b'By Jim Olson,WesternTradingPost.comNobody in ArizonaW hen you have a collection of potentially valuable items, especially if they have some sort of historical significance, authentication is very important. Just to know Sells or Services your items are authentic, and not fakes or re-pops is vital even if you are not looking to sell. More RV TiresBeing able to accurately know and represent what is in our collections is important. But how do we Than Firebird Tire. go about that? The first basic rule is collectors should save any documentation, photos, and receipts from theWe Offer Mobileoriginal purchase if possible. When you buy an item, get a detailed receipt if possible. A Tire Service. detailed receipt from a reputable dealer is often considered a good form of provenance. If it is a historical item and there are photos or a paper trail of where it came from, this is extremelyWe proudly sell important. Sometimes however, items are inherited or come as gifts. But it is still necessary Pressure Pro to write down as much as you know about what was passed down with the item and save it with Tire Pressure the piece. Monitoring System The next way to get items authenticated is to find an expert in the field and reach out to them. for RVs. Getting a letter or certificate of authenticityDually Valve from a recognized leader or expert in the field is considered a good form of provenance. Talk toGetting a letter or certificate of authenticity from a recognized leader We Have On-Siteseveral if you can. Try to learn from them while Hunter Loadforce Heave Duty Scales you are at it. or expert in the field is considered a good form of provenance.HD Balancer Now h Can Weigh Heavy Duty Alignments Another good way to get authentication is to contact reputable dealers andthe difference between a Harley and a Honda from a mile away. While the Scales T at On-Site for State-of-p to 80,000 lbs.Ride Disturbance the same people that would be considered the experts from the paragraphobvious differences are pointed out. The expert knows the differences at a u collectors in the area or field that your collectible falls into. These are oftenaverage person just sees two motorcycles coming. That is until some of the Per Axle! Specializing in RV Tireabove, but it is always good to get several opinions and dealers are often theglance and can tell you the difference in price, collectabilityand why.the-Art RV Balance ones handling items similar to yours on a daily basis.Sales and InstallationOffer to pay the expert for their services. It is the right thing to do. A Diagnostic Testing. for Over 32 Years! Another way and I say this with caution, is to do your own research online.lot of experts may not charge for identifying things or giving letters of The internet is a wide and wonderful world of information. When you findcertification (in some cases perhaps if they are doing other business with items like yours, print out or save the information. However, I throw in theyou or they hope this will lead to future business), but do not expect that. Bridgestone/Firestone/Yokohama/Sumitomo/Michelin/BFGoodrichnote of caution because you will also find a lot of misleading informationFor example, if you take a car you are considering buying or selling to a on the internet. Every day people come to us with an item and say they sawmechanic for an inspection, wouldnt you expect them to charge? When one just like it online and that it was selling it for a certain amount. Firstyou take a horse to the vet for a pre-sale inspection, does he not usually off, make sure what you are seeing online is indeed, just like yours, andcharge? If someone asked you to perform whatever it is that you do for a Request a Quote, View Our Coupons, and Read Our Reviews at: secondly, remember that anyone can ask for anything online, that does notliving, wouldnt you expect them to pay for your services? Most of the time, mean that is what it actually sells for. Or even that it is actually what it is. the answer is yes. So we should expect to pay an expert for authentication FIREBIRDTIRE.COM services as well.I recommend after you do your research online, to take the information and go to a recognized expert, dealer or collector and let them help you withOne quick note about experts. Remember that if you ask 10 different identifying what you actually have, compared to what you found online.experts for an opinion, you will likely get 10 slightly different answers and maybe only half of them are very accurate! That is just human nature 623-582-9212 Why use an expert, and what makes someone an expert? It is always bestand the way of the world with peoples opinions. So do your own research. to find someone who knows what they are talking about when searchingAlso, research the experts and talk to the ones you feel you can trust. for an expert opinion. However, you should know there are a lot of self- Sometimes it is a collaboration of several sources which gives you the best professed experts out there who looked at a few pictures online and nowtotality of information.Family Owned Hours: Mon-Fri 7:00am-5:00pm think they know everything. What you are actually looking for is someone who has handled a lot of those types of items in the past and preferablyRemember that in the world of buying and selling collectibles, provenance and Operatedis still in the business of collecting them. Not only sells them but also hasis everything, especially with regards to the more rare and valuable items. 22444 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85027 studied them. They have read all the books, talked to others who are inThe better the paper trail, the more the item will sell for or will be valued Since 1986! the area of expertise, etc. etc. I like to use the analogy about a guy whoat. So search out the history, get the provenance and keep it with your Take I-17 to Deer Valley Rd. Go East to 19th Ave.really, really, knows about motorcycles. An expert on motorcycles can tellitems. It is important. then North a half mile to SW 19th Ave. and WilliamsArizonaRealCountry.com October 2019 25'