A good friend of mine works for the Sadigh Gallery and she so often tells me these horror stories about people who have been ripped off in the arts world after spending their hard earned money on fake artifacts or antiques. What many fail to recognize is that this is some seriously big business and the world of making and selling art fakes is one that is making some bad people a good amount of money. It is therefore essential that if you a collector of art pieces, of old coins or of any items which fall under this category, that you are always watchful of what you are buying, in order to get the absolute original, and not some modern-made fake piece.
Here are some tips which my friend shared with me, as to how you can minimize the risk of buying a fake piece.
Know Your Item
It may sound obvious but knowing exactly what you are looking for in your item is absolutely critical to making sure that you do not get scammed. Those who do create these spied pieces do so in the knowledge that there are many collectors who don’t see the devil in the detail, but if you wish to avoid getting caught out then it is something which you absolutely have to ensure that you do. There is a wealth of information about old coins and antiques, be sure to know exactly what it is that you are expecting from a piece.
Buying Online
If you are thinking about buying a piece online then you will be putting all of your faith in the person selling, and this is why there are a couple of rules which you should stick to if you plan to invest online. The first thing to say here is that you should never make a big purchase, or an expensive purchase online, unless there is some kind of escrow system in place. The reason for this is simply the elevated risk that there is associated with this kind of purchase. Secondly we have to ensure that you are buying from a reputable seller and someone who has quite the hallmark online with regards to experience, this should give you at least some level of confidence.
Paying For Support
If you are ever in doubt about a physical piece then don’t be frightened to get a professional to check it out for you. My friend at Sadigh Gallery will often do this after hours, and she makes a nice little income helping people to avoid the scam.
Trust Your Instincts
Ultimately one of the best pieces of advice here is that if you don’t feel good about the purchase or you have too many doubts, then simply don’t bother. It is always better to miss out on something good, than to invest your hard earned money on something which is not genuine.
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