Shoe Coa

Shoe Coa

I've been collecting artwork since the mid-1970's. Back then, you went to a gallery or auction and could see or touch the pieces. The dealer would answer your questions in person and you could view the documents or other certificates of authenticity. Today, all that has changed with the advent of the Internet. Auction sites have listings posted for almost every type of artwork imaginable. eBay is the main avenue for selling art and therefore the target of most of the fraudulent dealers. I've seen several types of misrepresentation and feel I need to explain to the laymen what to watch for.

Let's start with the obvious. If you see a Picasso that's listed for a few dollars and the dealer claims that it has an original signature, beware. Picasso's signature alone fetches thousands of dollars. In his later years, people he dealt with would not cash his checks because the signature was worth more than the products or services purchased. This is true for artists such as Miro, Chagall and others. If you come across a hand-signed Rembrandt print, back off completely. Rembrandt never pencil-signed his etchings as they were signed in the original etching plate. Later, Amand Durand reproduced Rembrandt's etchings in the late 1800's, but even he didn't sign his prints.

Speaking of signatures, several online dealers have prints for sale that are hand-signed. You get to see the Chagall signature in a variety of crayon colors. Yes, they are hand-signed, but obviously not by the artist. Of course this is never stated and you, the buyer, just assumed that the signature was from the artist. And there is no COA or certificate of authenticity anyway. So, a word about documentation or authentication. It's pretty easy to print up anything on a word program and even create an official-looking seal. So that can easily be fakes as well. So, how do you protect yourself from fraud? I would do the following before buying art from anyone on the Internet:

1. Look at the way the title and description is worded. Are there spelling mistakes that were made on purpose, such as "Chagal or Picaso" prints for sale?
2. Who is the seller? An art dealer or a shoe salesman? Look at their other auctions.
3. Check their feedback and look at the comments. How many other pieces did they sell?
4. What type of COA do they provide?
5. Do they show a picture of what you are buying plus a close-up of the signature?
6. Do they offer PayPal or a credit card payment method? A cashier's check-only site should tell you something.
7. Do they have a money-back guarantee?
8. Are they located in a foreign country? That could be a problem for returns.

That is the short list. Before bidding, see if the piece is for sale elsewhere on the net and compare the pictures, signatures, and item descriptions like size and medium, i.e. print lithograph, serigraph. They should match up. Often times you can also see the date and size of the limited edition. Do the research first. Is the same piece available for a lot less or more elsewhere? Then something is wrong somewhere in the mix. Getting a good deal is wonderful if it's a genuine piece. But getting something worthless for a few hundred dollars is no bargain. Educate yourself and try to stay with art dealers that have been around for a while. If you suspect something fishy, move on. There are plenty of dealers out there that are legitimate and offer a real product for sale. Remember that anyone can sign a piece of artwork they copied on their scanner. And anyone can buy them. Let's hope it's not you.

Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master's Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He authored a book about his directory years, "Inside the Yellow Pages" which can be seen at his website, http://www.poweradbook.com and he is officially retired.

Torry Holt Signed Game Football Shoe Cleat PSA DNA COA $623.75 Torry Holt Signed Game Football Shoe Cleat PSA DNA COA Torry Holt Signed Game Football Shoe Cleat PSA DNA COAEvery signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee.

Shoe $10 Shoe

Powers Collectibles 14591 Signed Jordan Michael Jordan Shoe $2323.69 Signed Jordan Michael Jordan Shoe comes with powers collectibles coa and matching holograms. Always a great way to show off your personal sense of style. Satisfaction ensured. Size: 8 x 10.

The Price of a Sealskin Coa $34.99 The Price of a Sealskin Coa - Giclee Print

MultiSeat t100 w/COA $136.99 HP Smartbuy MultiSeat t100 w/COA

Autographed Ryan Photograph - 8x10 Coa Psa Coa $69.31 Autographed Ryan Photograph - 8x10 Coa Psa Coa NOLAN RYAN HAND SIGNED 8X10 COA PHOTO PSA COA AUTOEvery signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee.

Ray Rice Signed Jersey - COA $292.25 Ray Rice Signed Jersey - COA Ray Rice Ravens Signed Autographed Jersey COA

Autographed Lewis Photograph - 8x10 COA $91.85 Autographed Lewis Photograph - 8x10 COA Ray Lewis Ravens Signed Autographed 8x10 Picture COA

Autographed Lewis Photo - 16x20 COA $150.3 Autographed Lewis Photo - 16x20 COA Ray Lewis Ravens Signed Autographed Picture 16x20 COA

Autographed Flacco Photo - 8x10 COA $83.5 Autographed Flacco Photo - 8x10 COA Joe Flacco Ravens Signed Autographed 8x10 COA

Kane-signed photo-18 - COA $32.57 Kane-signed photo-18 - COA Kane-signed photo-18 - COAEvery signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee.

Melina-signed photo-19 - COA $22.55 Melina-signed photo-19 - COA Melina-signed photo-19 - COAEvery signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee.

Batista-signed photo-18 - COA $27.56 Batista-signed photo-18 - COA Batista-signed photo-18 - COAEvery signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee.

The Hurricane-signed photo-18 - COA $17.54 The Hurricane-signed photo-18 - COA The Hurricane-signed photo-18 - COAEvery signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee.

Female E Fit Shoe Leather Upper Comfort Small Sizes in White $39.99 Stunning Mary Jane style shoe with buckle fastening. Pretty shaped upper and block heel makes this the perfect everyday wearable shoe. For work or pleasure you really can't go wrong with this one. E fitting shoe.

Female E Fit Shoe Leather Upper Court Shoes in Black $39.99 Aattractive wide fitting round toe court shoe in a choice of plain leather or croc leather. The front paneladds an elegant finishing touch. E Fitting Shoe

Jasmine Shoe $11.99 Jasmine Shoe

Glass Shoe $49.99 Glass Shoe

Ariel Shoe $11.99 Ariel Shoe

Shoe Rain $10 Shoe Rain

Hot Shoe $10 Hot Shoe

Shoe People $2.99 Shoe People

Living in a Shoe $20.99 Living in a Shoe

Joe Flacco Signed Jersey - COA $701.4 Joe Flacco Signed Jersey - COA Joe Flacco Ravens Signed Jersey COA, Custom Deluxe Framed Purple over Gold

Multiseat T100 Thin Client Developed Market Coa $192.99 MULTISEAT T100 THIN CLIENT DEVELOPED MARKET COA

CoupleOf Women's Frame Shoe Shoe $214.95 CoupleOf Women's Frame Shoe Shoe

Female EE Fit Shoe Leather Upper Court Shoes in Black Suede $64.99 Ladies smart wide fitting shoe in suede with contrast patent sections. Really on trend with a squared off toe and high to the front. Simply a great choice for this season! This is an EE fitting shoe.

Unisex Pavers Shoe Care Kit Gift Store in Black $4.99 A shoe care kit from Pavers presented in an attractive storage box. Great for keeping your shoes in tip top condition and small enough to take on holiday or to slip into a weekend bag.Diameter: 7cmLength: 16.5cmThe kit includes:1 x Black Polish1 x Neutral Polish1 x Shoe Shine1 x Shoe Horn1 x Polishing Cloth1 x Shoe Brush

Joe Flacco Ravens Signed 8x10 COA $175.35 Joe Flacco Ravens Signed 8x10 COA Joe Flacco Ravens Signed 8x10 COA. 2 available.

Sammy Sosa Autographed Jersey - COA Framed $751.5 Sammy Sosa Autographed Jersey - COA Framed Sammy Sosa Cubs Signed Auto Jersey COA Framed