How to buy antiquities & where to buy them Collecting antiquities has always been a privilege of educated and wealthy people : aristocrats, industrialists or intellectuals. Nowadays, as more and more antiquities find a definitive harbor in museums, this privilege has become more and more difficult to pursue, fewer antiquities with rightful provenance finding their way to the legitimate market ... On the other side, the demand for fine antiquities is always strong as the interest and love for the Antiquity and its Arts never really faded - even as fewer people receive a really Classical education. Facing the demand is a growing online offer ... with the best and the worst alongside ... It is important to understand the danger of buying without precaution. What precautions are recommended ? 1. Provenance is king Provenance has become the key word on the Antiquities market. First of all, provenance should not be mistaken for origin. The provenance is a person, or an institution, the origin is a place. For instance, "this painted vase originates from Attic workshops, and the provenance is a renowned English auction house". As a buyer, you are always entitled to demand provenance information from the seller, yet understanding at the same time that provenance information is rare. Often is only the last provenance known available. For instance, most auction sales result in losing provenance information, because catalogs don't bother mentioning it unless it improves the value of the piece (ex. "Provenance : Royal House of Hanover"). Do not accept answers such as "private German collection" or such generalities. As you are aware, buying Art is a matter of passion, but also of investment. Uncertainty on the provenance means risking losing your money ... 2. Ask for third-party information ... Very few antiquities are so unique that no comparable item can be advanced. Nearly all antiquities that you can find online belong to published classes or families of items. Always ask for litterature information, books excerpts or scans. A serious seller will deny you this information, although there is always place for uncertainty. As a matter of fact, you can also recognize a good dealer by the way he will honestly acknowledges his uncertainty. 3. Beware of online auctions ... Let's not mention names, more than two thirds of antiquities auctioned online are either fakes, bad reconstructions from genuine elements, items wrongly identified, or stolen items ... Let's not blame the online auction sites, as they are not experts in the field of antiquities .... First of all, ask for company information ... Would you trust a seller which is not at the same time a professional, registered dealer of antiquities ? Also, do not trust "unique" deals ... Can anyone imagine that a $2,000 worth piece of Art could be sold for $1 ? Finally, be not mistaken by the "prices" of online auctions ... A painted Greek vase sold at online auction for $500 does not provide good price information, because the origin or authenticity is uncertain. Buying antiquities and other works of art at online auction is a gamble : sometimes successful, most of times deceptive. 4. Educate yourself ... Education is the best answer to the dangers of collecting Art. The rule for auctions in the real physical world is CAVEAT EMPTOR, buyer beware. In most Western countries, a buyer will not be able to obtain compensation from an auction house in a fake or misidentification case, most of the time on legal grounds. Purchase what you love, but also what you know : visit museums, purchase books, meet dealers and collectors. 5. A piece of paper is not a guarantee anything. Most world-class dealers will not give you a certificate of authenticity (COA) unless you ask for it. You will be provided, however, with an invoice or an item's description for your own documentation. Indeed, most COA are generally not legally binding ... On the other side, honest dealers will always be ready to find an acceptable way to solve any dispute that can arise, for evident commercial reasons. 6. Stick with trusted communities. Communities such as Collectingbot offer a safe harbor for purchasing Art online ... We are not the only one, you can find other groups of dealers on the Net which are also very trustable ... But even on Collectingbot or any other online community of dealers, follow the above rules. Because it is your money, and your passion. CollectingBot is proud to be a safe place to purchase antiquities. Our dealers are experts in the field, and together we are commited to trade only in authentic, legal artefacts. First of all because it is our philosophy, but also because black sheeps are a menace to all of us, collectors and dealers alike. How does it work ? Every dealer is subject to a fair review before joigning CollectingBot.com. Not only do we review his stock on strict criteria of quality, but we research the dealer's name for past activity with reliable sources. We have actually rejected and excluded dealers through this selection process, and we rely on our member dealers opinions to select a dealer - or not. Our dealers and galleries are among the world's most prominent and trusted sources for high level collectors and museums. Most of them are also appraisers and experts with legal institutions throughout the world.
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