Got a call, some time back from an old campaigner who’d purchased a drawing on an online auction-like site. Said he’d paid over $800 for it and wanted to know “if its real”.

“Hmm,” I thought. Why in the dickens didn’t he call first to ask. Most of the time I don’t have the luxury of being at my computer just when someone calls for help. But he was a kindly sort of fellow, and I WAS at my computer. So, I bit the hook.

I, gently as I could, explained the drawing he bought is a forgery. His response was, ” how the #$%&! do you know!?”.

Wow, that was a fine howdy-do from someone to whom I am trying to give assistance and comfort. It was, to be sure, kind of an abusive
response. But fate was on my side.

I said, “I’ll tell you how I know; the original is on our lab wall!” It was quite satisfying to give him that news factoid.

He instantly became quite humble once again and asked me what he might do.

That, of course, is the reason for dragging you through the story points here.

CALL US FIRST! Please, for heaven’s sake, don’t get caught unarmed without the facts and information you need to
make an informed decision.

We can’t see everything. For instance, I just examined a few really nice- looking watercolor paintings that were ostensibly from a Disney feature film. Nice but not from or used in the making of any Disney film! But our tests could not have been done by eye alone. It took some delicate chemical testing here in the Lab to REALLY know. Having the actual art in hand made it possible to concretely affirm the authenticity of the watercolor paintings.

So, pay attention and ask questions. If you’re not sure we’re always here to help.