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Certificate of Authenticity
A recent customer of mine asked me if I would be including a "Certificate of Authenticity" along with the prints I sold him. I told him no because I've never done that before. Truth is, though, I was actually surprised he asked, because no one has ever asked me that before.
So, what is everyone's thoughts on this? Does anybody else include a "Certificate of Authenticity"? If so, what does yours look like and what does it say? Have you ever been asked for one before? This seems out of the ordinary; do you agree?
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
I've seen some successful print sellers do that with every print sold. Peter Lik used to have a copy of his online.
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
It seems like a signature alone would accomplish this, but who am I to argue with a collector?
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
A Google search for Peter Lik comes up with this link at the top.
http://www.sunshineartist.com/index....der=sider.html
You may have to cut and paste to get the page, then look at 2nd subject down left side.
I am new at this, however, it seems to be a necessary evil. Have written a couple and did not like either one. Any way you write it seems self serving and somewhat arrogant (I take a brush and swipe it on the canvas). The other side of the coin is the fact it does/should communicate facts the observer may not know. At least that is the way I would write it.
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
It sounds like something you'd get with a collectible porcelain unicorn from the franklin mint. i doubt a serious photo collector would ever ask for such a thing, or take it seriously. anyway, who's to say your certificate of authenticity is authentic?
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
For best results, sell your prints with a limited edition certificate of authenticity. Now there's a marketing scheme that's guaranteed to work... ;)
By the way, are you knocking my limited edition collection of porcelain unicorns, Paul? But they look so nice next to the Elvis plates!
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
I think they're a little hokey, but I believe a few states require them, like Hawai'i.
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
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Originally Posted by David A. Goldfarb
I think they're a little hokey, but I believe a few states require them, like Hawai'i.
Certificates or porcelain unicorns?
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
Hawaii requires porcelain unicorns. Owning terra cotta unicorns is a misdemeanor.
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
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Originally Posted by paulr
Hawaii requires porcelain unicorns. Owning terra cotta unicorns is a misdemeanor.
So, you have something against Hawaii? :p
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
If a certificate of authenticity were requied by the buyer, I would suggest they consider the uniqueness of the artist's vision.
Why would one need such a thing unless they were copying someone else's style?
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
It is a US thing... these 14 states require a CofA
Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Wisconsin.
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
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Originally Posted by julian
It is a US thing... these 14 states require a CofA
Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Wisconsin.
In Hawaii, a Certificate of Authenticity is only required if the image is a limited edition set. Open editions don't require one.
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
Can someone provide more details or references to those state laws ?
They do make sense for buyer protection, since that's the way buyers would be able to challenge the artist if he changes his editions.
The certificate of Lik that I saw included the name of the buyer, name of the print, edition number, print size, total edition. He used to have a store in SF, and sells a lot.
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
Quote:
Originally Posted by julian
It is a US thing... these 14 states require a CofA
Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Wisconsin.
Well, it does look like there's a law on the books. But it's news to me, and I've sold work in New York, illinois, and California (practically nowhere else, now that i think of it) and have never, ever heard of such a thing. I don't know anyone else in NYC who's doing this, including a couple of people who sell a ton of work. Makes me wonder if it's something dealers deal with. The closest thing to it that I've done is a consignment agreement with a dealer. And that's not for public consumption.
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
I'd think this would depend on the place of business of the seller, not the buyer, but let see if someone comes up with more details.
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
It may not matter now, but 20 years from now, If you're dead and your prints have become valuable, it will be very important to establish by the provinance(sp?) that they're not fakes. How many fake "Moonrise"s do you think have been shilled at $50,000 a pop?
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
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Originally Posted by Bill_1856
It may not matter now, but 20 years from now, If you're dead and your prints have become valuable, it will be very important to establish by the provinance(sp?) that they're not fakes. How many fake "Moonrise"s do you think have been shilled at $50,000 a pop?
but how does a certificate prevent this? if you can fake a print of a famous photograph, then you can fake a certificate in five minutes.
it seems to me that the purpose of the certificate is to establish a more legally binding contract regarding the size of the edition. if anyone understands it better than this, please chime in.
