Questions collectors ask

The authentication lab for collectibles. A named specialist examines your piece in hand, applies a serial-numbered tamper-evident hologram seal, and publishes the signed verdict with the evidence as a permanent public record that anyone can open from the seal. From Rinkya, in Japan since 2001.

Rinkya is the Japan buying and shipping service that has served collectors worldwide since 2001. Rinkya Authentic is its newer authentication platform, built on the same specialists, relationships and market presence.

Animation art (Japanese and Western), whiskey, vintage toys and figures, books and manga, luxury goods, musical instruments, and original artwork registered by the artist. Each category has its own specialist and its own grading standard. What we authenticate →

A named specialist whose name and credentials sit on every record. Japan collectibles are examined by Heather Russell, the only US AAA-accredited appraiser for Japanese animation art; US and Western collectibles by independent partner specialists such as Nico Collin. No anonymous graders, no initials hidden behind a brand. Meet the specialists →

Yes. Rinkya holds a Japanese secondhand dealer licence (古物商許可 no. 452540011179) and has operated in Japan since 2001.

Send photos and details first. We tell you whether it is something we handle, which package fits, and if we can already see it will not pass, we say so before you ship anything. That first look is free. What it does not include is a written opinion with the reasoning behind it, which is what a Photo Review ($50) is for. Then you ship the piece, the specialist examines it, the verdict and grade are written, the record is published, and the seal goes on the piece. When shipping is not practical, a Remote Examination by live video produces a public record marked remote, with no grade and no seal. Submit a piece →

Not for a first read. A Photo Review ($50) is a written professional opinion with the reasoning behind it, signed and sent as a PDF, yours to keep. See one → It is a different thing from the free check at submission, which only tells you whether we handle the piece and which package fits. A Remote Examination ($175) is one live video call and produces a public record marked remote, not a seal. Both count toward a full certificate later. A full certificate needs the piece in hand, because the seal and the record are tied to the physical object. See the packages →

You get an estimated turnaround at intake, and you can follow the status of your submission on the platform from the moment it is accepted. An appraisal adds at least two weeks on top of authentication.

Shipping instructions and the address arrive with your accepted submission. Artwork gets a ship-kit sent to you, with three-way US shipping included; for other collectibles we quote shipping once we have seen the piece.

Yes. Pieces are examined at our offices in Japan and in the US, and your shipping instructions point you to the right one.

Yes. Bulk pricing applies to collections of three or more pieces and is quoted after we see the work; mention the quantity in your submission.

Only as part of examining the object it is on. Signatures, stamps and inscriptions are assessed on their own axis of the verdict, but there is no signature-only service.

You get the honest verdict: "Inauthentic", with the evidence that drives it, or "Inconclusive" when the evidence cannot support an attribution. The fee pays for the examination, not for a particular answer, so it is the same whatever the outcome. If you are unsure whether a piece will pass, start with a Photo Review ($50): it credits toward a certification for 90 days. How verdicts are written →

Authentication $250, Advanced $350, Laboratory from $500; these are base rates and additional charges may apply. A Remote Examination is $175 and a Photo Review $50, both credited toward a certificate later. An appraisal is from $650 all-in with authentication, or from $575 with a remote examination. Packages and pricing →

Authentication is the full hands-on examination: specialist review, evidence photos, condition grade, the hologram seal and the permanent public record. Advanced adds UV and microscopy captures and archival repacking. Laboratory adds scientific materials testing, material and pH documentation, and archival cleaning.

UV fluorescence can reveal repairs, varnishes, inks, and material differences that aren't visible under normal light, without damaging the item. Magnification documents linework, pigment behavior, printing patterns, paper and film texture, and signs of alteration; the micrographs become part of the permanent record.

Museum-grade, acid-free, breathable materials selected for the specific item: inert sleeves, custom supports, non-reactive enclosures. Advanced and Laboratory include archival repacking by default. On the Authentication package, items are only opened or repacked if required, and we contact you first. For animation cels, the housing standard is published in full: Archival housing of animation cels →

A display background is an original visual created exclusively for display. Not a production background, not a reproduction, and not affiliated with or endorsed by the studio. The cel itself is the authenticated production artifact; the background is a complementary visual presentation, included with the Advanced package.

The listed prices are base rates that cover the standard scope of each tier. Unusually complex handling, oversized pieces, extra research, or testing beyond what the tier includes can cost more, and we always send an estimate first; you are never charged more without your approval.

