[JLange]

I for one would hope that you would show your rare cards. I think the following reasons should be considered when pondering this question:

1. Community. Sharing cards on this forum is what we do. Many of us could never hope to even see some of these items, were it not for forums like this. I aspire to own many rare cards, but I will likely never have the means or opportunity to do so. Sharing and viewing the rare items on this forum is the next best thing, and connects us and makes the hobby that much more interesting and fulfilling.

2. Discovery. Think of how many threads you've read where sharing an item or piece of information has provided the next person that missing piece of the puzzle, leading to some great insight or new understanding of the origins, distribution, date of issue, or breadth of a long forgotten set of cards. Your item or information could be much bigger than you expect.

3. Authority. Ensuring that a rare card remains sight unseen until it is consigned to an auction or otherwise offered for sale, misses out on one of the great benefits of this forum - the expertise and collective wisdom that resides within its members. Your rare item may indeed be rare or even unknown - but it could also be a more common item than expected, or a fake item, or modern fantasy piece, or part of a larger display, etc. Not many items remain unidentifiable once displayed on this forum, and you will have no shortage of opinions and insight into what you may have on hand. Auction house descriptions are nice, but if hobby veterans on this forum say your item is good, and rare, and desirable, there is no better provenance!

4. Marketing. The more eyeballs you get on your item, the more publicity it gets, and the more it is desired and added to wantlists, the greater the likelihood that you will get to sell or trade the item on your terms, for the price you want. We don't know what we don't know. When we are finally made aware that something exists, we want it. Its that simple. Springing something on the hobby right when its time to sell sounds like a great idea to create buzz and build demand at the time of the auction, but think of all the bidders who you will miss, as they are completely unaware of the existence of your item, and wouldn't even know to look for it in an upcoming auction if it was not displayed here or elsewhere in public first.

There are probably other reasons to share your items, but at least these four come to mind. Show 'em, please!