Tips to identify valuable autographs, how to authentic them by their paper and ink color and what makes certain autographs more collectible such as a signed baseball vs. a letter.
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by Dr. Lori Verderame
Tips to identify valuable autographs, how to authentic them by their paper and ink color and what makes certain autographs more collectible such as a signed baseball vs. a letter.
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I understand that Masterpiece Technologies, Inc. (“Producer”) is producing video/web/YouTube series tentatively entitled “Ask Dr. Lori LIVE” (the “Program”), and that Producer would like for me to voluntarily participate in the production of the Program and engage in all activities associated with my participation in the Program (the “Activity”). In connection with my participation in the Activity, I hereby grant to Producer the right to take motion and still pictures of me and record my voice and any sounds made by me, and to obtain other information about me (and any third-parties appearing in the background, foreground or otherwise), including but not limited to name, likeness, photograph, voice, dialogue, sounds, biographical information, personal characteristics and other personal identification (collectively, the “Footage and Materials”), and to use the Footage and Materials in and in connection with the development, production, distribution and exploitation of the Program and any other production, and in the advertisements, merchandising, publicity, and promotions for the Program, any other production and for any entity that may sponsor, advertise in or exhibit in any manner the Program, the Footage and Materials, or any other production (the “Advertisements”). The Footage and Materials, the Program, and the Advertisements may be exploited throughout the universe at any time, in perpetuity, in any and all media, now known and hereafter devised, without any monetary compensation to me whatsoever. The rights granted herein shall also include the right to edit, delete and dub the Footage and Materials, the Program, and the Advertisements as Producer sees fit in Producer’s sole discretion.
I agree to participate in connection with the production of the Program and related materials as and to the extent requested by Producer on such dates and at such locations as Producer shall designate in its sole discretion, and which dates and locations Producer may change in its sole discretion. The Footage and Materials shall also include any and all material that I may create, write, provide or contribute to in connection with the Program at any time, including, without limitation, personal journals, photographs, webisodes, vlogs, blogs, video diaries, e-mails, text/picture messages, and promotional/advertising spots for the Program, the exhibitor of the Program, its advertisers and sponsors, and any of their respective products and services. Producer shall be the sole and exclusive owner of all rights (including, without limitation, copyrights) in and to the Footage and Materials. Any and all such Footage and Materials shall be deemed “works made for hire” specially ordered as part of a motion picture or other audio-visual work, and I waive the exercise of any “moral rights,” “droit moral,” and any analogous rights, however denominated, in any jurisdiction of the world, which I have. To the extent I retain any interest in the Footage and Materials, I hereby grant and assign to Producer all rights of any nature in and to all such Footage and Materials.
Producer has no obligation to me whatsoever. Without in any way limiting the foregoing, I acknowledge and agree that Producer is under no obligation to select me to participate in the Activity or to include the Activity or the Footage and Materials in the Program. If Producer deems necessary, I agree to negotiate in good faith additional waivers and release agreements, as requested by Producer or any of their licensees, successors or assigns.
I represent and warrant the following: (a) I have all necessary licenses, permits and other consents (if any) required to participate in the Activity and/or the Program and to provide the Materials to Producer and (b) My appearance in the Program is not a performance and is not employment and is not subject to any union or guild collective bargaining agreement, and does not entitle me to wages, salary, corporate benefits, unemployment or workers’ compensation benefits, or other compensation under any such collective bargaining agreement or otherwise.
I understand that it may be a federal offense, unless disclosed to Producer prior to the exhibition of the Program, if any, to do any of the following: (a) give or agree to give any member of the production staff and anyone associated in any manner with the Program or any representative of Producer any portion of my compensation or anything else of value to arrange my appearance in the Program or the Advertisements; or (b) accept or agree to accept anything of value to promote any product, service or venture on the air or to use any prepared material containing such a promotion. I represent and warrant that I gave nothing of value nor did I agree to give anything of value to anyone so I could be in the Program or the Advertisements. I know that Producer does not permit it and that it may be a federal offense not to tell Producer if I had. I shall notify Producer and any network on which the Program will air immediately if any person attempts or has attempted to induce me to do anything in violation of the foregoing or which is in any way dishonest.
