Authentication
Authentication… Valuations… Restoration
Authentication/ Valuation:
Andrew F. Garcia
Are you sure what your prized item is really worth? How about an item you’re thinking about buying? Are you sure it’s not a composite piece made from different period parts… or a very well-made Victorian reproduction made by a skilled artist before the industrial revolution that has aged over 150 years?
Can you really tell the difference?
Even though you may think you know, I’ll bet you really don’t!
How about a rare item that no similar one has sold for 50 years? How do you arrive at a fair price?
Let’s look at an example: Any moderately knowledgeable collector knows that a nice late 16th-century mace (at the time of writing this book) will sell for $3,000 to $5,000. The more ornate, the better the condition, or the earlier the mace, the more expensive/valuable it is.
If you look over the past few years for maces that are very similar to the ones you are buying and the price they sold for, it’s easy for you to arrive at a fair price. What if the mace you want to buy is exceptionally decorated, in mint condition, and belonged to a duke? To further complicate arriving at a fair price, no mace like this has sold in over 100 years at a public auction or privately.
So what is it really worth?
Here is what I’ll do: Without revealing who owns the item or who wants to buy it, I’ll ask up to a dozen heavyweight collectors who normally would collect an item like this what they would be willing to pay today to buy it. These collectors are the type that would buy an item similar to this at auction and set a fair price.
Next, I’ll average out their responses.
Important: Their opinion only counts if:
1) They collect this type of item.
2) They are familiar with this type of item.
3) They have the money to buy an item like it if they want to.
Even though no one is perfect, especially working from pictures, I do not mind giving you a confidential opinion**.
My specialty is Medieval Arms and Armor. Sorry, I do not evaluate cowboy, Civil War, or Asian items.
What is it going to cost you?
I only ask that you make a donation to one of my favorite charities below.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Insurance Valuations: Many insurance companies require a valuation before issuing a policy.
Restoration and Conservation: I have available to me some of the most skilled museum restorers and conservators in the world. Let’s make your item look as good as it can without spoiling the originality. Many times you can increase the value of an item by several times the cost of the restoration or conservation.
-Disabled American Veterans (DAV):
– Blinded Veterans Association:
-Wounded Warrior Project:
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
I wish you good luck with your search.
Only the best,
**All statements via email, verbal, website, or other communications are opinions and therefore give
no right to redress or liability of any kind.
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