NEW CALIFORNIA LAW MAY STOP SALE OF ALL AUTOGRAPHED MEMORABILIA - Effective January 1st, 2017, a new California law, Assembly Bill 1570, now requires extensive documentation and Certificates of Authenticity for "all autographed items." This may mean that anyone selling an album signed by The Beatles or an autographed Jimi Hendrix photograph is required to have specific information and protocols for a legal sale.
"This is of concern for anyone selling on eBay.com and auction house organizers," says Stephen M.H. Braitman, an Accredited Senior Appraiser in music memorabilia with the American Society of Appraisers and the owner of MusicAppraisals.com, "Signatures of famous musicians and artists often bring extremely high prices, and the motivation is there to fake a scrawl." Legislators have said that small business booksellers and dealers should not worry, as they were not targeted by the law. The intent is to stop sellers of counterfeit items and specifically those who "principally" sell autographed items.
Some of the necessary requirements now needed to sell autographed items includes a description of the collectible and the name of the personality who autographed it, the original purchase price and date of sale or a separate invoice setting forth that information, a warranty of the authenticity of the collectible, information to include the last four digits of the dealer's resale certificate number from the State Board of Equalization and more.
Braitman further explained that anyone who sells an autographed item must display the following notice in proximity to where the item is located: "Sale of Autographed Memorabilia: as required by law, a dealer who sells to a consumer any memorabilia described as being autographed must provide a written certificate of authenticity at the time of sale. This dealer may be surety bonded or otherwise insured to ensure the authenticity of any collectible sold by this dealer." The complete list of requirements are listed on https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
About Music Appraisals 82154: Stephen M.H. Braitman provides professional and credible music memorabilia appraisals services, a process that results in a document that is officially recognized for insurance, tax, property issues, and other legal considerations. From fair market value assessments, to IRS paperwork for donations, and insurance requirements, MusicAppraisals.com is certified for expertise, accuracy and professionalism.
For media inquiries, please contact Stephen H.M. Braitman at 415-897-6999 or braitman@musicappraisals.com
