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Things
to look for before purchasing art on the secondary market.
Buying art on the
secondary market can yield some advantages, but before you take that big
plunge, there are things that you should look out for.
First, you want to
purchase artwork from a reputable
source. Do some research
and background checks
on the individual or gallery selling the artwork. They should be able to
provide you with a Certificate
of Authenticity upon
request. If they have lost that Certificate, have them contact the
estate to obtain one. If their piece is truly authentic, they will not
have any problems acquiring an official
Certificate of Authenticity.
Next you want to ensure
that the artwork itself is actually an authentic
William Tolliver.
Unfortunately, the popularity of this artist has tempted a select few to
partake in creating
fakes and signing the Tolliver name to the piece
and selling them as authentic. If the asking price seems incredibly low,
or if the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. You want to be
leery of those claiming that they received the artwork because they are
“relatives” of the artist or knew him early on and received many
pieces as “gifts”.
Please be particularly careful while dealing with "brothers"
or "nephews" of this artist.
For purchasing
reproductions on the
secondary market, a lot of the same rules apply. Ask to see the
Certificate of Authenticity, copy it, and don’t hesitate to send it in
to us to verify its authenticity. Also, when viewing the piece,
check
for the title, signature and an edition number.
Do not allow the
salesperson to put pressure on you
to buy the piece right away. This tactic is used to
scare
you into thinking
that if you do not act now, you will miss out on the opportunity
entirely. Doing this also makes you feel as if you do not have time to
do the needed research to verify the authenticity of the artwork. If the
source is not reputable,
this
works out in their favor,
not yours.
In the end, you want to
be cautious about any artwork that you are purchasing on the secondary
market, not just Tolliver’s. Take the time to do the needed research.
When you pass your artwork down to your children, and they to theirs -
or if you hit a rough patch in life and need to resell your artwork -
the artwork you pass along must
be authentic.
Also, please do
not hesitate to contact
the estate directly for information about the artwork you wish to
purchase. To aid us, any information you collect from the seller will
assist in determining if the artwork is authentic. Ask to copy the original
bill of sale, the
certificate of authenticity
and to acquire a photograph
of the piece,
including a close up of the signature.
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A few reputable
sources to view
and purchase Tolliver
Originals and Reproductions
are:
Thelma
Harris Art Gallery
Galerie
Royale
ArtBrokerage.com
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