First Copeland Collection Pedigree Emerges from the Hobby Shadows

[RCMcKenzie]

For what it's worth, I think provenance is cool, and to me, it adds value. Anyway, nice cards.

[clamendo]

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

For what it's worth, I think provenance is cool, and to me, it adds value. Anyway, nice cards.

Ironically, received this email as many have you have tonight from Heritage Auction.


Provenance.

For those not familiar with the word, what is it and how can it impact a collectible?

In the simple terms, provenance is evidence provided that establishes or documents the origin of the piece. It should never be considered a replacement for judging an item on its own merit, but it can add peace of mind and value to virtually any type of collectible.

Furthermore, there are varying ways to establish provenance that range from letters from the original source, accounts provided by someone else in the chain of custody to photo-matching. The key is evaluating the credibility of the provenance. This is where your intuition comes into play. The more complicated the story gets or the more each detail needs to be explained in order to connect the dots, the greater the credibility of the provenance comes into question.

On the other hand, when provenance is extraordinary, the collectible can separate itself from the rest of the pack because it completes the story behind the piece or, at minimum, adds to the story of how the item got here today. You can have two relatively identical items that are of the same quality on their own merit, but the factor that will often break the tie between them is credible provenance. Price premiums, sometimes enormous ones, are usually paid for the collectibles that possess it.