Spotting Fake Art on Ebay

It doesn’t just necessarily have to be just Ebay. It could be anywhere on the Internet. But Ebay seems to be the dominant force when you type in a major artist like Picasso or Neiman into a search engine. The problem is that many, or most art buyers, are not connoisseurs and therefore know little about what the artwork dealer should be telling them. It’s like those brand-name knockoffs that abound around the world. The rule of thumb is that if it has a very low price, it’s probably a fake. There are a few easy things to look for, even if you are a novice.

The biggest culprit is the fake or fraudulent signature. Because a genuine Picasso signature pushes the price of a piece ten-fold or more, that becomes the easiest thing to forge. If you want to make a nice fake, you buy an oversized book of his etchings and spend a few days attempting to copy his signature. When you think you’ve mastered it fairly well, you then grab a crayon or pencil and sign his name at the bottom. You then post it on Ebay for a hundred dollars and make a tidy profit. When that’s done, there are a few ways to cover yourself in the web posting and not appear to be pulling a fast one.

You start at the main title. By saying “Hand-Signed Picasso Print” you are stating a fact. The fact that the signature was not signed by Picasso is something left to the imagination. It is a print, albeit taken from a book. Now here is a sample description:

“This is a stunning full-color print of an etching by Picasso done in 1965. It was discovered recently in a private collection and the signature is in red crayon and hand-signed. It is in prefect condition and comes with a letter of authenticity from my gallery. I personally supervised the transfer of the print into our gallery. It would be a valuable asset to any collection. There is no reserve price as I would like to make it affordable to anyone interested. Shipping and insurance is $25. Good luck and good bidding.”

Did he mention he has 50 of these prints he signed himself? No wonder he can afford to give them away. If he only got ten bucks plus shipping, what’s his profit on the worthless pieces of paper? Say $30 times 50 which comes out to $1500. Then he does the same for a Miro and Chagall and, if he sells them out in a month, is making a fair living bilking the public. Is this really possible, you may be asking? It is and is happening as I speak. One person is selling these pieces right at this moment. He states that each of the pieces is crayon signed. If you pull up the Picassos, they are all singed in red crayon. The Miro’s are in blue crayon and the Chagall’s in green crayon. Did he save the black crayons for the Neimans?

Let’s go back to my general description of the Picasso. Where was the lie? His letter that you receive will say that the artwork is a “genuine print by Picasso of a limited edition that is hand-signed in crayon from a private collection.” Of course it was not hand-signed by the artist and it comes from his private collection of “art books” but that’s just a technicality. I imagine that he gets lots of positive feedback because the price is right and he delivers the art quickly. Everyone is happy, until they try to sell it later on.

There are 1000’s of these type of listings on Ebay and other websites. If you are a serious collector, you will have to spend more than a few dollars to get a signed print. If you don’t care whether it’s real or not, then buy the cheapest print offered. Heck you can just buy a poster print and even sign the artist’s name yourself. Then you cut out the middleman altogether. I’ve been an art collector for 30 years and know all the tricks. Do your homework and watch out for the obvious signs. Spotting the fakes is an art unto itself.

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 has authored 6 books and a novel, “Pursuit of the Phoenix.” His latest book is, “Inside the Yellow Pages” which can be seen at his website, http://www.poweradbook.com Currently, he is the Marketing Director for http://www.thenurseschoice.com a Health Information and Doctor Referral