Posted By:
Jeff ODavid Rudd wrote:
"So, from what I gather from this thread, Bob Lemke, editor of the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards, beleives that auction houses should not be compelled to disclose to bidders that antique or vintage items have been substantially retsored or altered in recent times, as it's the bidder's responsibility to figure it out him or herself.
Is this Sports Collectors Digest's official policy, or it just your personal one?"
OK. I went back and re-read every post by Lemke on this longwinded thread, and I can't find a post in which he states anything like what you are implying, David. While his "buyer beware" point is certainly overly casual, he never states that "auction houses should not be compelled to disclose..." as you write. Frankly I find what you wrote to be potentially libellous and your implication troubling.
For the record, I don't know Bob Lemke - never met him or spoken to him, just exchanged a few emails with him. I'm also not an expert by any stretch of the imagination in the area of 19th century material - I have no opinion either way on the piece under discussion. I just hate to see a man's reputation dragged through the mud, especially after he has already said he won't post about this issue any longer.
If I missed something in this thread that Bob wrote that matches what David implies, which is possible, I will be the first one to post an apology to David.
I'm sure that I'm going to regret ever getting involved in this one...
Jeff