Antiques always fascinated me probably since my Mom worked at a local antique store for years. One day I stopped by and they got in a lot of mechanical cast iron banks. Problem was the coin door had a Philips head screw in it, so they were Chinese fakes. Then she showed me "real" ones, in quotes since those did have slotted screws and they were aged by buried in wet dirt for a time.
Growing up my Dad's (rip) best friend lived down the street, Bobby Stovall. His mother was an folk artist but didn't start painting until she was in her 60s. One day Mom called me from the antique store saying they just got in a shipment of ORIGINAL Queena Stovall paintings. She said I could buy them for cost, $40 each.
Today prints go for much more than that...imagine what the originals would be worth?
en.m.wikipedia.org
A few years ago I saw a documentary featuring an artist who painted Rembrants. I mean he painted his lost works, or simply made copies of known works. The guy was a genius who had it down to a science knowing the exact materials (wood, linen, nails), exact homemade brushes, exact paint formulas back then using plant dyes, eggs, oils, etc. Then the aging process...every detail an exact science.
The guy's adrenaline rush was taking his "Rembrandts" to world renown art museums and offered $millions after their experts verified 100% authenticity.
My point is as time goes by, prices increase, counterfeiters get better even the experts get snookered.
As one fellow said years ago if you're going to collect things you best become the world's expert in one specific thing. Even then it's not that easy.
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