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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Well I'm home for lunch, and I see this thread hasn't fallen to the second page!

Rhett, Joe McCarthy in Colgan's is a perfect example of sharing information. If someone's smart enough to ask, I usually try to share what I know. There are 3 guys now who currently, occasionally email about an eBay auction, usually asking about authenticity. I'm happy to guide them along, as best I know. That takes my time, and is a result of past effort on my part. I don't charge them. Two have, on their own, sent me a card in token of their appreciation. I value those 2 cards way beyond what the guidebooks say about their value.

Realistically a bunch of what I know I got from the labor or others, indirectly from Mr. Burdick, Mr. Egan, Mr. Bray, Sir Wharton-Tigar, Mr. Sugar, and Mr. Barker; and then from Mr. Lipset, Mr. Haber, Mr. Fritsch, Mr. Zanidakis, Mr. Heitman, Mr. MaCrae and from a few old collectors who'd prefer anonymity. I'm grateful they took time to share what they knew, both in publications, telephone calls, and face to face.

If you think you got where you are on what you've learned on your own, then read through the Acknowledgments page in the Standard Catalog. Those guys blazed a trail for you.

I think that if anyone looks back through this site, they won't find where I've 'outed' an auction. I'm not saying I won't do it...

I will keep doing "Email to a friend" when it seems appropriate to me.

Guys, it is only a tiny step to 'providing misinformation' about a card when you're standing on the stepping stone of 'keeping my hard-earned knowledge to myself'.