3 Important Reasons to Include a Certificate of Authenticity with your Art
Photo by kevin laminto on Unsplash
While there are many reasons to include a Certificate of Authenticity with the sale of your original or limited edition artwork, there are three key benefits that artists and creators should not ignore:
Professionalism. When you’re taken seriously, you increase trust—and the value of your work as one worth investing in.
Proof. Serious investors expect to receive a COA and it makes the work easier to sell.
Protection. Certificates can help protect your work from fraudulent and counterfeit reproductions.
In this article, we will explore why these three elements are so important.
Reason 1: Professionalism
If you take yourself seriously as an artist, others will too. One way to demonstrate your professionalism is to include a Certificate of Authenticity with your artwork and creations. A clear, professional Certificate lets your collectors know that they are working with a pro that cares about their business and takes the time to consider the future life of their work. They also add to the experience of acquiring an original piece, complete with appropriate paperwork and details. You may also want to consider including business cards, postcards or other marketing materials, and written thank you notes along with your Certificates.
Importantly, a professional image can lead to increased trust. For example, if you were looking to hire someone for a particular service, such as a lawyer, you would expect to see a few things at a minimum: perhaps an office with signage; a contract on letterhead; a business card; a website and biography. If the lawyer did not have these things, you may not take them as seriously. Are they professional enough and reliable enough to represent you?
It’s not so different for artists who are looking for serious collectors.
Trust is important—and often enhances the value of your work as being worth investing in.
Reason 2: Proof
Certificates give your collectors the assurance that they are acquiring an authentic, original piece of art made by you. Or, for limited edition prints, that the work is one of an intentionally limited series. This helps your collectors authenticate and trace the history of the artwork.
Your artwork has a lifespan beyond the first collector you sell it to. Experienced collectors are used to receiving Certificates, even if the intention is not to sell the work down the line. It acts as proof that this is indeed an original or limited edition work and is, in a sense, a receipt of the acquisition.
Reason 3: Protection
Chances are, you are posting images of your artwork all over the place. Instagram, Pinterest, social media, your website, marketplaces, galleries, online exhibitions, advertisements—the list goes on. In short, there are many places to promote your work and many places for fraudulent actors to obtain images of it. While this article is not meant to go into the do’s and don’ts of posting images of your work online, it is important to realize that in this day and age, it is far easier to make fraudulent copies of artwork than ever before.
Certificates help to refute counterfeits and add a layer of protection for your work—for both you and your collectors. Even if you are not selling out your collections today, you never know when that day in your career may arrive. Including Certificates with your artwork from Day One can help secure your work for years to come.
Whatever your primary motivation, there are multiple ways to get Certificates of Authenticity for your artwork.
