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Posted By: barrysloate

I think there are different ways to look at this issue. A collector has the right to keep any information he has about rare cards, especially those in his own collection, to himself if he chooses. Some exceptions to this would be if he is asked by a major price guide to help analyze and price a set, and then leaves out key information and thus misleads collectors who depend on that information. If he chooses to keep his knowledge confidential, he should excuse himself from updating the price guide. Also, if a novice collector asks him to help appraise his collection, in the particular area of his expertise, he should not tell him his rare cards are common and then try to buy them. The distinction is when the withholding of information becomes a conflict of interest. Otherwise, a collector who has spent years researching sets and learns what is rare has every right to keep that to himself, the same way we are permitted confidentiality in all areas of our life. It's a matter of acting in good faith versus acting badly.