Teaching moments

[1880nonsports]

what do YOU come here for? It is after all an internet chat room about autographs. I have a couple of autographs and a few baseball cards among my holdings. I know a fair amount about tobacco cards, packs, and advertising. I might get 3/4 emails a month questioning the values, attributes, and vagueries about those items. I also participate on the non-sports forum. I can't think of one time I held back proprietary information gleaned over 20 years in response to a reasonable inquiry. I come to a FORUM - to laugh, cry, bitch, and share information with others. From your side holding back information so that the forger of whatever items doesn't get smarter is silly to me - if people keep outing the balls and they stop selling - I would think the sophisticated forger would be able to figure it out or perhaps move on to the next autograph. I don't suppose they're walking around with a T shirt saying I'M THE FORGER and they might even attend the national or trade shows or whatever and be UNKNOWN to the people they are talking with - maybe even broaching the subject of forged auto's and "what's wrong with them". I would think that forgers generally would have been involved in the hobby itself and most likely still are - as they continue to need the "tools" such as photos, balls, bats, and the rest.... At the very least I guess it comes down to you knowing something may be no good - and the friends with whom you share - but leaving the other members of the community holding the bag if an item came around...... I do agree that there are things I might share with friends and not with others and that ANYONE in ANY hobby should be doing most of the requisite work themselves as it's never up to others to do the work you should be responsible for yourself. I just think that the world would be a smaller place if like the Amish perhaps - we think of others before ourselves. No ill will here and sorry for the rather scrambled reply as it's late and I lost my ass tonight :-) I just hate the thought of scumbags taking advantage of anyone......