I understand that I will not be paid for participating in the Activity, for appearing in the Program, in the Advertisements, and in the Footage and Materials, for giving Producer the rights listed in this Agreement, or for Producer’s exercise of any and all of the rights listed in this Agreement. I hereby waive any and all rights I may have to any compensation whatsoever. I acknowledge and agree that a significant element of the consideration I am receiving under this Agreement is the opportunity for publicity that I will receive if Producer includes the Footage and Materials in the Program or in the Advertisements. I know Producer will incur significant costs and expenses in reliance upon this Agreement, so I will not attempt to cancel it or to revoke any of the rights granted to Producer herein. I acknowledge that I am a volunteer and that I shall not be deemed to be an employee of Producer, nor shall I be entitled to the benefits provided by Producer to its employees. To the extent that I receive anything of value in connection with the Program, including but not limited to goods and services, I shall be responsible for all taxes and other obligations that are or may become due from me.
I understand that in and in connection with the Program, I may reveal or relate, and other parties (including, without limitation, other participants, Producer, the host of the Program (if any)) may reveal or relate information about me of a personal, private, surprising, embarrassing or unfavorable nature, and that my actions and the actions of others participating in the Program may be embarrassing or of an otherwise unfavorable nature that may be factual or fictional. I further understand that my appearance, depiction, and portrayal in and in connection with the Program or otherwise, and my actions and the actions of others displayed in and in connection with the Program or otherwise, may be disparaging, defamatory, embarrassing or of an otherwise unfavorable nature, may expose me to public ridicule, humiliation or condemnation, and may portray me in a false light. I acknowledge and agree that Producer and any entity that sponsors, advertises in, exhibits or otherwise exploits the Footage and Materials, the Program or any other production, and any of their licensees, successors and assigns, shall have the right (but not the obligation): (a) to include any such information and any such appearance, depiction, portrayal, actions and statements in the Program or in any other exhibition or exploitation of the Footage and Materials, and in any and all Advertisements; and (b) to exhibit, broadcast and otherwise exploit the Footage and Materials, the Program, and the Advertisements containing any such information and any such appearance, depiction, portrayal or actions. I understand and acknowledge that, while such conduct might otherwise constitute an actionable tort, I have freely and knowingly consented to such conduct. The waivers, releases and indemnities in this Agreement and any other agreement that I have executed or that I may execute in connection with the Program and any other production expressly apply to any such inclusion and exploitation.
As used herein, “Producer” shall include Producer, its licensees, successors and assigns, and each of their respective parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates, and each of their respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees, agents, representatives, successors, licensees and assigns. I agree that Producer may license, assign, and otherwise transfer this Agreement and all rights granted by me to Producer under this Agreement to any person or entity.
Producer, its affiliates and employees and Dr. Lori are not responsible for judgments and decisions made based on the information provided.
This Agreement shall be interpreted under the internal, substantive law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania without regard to the conflicts of law provisions thereof. This is the complete and binding agreement between Producer and me, and it supersedes all prior understandings and communications, both oral and written, with respect to its subject matter. The illegality, invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this Agreement shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of any of the remainder of this Agreement, which shall be enforced to the maximum extent permitted by law. This Agreement cannot be terminated, rescinded or amended, except by a written agreement signed by both Producer and me. This Agreement may be executed by original, facsimile or electronic signature. Any signed copy of this Agreement delivered by facsimile or electronic transmission shall for all purposes be treated as if it had been delivered containing my original signature, and shall be binding upon me in the same manner as though an original signed copy had been delivered.
If participant is under eighteen years of age: I represent and warrant that I am the parent or guardian of the minor whose name appears above. I acknowledge that I have read the foregoing Agreement and am familiar with each and all of the terms contained therein, I am satisfied that the Agreement is fair and equitable, and I hereby give my express consent to its execution by my child/ward and will not revoke my consent at any time. I hereby release the Released Parties (as defined above) from any claims and causes of action I may have against them of any nature whatsoever. I hereby fully and unconditionally guarantee the performance of my child’s/ward’s obligations and the grant of rights in and to the results and proceeds of my child’s/ward’s activities as set forth above.
