How does authenticating antiques in a digital era challenge traditional appraisal methods and affect collectors' trust?

ANSWER: The digital era introduces both high-quality reproductions and advanced forgeries, challenging the traditional tactile and visual scrutiny of antiques. With more transactions online, collectors may doubt legitimacy without physical verification. Online databases and provenance research help, but digital reliance can erode trust, requiring increased due diligence and potentially encouraging reliance on reputed experts and technologies like blockchain for authenticity confirmation.