If you like to collect ancient Egyptian coins, fine art or relics from the past then you will likely know only too well about the dangers that exist in terms of buying pieces which are copied. In fact each year there are literally millions spent on fake artifacts and art pieces, so much so that it is in fact big business for the black market, which is why so many people try to recreate originals and sell them at exorbitant prices. There is no way to ever truly guarantee that you are not buying a fake, even so we spoke to the team at New York’s Sadigh gallery, to offer some tips on how you can best avoid doing so.
Doing Your Research
Knowledge is very much power in this regard and when you are trying to spot a fake, the more knowledge that you have the better. This is of course at a very basic level but nonetheless it can greatly help you to avoid being scammed. We have seen fake coins for example which have years printed on them which are completely incorrect, they have hallmarks and signs on them which the original doesn’t or they are made of a material which the original didn’t use. This basic knowledge can go a long way in identifying fakes.
Asia
Whist you may get some very fine pieces from the Asian market it should be noted that the vast majority of fakes do come from this region of the world. The simple answer here is not to buy anything online which comes from these marketplaces, and in doing so you will be able to remove the majority of the risk.
Cross Checking
If you buy from an online source such as eBay you can cross reference each seller with lists that have been put together online, of people who have sold fakes in the past. The truth is that when it comes to online, most people know that the product is inferior when they receive it, by which time they have already parted company with their cash. Don’t buy first and then find out later, check the seller against these lists and give yourself peace of mind.
If In Doubt…
The best advice to give is that if you are in any doubt at all as to whether the piece that you are buying is a fake, don’t buy it. Sure this method may mean that you miss out on some great pieces or some great bargains, but it will also ensure that you miss out on paying huge sums of money for a worthless reproduction of what were actually looking for.
If you are able to it is always best that you get the piece checked out by an expert, if you have bought a fake then learn from it and use those lessons to avoid doing so again in the future.
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