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Insights, guides, and news from the authentication world
Authentication, Appraisal and Grading: Which One Do You Actually Need?
Three services collectors routinely confuse and buy in the wrong order. What each answers, and the sequence that saves you money.
August 30, 2026
What Artifact Authentication Costs: Fees and Turnaround
Typical fee structures, what separates a photo review from a full examination, and when paying for an opinion is genuinely worth it.
July 8, 2026
The Most Commonly Faked Artifacts — and Why Those Ones
Forgery follows value. The categories that attract the most reproduction, why those ones, and where to slow down before you buy.
June 27, 2026
Buying Artifacts Online: How to Vet a Seller
Online listings hide the evidence authentication depends on. What to demand before you bid, and how to keep recourse when it goes wrong.
May 19, 2026
Reading a Certificate of Authenticity: What a Good One Says
A certificate is only as good as the reasoning behind it. What a substantive opinion contains and what an empty one looks like.
April 22, 2026
Restored, Reworked or Reproduction: Not Simply 'Fake'
Most negative results are not forgeries. What restoration, reworking and reproduction each mean for value and for what you must disclose.
March 20, 2026
Artifact Appraisal: How to Identify and Value Objects
An artifact appraisal is a documented, professional valuation of an object, usually tied to a specific purpose such as insurance scheduling, fair market value for donation, or estate distribution.…
January 28, 2026
How Artifact Authenticators Verify Provenance and Age
Artifact authenticators evaluate historical objects for authenticity and legitimacy. In practice, that can include verifying whether an object's materials, workmanship, age indicators, cultural…
January 28, 2026
Relic Appraisal: How To Value Historical Objects With Confidence
The word "relic" gets used loosely online, but in collecting circles it typically points to an object with direct historical association, often tied to a specific era, event, culture, or person.…
January 28, 2026