If you have ever bought an animation cel through Rinkya, one artwork is authenticated free, to exactly the same standard as a paid submission; you pay shipping and a $25 handling fee for the materials. How to claim it →

Verdicts use the attribution scale auction houses and accredited appraisers use, on three axes: who made it, whether the markings are genuine, and the physical condition. "By" is the highest certainty; "Attributed to" means probably by the named entity, with some uncertainty; "Inconclusive" is a real verdict we issue when the evidence supports nothing more. The full scale →

An S to F grade set by the examining specialist against our own objective, in-house rubric for that category: a published, point-based standard, so what counts as a defect on an animation cel is judged differently from a sealed whiskey bottle or a first-edition manga. Condition flags record structural issues separately. The grade sits on the record next to the evidence photos. Grading standards →

Yes, when it is observed. Vinegar syndrome is the breakdown of the cellulose acetate base, and the acetic acid it releases is its earliest sign. When the smell is strong and unmistakable at examination, the record carries the condition flag "Vinegar syndrome (strong acetic odour)". A faint smell is not recorded, because the paint layer can carry one. The damage it causes, warping, paint cracking, bloom and layers stuck to each other, is recorded by its own flags, without attributing a cause. No stage or level is assigned: no single examination can establish one, and the acid-detecting strip reading that earlier editions of our standards used was withdrawn in September 2026. The housing standard states why, and what to do with a piece that is already degrading. A cel that reaches us with a strong vinegar smell is examined in full and its record is published, but it is not sleeved and no seal is applied until it has been treated by a conservator; we refer to Cel Oasis in Osaka. Tell us before you ship, so it travels unsealed and is kept apart from other cels on arrival.

What the piece is housed in, and what to do with one that is already degrading: Archival Housing of Animation Cels →

No. A remote examination is by live video, and condition cannot be examined that way: no grade is given, and vinegar syndrome, which is found by smell, cannot be checked at all. Every remote record says so on its page. No seal is issued for a remote examination: a Rinkya seal is applied only to a piece examined in hand. If the piece later comes to us in hand and shows vinegar syndrome, the record is revised to say what was found.

The specialist who examined the piece, the verdict, the condition grade, the evidence photographs and the seal number. The owner is private by default and is named only if you choose to be. Records are public but deliberately not indexed by search engines: the seal or the label number is the way in.

No. The permanent public record linked from the seal on the piece is the certificate, and it cannot be lost, forged or separated from the item.

No. The record is permanent, and it is anchored so that any later change is detectable and anyone can verify it, forever, without asking us. If new evidence ever revises an opinion, the revision is recorded on the same record; nothing is quietly rewritten or removed.

The sleeve wears out and gets replaced. Replacing it disturbs the seal, which retires the number: a seal that can move between objects proves nothing. The record is not lost. The examination holds detail no forger has, so the piece can be matched back to it and re-sealed under a new number. Contact us before you replace the sleeve so we can advise you on the method and update your record. If a seal is already broken when it reaches us, the piece has to be examined again, and re-certification carries a fee.

Contact the specialist named on the record. Each opinion is that specialist's professional judgment, based on the evidence available at the time, and independent specialists may reach different conclusions; Rinkya can help mediate.

Scan the hologram seal, or enter the label number on the verify page. The record must open on this site (a redirect anywhere else is a red flag) and must match the piece in front of you: description, photographs, condition grade and specialist. Any sign the seal was removed or reapplied is a reason to ask questions before buying. Verify a record →

The seal is serial-numbered and tamper-evident, and the record shows evidence photographs of that exact piece, so a seal on the wrong object does not match its own record. Forensic documentation captured during the examination is kept off the public record, so the specialist can settle any duplicate or dispute against details no public photograph reveals.

Contact us with the record number, your reasons and your proof. The specialist named on the record compares the piece against the forensic documentation kept on file, and the record is corrected if the evidence warrants it. authentic@rinkya.com

If you are a Rinkya customer, yes, and at no charge: send the listing to Rinkya support and we look at it before you bid. Anyone else can order a Photo Review ($50), a written professional opinion from the photos, which credits toward a certification for 90 days. Buy from Japan via Rinkya ↗

On the marketplace. Every listing is a certified piece sold together with its permanent public record, so you can read the specialist, the evidence and the verdict before you make an offer. Browse the marketplace →

Yes, two ways. Consign it: we authenticate every accepted piece at no charge as part of preparing it for sale, you pay nothing, the buyer pays a 20% premium when it sells, and you are paid in USD. Or, for partners and artists on the platform, list it from its record page on the marketplace, where the listing and the record live together; listing is free for your first year. Consign → · Sell →

Yes, for Japanese animation art only, the category our appraiser is accredited in: a signed, USPAP-compliant appraisal by an Accredited Member of the Appraisers Association of America prepared to the standard insurers, courts and the IRS require (Form 8283, donations over $5,000). From $650 all-in with authentication; an examination is always included, and if it comes back inconclusive or negative no appraisal is issued and the appraisal is not charged. We decline appraisals on pieces we own, sell or consign, and we cannot appraise a piece you bought through Rinkya for a charitable deduction. About appraisals →

Only if you meet our criteria. Category specialists apply and are vetted. Those accepted commit to our standards for what a specialist is and how a piece is examined, agree to the platform rules, then certify under their own brand, at their own rates, on the same seals, records and verify chain. Rinkya runs the platform, technology, records and logistics. Founding partners get the first year free. Specialists & artists →

Yes. An artist registers original works at creation, so the record exists from the day a piece leaves the studio and a fake can never claim it. Founding artists get the first year free. Register your art →