Seller sues dealer/buyer for a high flip

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by JustinD

This chapter seems like a bit of a leap.

The mask is stated to be from the nineteenth century and used by a secret society that functioned until 1920, acquired by an 88 year old man's grandfather likely during the late 19th century. It's the obscurity of the origin and the materials causing value here, not age. It was likely damn near new when he received it.

Why to do we have to place an imaginary story of an oppressive Indiana Jones in a pith hat burning the village and children for their prized good luck charm when a more likely story was he probably bought it at a street market as souvenir junk at the time? Also, Gabon is easily one of the richest countries in Africa due to an incredible wealth of rare resources, it is not a bad place to be and rather lovely. If they felt in the slightest that they wanted the item, they could easily add a legal team that was outstanding...they don't give a flying f.

This is one of those rewrites in history that we love to do in modern times. Perhaps we don't assume the great evils of everyone and instead think progress would have never happened if not for the actions of the past, both good and bad.

Don't take the name of Indiana Jones in vain.

[campyfan39]

This has been a fascinating thread. My take is that if someone is selling something and asking a certain price the buyer is under no obligation to educate them on what they believe the actual value is.
It would be totally different if the buyer haggled with the seller or if a buyer tried to convince someone who had something of great value that is was not very valuable.

The Wagner in the old book at the bookstore is much more complex IMO. In that case, the seller has no idea the card is in there and that he is selling the card. Should he have been more diligent about being sure the books didn't contain anything? Perhaps. Yet also if shown the card at checkout who is to say if the dealer wouldn't recognize it for what it was?

[dbrown]

Adding in that some Gabonese people did, in fact, protest the sale in 2022. They said, with reason, that it was a stolen cultural object.

https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/2022032...-protest-gabon

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by dbrown

Adding in that some Gabonese people did, in fact, protest the sale in 2022. They said, with reason, that it was a stolen cultural object.

https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/2022032...-protest-gabon

Your article states no Gabonese people protested. It states a local French resident who claimed Gabonese descent protested with a half dozen friends. They also protested every item in the sale, not seeing anything of note in their argument that would back up Gabon was concerned.