulate COAs. So I could make you a COA about this blog post — no matter how ridiculous the claims. (If you’d like one, let me know.)

COAs are not legal contracts; so no matter what the guarantee presented on the COA, good luck getting it carried out to any satisfaction. Should you even be able to get a legal hold on the seller, your case is as legally worth bupkiss. Even if you can prove the seller is guilty of selling more than $1,000 in fakes &/or forgeries, are involved in a successful class action suit, or, if you were duped on the Internet, get the FBI to assist you with a case of Internet Fraud, the most you’re going to get back for all your work is your purchase price. (If you’re just seeking your purchase price refunded, don’t ignore sales venue and method of payment avenues; there are often buyer protection programs available to you.)

I’m not saying you should ignore your rights and these avenues, but it’s best to avoid being duped in the first place.

Rule #1 Unless a certificate of authenticity originates from and is signed by the celebrity, author/artist (or in the case of limited editions, the publisher of the work), a confirmed dealer or agent (not a third party or reseller), or an acknowledged expert, that certificate is pretty much meaningless.

In order to verify the information is accurate, your first step is to see the certificate. Online or in person you need to see the certificate — all of it, front and back.

Despite the ease with which COAs are made, it’s amazing the lengths sellers will go through not to show them — even when they mention them. Shifty online sellers will tell you that they don’t show them because they “don’t want others to download the images and use them” — which is a laugh because 1) COAs take about as much work to make as downloading and uploading images does & 2) the seller can upload them to the Internet with a watermark or text identifying their company name/seller ID to protect the image.

In any case, clear, legible, digital copies of the COA should be sent to you for your review via FAX or email. And review it you will.

Verify that the COA originates from and is signed by the celebrity, author/artist (or in the case of limited editions, the publisher of the work), a confirmed dealer or agent (not a third party or reseller), or an acknowledged, respected expert.

A valid COA will state that the art is unquestionably from/by the celebrity/artist/etc. who has signed it & should contain provenance — a documented chain of custody, proving it is genuine. Any conditional statements like “we believe” or “it’s our considered opinion” or “we feel satisfied in saying” or “to the best of our knowledge” are warning signs.

Provenance

Any provenance listed or claims made, in the COA or item listing, should also be seen. Anyone can drop names, such as it came from such-and-such’s hairdresser or whatever; typing that takes even less work than making a COA.

If the seller mentions any “proof”, such as letters from the hairdresser or claims that the item was part of the official estate auction, this should all be seen and evaluated. Again, these scans or photos should be legible so that you can — and will — verify them. Remember: it’s as easy to type things in a printed letter as it is in a listing.

Sellers/Dealers

Research the seller carefully.

Check with the Better Business Bureau. And if/when they mention they are members in organizations, check with the organization. Many organizations have their membership lists available online; you can also have organizations confirm (or deny) members in good standing via email &/or phone. (And if a seller uses such memberships when they are not members, the organizations may take action themselves.)

When they call themselves experts, ask them to prove it. What credentials do they have? Expert titles such as “film historian” and even “author” are often self-appointed titles.  Contact known experts in the field and ask if they’ve ever heard of your expert.

Be Realistic

Yes, we’ve all seen Roadshow; we know gems can be found in people’s attics etc. But honestly, if you knew you had Marilyn Monroe’s lingerie, wouldn’t you contact an expert to handle the sale?

If you know how to list an item for sale online, you know that Christie’s specializes in celebrity items — and that their reputation and expertise will bring in the Big Bucks. Certainly, even with their fees, you’d get more from selling an authentic item via Christie’s than you would online by yourself. So why wouldn’t you let Christie’s sell it for you?

The only reasons you wouldn’t are either because A) you are a recognized & trusted expert (which means people in your field know about you — and all those calls to verify you as such would be confirmed) or B) because you couldn’t get Christie’s or another reputable auction house to sell the item for you.

And why would a reputable auction house refuse? Because there is no proof, no provenance, to go with the claims made about the item. Reputable auction houses will neither sell nor promote an item if they cannot prove provenance.  That’s their reputation, their credibility — the reason why they’ve earned the trust to get Big Money Bids.

So when you see or hear about celebrity owned &/or worn clothing, autographs, and other unique and valuable items — celebrity related or not — think before you bid or buy.  And for heaven’s sake, don’t let those three letters, COA, sway you from being an aware buyer.