Quote:
Originally Posted by rhettyeakley
Obviously in this case Fred made a mistake and that is fine, nobody is upset with him about it, nor should they be. Mistakes happen all the time, I know because I’m usually the one making them!
As far as outing auctions go... one of the most enjoyable aspects of collecting is finding a deal or getting a great item for a good deal. Often times that deal was found because of knowledge you possess that has taken time and research to gain, sometimes it is just luck. If you spend hours a day scouring eBay rabbit-holes just to have someone else post your findings to a community board where someone with deeper pockets swoops in and outbids you... that is super frustrating.
Also, I have never understood the thought process that somehow the Consignor is somehow “owed” or “deserves” top dollar for their item, especially if they have no idea what it is or why it is worth money. There is nothing sacred about their claim any more than the collector that is looking to purchase an item and SURPRISE would love to find something for a good deal.
If anybody was at an antique show (not a baseball card show) and they were going through a paper dealers stuff and found a nice card or item (say for example something like a small stack of Old Judge cards with a Deacon White and Bid McPhee in there) and the seller was asking $20/each for the cards... every person that knows would buy that stack of cards right then and there. The reality is that that dealer probably paid far less then what they were selling them for, there is no sacred duty to help that collector/dealer to maximize returns.
That being said, I reserve the right to break my rules at times. I have been the one to point out something to a seller that they may not have known as a favor (usually I know them or consider them a friend.) I have also done the opposite as well, I was once at a paper show and found a valuable autograped postcard that I later sold for $1500-2000 or so in a stack of postcards with a $10 price. I was toying with idea in my head that maybe I should say something BUT the dealer was so rude to everyone during the 20 Minutes I was at his table I just paid for the item and walked away with a nice find.
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A few months ago, an elderly neighbor called me to look at some mail she received. Her husband died a few months ago and she received a letter in the mail from some sketchy real estate company offering to buy her house in cash immediately. For about half of what it was worth. I guess this is a business angle. Comb the obituaries and find widows who are floundering financially and try to get their home for about half of its fair market value.
I reviewed the letter to her and explained that these guys were trying to get her home for a fraction of what it was worth and she should throw the letter in the garbage.
Did I "out" their business model. Should I feel terrible about what I did?