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
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Originally Posted by paulr
it seems to me that the purpose of the certificate is to establish a more legally binding contract regarding the size of the edition. if anyone understands it better than this, please chime in.
I believe that is the purpose of the Hawaii law.
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
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Originally Posted by QT Luong
Can someone provide more details or references to those state laws ?
They do make sense for buyer protection, since that's the way buyers would be able to challenge the artist if he changes his editions.
The certificate of Lik that I saw included the name of the buyer, name of the print, edition number, print size, total edition. He used to have a store in SF, and sells a lot.
I remember Harald Johnson referencing a booklet that had details of all the State laws on this. Maybe from someone like the association of lawyers for the arts or something (very vague...). You could try hunting around his DP&I site, or email him?
As I remember, the laws cover the sale of art in different forms and vary from states which have none, to extremely specific (and at times restrictive). Some apply just to dealers, some to any artists selling work. Some define different types of work - eg "original" works, copies, editions and so on
All generally fairly convoluted....
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
This may have been the booklet:
"Fine Art Limited Edition Print Disclosure Laws" 2002 by Joshua J. Kaufman, Esq., published by APA (Art Publishers Association). published in association with PMAI Business Resources
Only about $10.00 - good luck in tracking down a copy though....
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
Here's information regarding California law: http://www.tfaoi.com/articles/andres/aa4.htm
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
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Originally Posted by paulr
It sounds like something you'd get with a collectible porcelain unicorn from the franklin mint. i doubt a serious photo collector would ever ask for such a thing, or take it seriously. anyway, who's to say your certificate of authenticity is authentic?
That's simple. Your certificate of authenticity authenticating the original COA is countersigned by the bank president, who then is witnessed by Bill Gates.
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
So...this puts a whole new spin on things, but it actually makes a little sense. Basically, if one is selling Limited Edition prints, then they're legally required to include a Certificate of Authenticity. This is for specific states that currently require it, but I now think it should be recommended in general. You just never really know where a print will end up. On the other hand, if it's an open ended edition, then it's not required to include a Certificate.
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
The great Bruce McCall on certificates of authenticity:
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/humo...var/new_yorker
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
This is bizarre. I have been selling limited editions of my work in LA and NY galleries for several years, and no one in the process--either buyers or sellers--has ever mentioned any certificate of authenticity.
The purpose of these laws appears to be to provide potential buyers with a way to avoid purchasing a print they have otherwise agreed to purchase. In other words, the only effect of the law for us, is to lose a potential sale to someone who objects to the lack of the certificate. There aren't any penalties or fines for not providing a certificate; it's just a thing to protect buyers from potential limited-edition-fraud. Reputable galleries don't need to worry about the issue in the first place, so my guess is that it's a law that few people pay attention to in the fine-art world.
And anyway, good photographic prints would be far harder to fake than a certificate of authenticity. I could trump up a pretty convincing certificate for "Moonrise" in about five minutes; coming up with a faked print of Moonrise that would convince a knowledgable collector would be another thing...
~cj
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Re: Certificate of Authenticity
There are some other reasons why someone may ask for one - insurance and tax reasons (and particularly if there are legal requirements - it validates the artist's claim of edition restrictions). If the print is being purchased as an investment vehicle (like, I suspect, most AA's today) more than their aesthetics, it is something the purchaser may want to help secure their investment.
I provide a "certificate", not because I feel the need to validate my own work, but mostly because I haven't come up with a satisfactory (to me) means by which to identify the print as a) my work, and b) one of an edition (if that is the case).
I really don't like signing the face, especially on smaller prints, and honestly, IMO I've never seen a signature on a photo print that didn't detract from the print. I sign the back of the print and edition it, and usually sign and edition the matt. The "certificate" gets mounted on the back of the matt, and generally gives a little info about the subject, maybe techniques, and a copyright.