Notarized Certificates of Authenticity

Recently (2 weeks ago) I was at the National Fantasy Fan Club's Disneyana Convention in Garden Grove, California, near Disneyland. I love Disney collectibles, whether they be watches, sculptures, toys, drawings, paintings, prints, or whatever. It dawned on me when I was attending the culmination of the convention, the Show and Sale, that I got this great new idea.

I was wondering how I could connect 2 of the biggest things that I do: Collectibles and Notarizing, into a job. Then I got it: Certificates of Authenticity! Many collectibles come with Certificates of Authenticity. I put "Certificate of Authenticity Notarized" into a Google search, and a few things came up. It seems that some places already have been offering obvious stuff- like autographs of celebrities- having notarized Certificates of Authenticity, and I've also seen it with some private Artists.



What if an artist made something by hand himself, that is, sculpted some pieces with his own had and assembled the pieces by himself, for example. Like an artist's proof. Would a Certificate of Authenticity, signed by the artist, make the piece more valuable to the average collector? As a collector myself, I think so. If that Certificate of Authenticity were notarized by a Notary Public, would that make the piece even more valuable? I would venture to guess that it would, for a couple of reasons.

First, if the Artist signs a notarized Certificate of Authenticity, then the Artist also must sign the Notary Public's journal (for states that require Notaries to maintain a journal- California certainly does). In California, a Notary Public's journal is a matter of public record, and any entry in it can be researched by parties who know about the transaction.

Second, if a Certificate is notarized by the Artist, that means that the Artist is identified by the Notary Public (using acceptable identification according to state law). In the case of a Jurat certificate, the Notary must see the Artist sign the Certificate, and the Artist must take an oath stating that the contents of the Certificate are true. In the case of an Acknowledgement certificate, the Artist merely tells the Notary Public that he (or she) signed the Certificate of Authenticity, and it is not necessary for the Notary Public to see them sign the Certificate of Authenticity. (Which would you prefer for your Certificate of Authenticity for an art piece that you purchase, based on the foregoing- a Jurat or an Acknowledgement? )


If you are an artist or company in the Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale or Hollywood area, who would like to create your own Certificates of Authenticity and have them notarized to create value for your collectors, I would be happy to discuss doing business with you in that regard. I can be contacted at (323)393-5822.