This service is provided as an information and advice resource. All information provided is the opinion of the appraiser at the time the information is given to the client. Judgments and decisions made by users are the responsibility of each user. Information provided is used at the user’s own risk. Masterpiece Technologies Inc., its affiliates, and employees are not responsible for judgments and decisions made based on the advice provided.
One person per account.
No refunds, No credits, No pausing, No upgrades.
Service begins at date and time of payment.*
Service ends at 11:59 pm eastern time on the expiration date.
There is no limit to the number of submissions you can make each day during your service period.
Dr. Lori’s email responses to you about your submissions will include:
Values and related information provided are based on current market conditions at the time of the request.
Advice provided based on user’s submissions derives from expert knowledge and experience.
‘Priority Ask Dr. Lori’ service cannot be transferred, sold, or willed.*
Keeping track of the information provided is the responsibility of the user.
Backup copies or lost copies will not be provided.
Each submission may only reference one object per submission form.
Response times may vary.
Masterpiece Technologies Inc., its affiliates, and employees have the right to refuse to address any submission or part thereof at their discretion.
Masterpiece Technologies Inc. is not responsible for any problems caused by internet connections, devices, access issues related to its website, etc. We do not provide technical support.
Users must be able to use email, complete a web form, and attach images.
Gift Service recipients agree to all above terms and conditions upon use of the ‘Priority Ask Dr. Lori’ service.
*excludes Gift Services
Updated November 16, 2024
You may use cameras on your cell phone, tablet, or personal computer’s webcam. They are all acceptable methods. Of course, any digital camera will work too.
Many devices such as cell phones, tablets, personal computers, etc. allow you to select the size of the file before you email it. Most will even prompt you to reduce the file size before you hit ‘Send’.
If you are using a personal computer, try right-clicking on the photo file with the mouse and then selecting the ‘Email’ or ‘Sent to’ feature. You will most likely be prompted to select a smaller file version of the photograph that is acceptable for our review. We do not need large files and it only slows the Online Appraisal review process. Try keeping the size of the file to 800 pixels across or under 0.5 MB in size.
You can also try opening your photo in your computer’s image editing program (“Microsoft Office Picture Manager”, “Imaging for Windows”, “Photoshop”, “PhotoDraw”, “Paint Shop Pro”, etc.). Then, use a resize, resample or rescale menu command to reduce the size of the image’s width or height (in pixels, inches, percent, etc.). Also, when saving the file as a “.jpeg”, select a smaller file size or lower quality when prompted or use an options menu during the save file process when provided. Remember too that the resolution for the images should be between 72-96 dpi, not 300 dpi.
You may take previously shot photographs or prints to many camera shops, major pharmacy and grocery stores where you can use a scanner in their stores to place the images onto a portable memory device or have them uploaded to a server where you can access them. Usually the staff at these stores are more than willing to help you with this process.
You may also consider taking a photograph of the photo using your cell phone, tablet, or digital camera.
Dr. Lori’s online appraisals are based on actual sales records where similar pieces actually sold. Actual sales record(s) are part of the Online Appraisal document that Dr. Lori prepares. This information alerts you to locations where people have bought similar items like yours.
This is our Online Appraisal agreement. If you are interested in an Online Appraisal, you must read and agree to the appraisal terms below.
After we receive your information on the item, we will contact you at the email address that you provided concerning our acceptance to proceed and regarding payment methods.
This is our proposal for an Online Appraisal which includes actual sales records when agreed to by the client, It will constitute a binding agreement between Masterpiece Technologies Inc. (who represents Dr. Lori) and the client.
We understand that the purpose of this appraisal is to determine the fair market value of the antique, collectible, or artwork. In preparing this Online Appraisal, we will consider various factors based on our expertise including but not limited to the condition of the piece, recent sales of comparable pieces, age, provenance, and basic physical condition.
If we agree to complete the Online Appraisal based on a digital image(s), we will prepare an appraisal report to include the following information: Artist/Maker, Title, Medium/Materials, Date/Time period, Description/Identification, Condition, Dimensions/Size, Expert Evaluation, Comparable Sales Record, Current Retail Appraised Value. The report will be based on the information ascertained from research and analysis in support of the appraiser’s opinion.
