Except the auction house is next door to a well known car thief's garage, the news is full of stories about a string of car thefts, and someone tells you those cars are probably stolen making it crime to buy.
Or if Hobby Lobby hadn't publicly accepted that these actions were illegal.
That said, knowingly buying counterfeits is illegal. If you have good reason to suspect it's counterfeit before buying, you could be charged.
Not bad for hobby lobby, damned if they do and dammed if they don’t.
Do you want to explain why they also purchased artifacts from private dealers in the United Arabs Emirate? Or how Christie's is responsible for their illegal import of the Gilgamesh Tablet?
>Not bad for hobby lobby, damned if they do and dammed if they don’t.
I assume that is why they already accepted their guilt and paid a three million dollar fine.
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/05/hobby-lobby-fine-i...
Besides, I think the negative sentiment towards them is obviously politically driven, and not some genuine concern for artifact provenance and ownership.
About a third of the time. That's why modern paintings are more valuable than older ones.