The Online Appraisal Report will be emailed to you within the specified report delivery time that you selected when making payment. You may choose to receive your online appraisal report within 10 days at no additional fee or within 5 days or within 3 days for an additional fee as outlined when making payment. The report will be sent to you no later than 11:59 pm eastern time on your due date. We will email the report to you at the email address that you provided.
If you requested additional sales records after you received your Online Appraisal Report, those additional sales records will be provided to you no more than 10 days after the receipt of your payment for the additional sales records. We reserve the right to refuse to appraise any item.
If you purchased our Online Appraisal Report, you will receive an email containing instructions to access your Online Appraisal Report. If no inquiry about receipt of a purchased Online Appraisal Report is received by our offices in fifteen (15) days after payment is made, it will be assumed that the client received the Online Appraisal Report. Clients are responsible for securing and keeping any Online Appraisal Report information. Backup copies or lost copies of Online Appraisal Reports will not be provided.
We do not provide technical support.
This proposal is subject to the following conditions, which are expressly made a part of the agreement for appraisal services:
The appraiser has no present or contemplated future interest in the property being appraised and neither the employment of the appraiser nor the compensation paid to the appraiser is contingent upon the appraisal value of said item.
The appraiser has no bias with respect to the subject matter or parties involved in any sale (if applicable).
All conclusions and opinions concerning the appraisal that are set forth in the report were prepared by the appraiser whose name appears in the appraisal report, unless otherwise indicated. No change of any item in the report shall be made by anyone other than the appraiser and the appraiser shall have no responsibility for any unauthorized change.
Any sketch and/or photograph may show approximate dimensions and is not to be used as an exact measurement unless otherwise indicated.
The appraisal assumes that there are no hidden conditions and the appraiser assumes no responsibility for the same.
Information, estimates, and opinions furnished to the appraiser and contained in the report were obtained from sources considered reliable and believed to be true and correct. No responsibility for the accuracy of items furnished to the appraiser by other parties may be assumed by the appraiser.
Neither all, nor any part of the content of the report, or copy thereof, shall be used for any purposes by anyone but the client specified in the report without previous written consent of the appraiser.
If applicable, appraisals are subject to satisfactory completion of repairs or restoration and value conclusions are contingent upon completion of the improvements in a workmanlike manner.
The appraiser has no interest in the item appraised and the appraiser has not made any offer to buy the item appraised.
The appraisal value does not guarantee a selling price for item appraised. The value is based on research and expertise and remains the opinion of the appraiser. The Online Appraisal, additional sales records, and other opinions provided do not constitute a guarantee of sale.
In the event that an error is made in the appraisal, the liability of the appraiser and Masterpiece Technologies Inc. shall be limited to the amount of the fee paid for the appraisal. The fair market value has been defined as the price at which a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither under any compulsion to buy or sell, without the necessity of a forced sale and commensurate with the market in which the item most commonly sells and with both parties having reasonable knowledge of the relevant facts agree on the sale price of the item. This appraisal reflects the appraiser’s opinion of the fair market value which has been established by rarity, comparability to similar items in the current market being offered and sold at private galleries and public auctions, published sales records, desirability, condition, and recent market trends.
Your agreement constitutes a binding agreement between Masterpiece Technologies Inc. and you, the client.
Respectfully submitted,
MASTERPIECE TECHNOLOGIES INC.
P.O. Box 188
Trumbauersville, PA 18970
I accept the proposal for an Online Appraisal and I authorize Masterpiece Technologies Inc. to proceed with this appraisal.
The client acknowledges that you have read this agreement, understand it and agree to be bound by it. The client further agrees that it is the complete and exclusive statement of agreement between you and Masterpiece Technologies Inc. concerning the Online Appraisal. Please print this agreement for your records.
The Online Appraisal is furnished to the client for your use at your own risk. The client has no remedy for damages. Specific appraisers and Masterpiece Technologies Inc. will not be held liable and the client will have no remedy for damages for any claim of any kind whatsoever concerning the client’s use of the appraisal regardless, of legal theory, and whether arising in tort or contract. In no event will Masterpiece Technologies Inc. be liable to the client for any special, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages of any kind including but not limited to compensation, reimbursement, or damages on account of the loss of present or prospective profits or for any other reason whatsoever.