The "auction" (for lack of a better word) is over. Look at what happened.

[Runscott]

...

[ullmandds]

you guys are right...I AM weak! and if I were going to cleveland I would be drinking...but it doesn't look like theres going to be a net54 dinner...regardless...I will be drinking at the paul mccartney concert here in the twin cities that weekend.

I will miss you all dearly!

[Runscott]

...

[drcy]

In my opinion, contributing to the profits of a company you know is acting highly unethically and breaking the law is by definition being unethical. You can tell me reasons why you do it-- and some of those reasons may contain logic and sense and I can see your practical card collecting point of view--, but those are reasons for why you are acting unethically, not reasons for why it not unethical.

And I don't want to hear theoretical comparisons of buying baseball cards to procuring bread and eggs for your starving family from an ethically challenged food industry, because we're talking about baseball cards here, something you don't have to buy. And, besides, perhaps your food buying habits should be more influenced by ethics than it is.

And pointing out that others act unethically is neither here nor there. If you and 501 others act unethically then you and 501 others act unethically. If half of collectors act unethically and the only way you can win a card is to also act unethically, then half of collectors act unethically and the only way you can win a card is to also act unethically. I understand the reasoning, but didn't see the word "ethically" once in that last sentence.

That's the way I see it. After reading the posts in the thread I certainly don't expect that everyone will agree with me.

[Runscott]

...

[Cardboard Junkie]

Originally Posted by drcy

In my opinion, contributing to the profits of a company you know is acting unethically and breaking the law is by definition being unethical. You can tell me reasons why do it-- and maybe some of those reasons contain logic and sense and I can see your practical point of view--, but those are reasons for why you are acting unethically, not reasons for why it not unethical.

And I don't want to hear theoretic comparisons to procuring bread and eggs for your starving family from an ethically challenged food industry, because we're talking about baseball cards, something you don't have to buy. And, besides, perhaps your food buying habits should be more influenced by ethics than it is.

That's the way I see it. After reading the posts in the thread I certainly don't expect that everyone will agree with me.

David, Do you mean by allowing certain sellers to advertise here or by buying from them, or both. BTW I think I agree with you.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Cardboard Junkie

David, Do you mean by allowing certain sellers to advertise here or by buying from them, or both. BTW I think I agree with you.

Hey Dave
Any time you don't like this place you can get the F--- out. It won't hurt my feelings.

[Cardboard Junkie]

Would it hurt your feelings if I stayed?

[Runscott]

...

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

Originally Posted by Cardboard Junkie

David, Do you mean by allowing certain sellers to advertise here or by buying from them, or both. BTW I think I agree with you.

Don't make this argument about something it's not. Ebay is one thing and the board is another.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by I Only Smoke 4 the Cards

Don't make this argument about something it's not. Ebay is one thing and the board is another.

Just in case you didn't notice, David won't be participating with us anymore. He had been banned once before for going completely ballistic with an extremely vile post towards me that stayed up for a few hours. He was gone for 6 mos to a year (or more) and pleaded to come back, so I said ok. Because of that he was already on a short leash. Now he is free to do what he wants, somewhere else.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by drcy

In my opinion, contributing to the profits of a company you know is acting unethically and breaking the law is by definition being unethical. You can tell me reasons why do it-- and maybe some of those reasons contain logic and sense and I can see your practical point of view--, but those are reasons for why you are acting unethically, not reasons for why it not unethical.

And I don't want to hear theoretical comparisons of buying baseball cards to procuring bread and eggs for your starving family from an ethically challenged food industry, because we're talking about baseball cards here, something you don't have to buy. And, besides, perhaps your food buying habits should be more influenced by ethics than it is.

And pointing out that others also act unethically is besides the point.

That's the way I see it. After reading the posts in the thread I certainly don't expect that everyone will agree with me.

I wouldn't go as far as David here, and I am sure I am not 100 percent consistent in life, but I do think just not doing business with people whose activities are highly suspicious is the right thing to do.

Some of the rationalizations I've seen here could be used to justify bidding in an Al Qaeda fundraiser. Then again, it wouldn't surprise me if people would do just that if they had that key card.

[drcy]

I'm neither a saint nor a zealot, though believe in calling a spade a spade. And sometimes people mistake an observation for an opinion.

My post on ethics was part personal value judgment and part logical explanation. It wasn't entirely my value judgment and certainly not a how to guide to collecting covering all ethical conundrums and gray situations, though my personal views were strongly implied.

I mean someone can agree with my definition of ethics, but think ethics are of lesser importance. I'm sure many unethical people consider themselves unethical. Some are even unapologetic about it.

[nolemmings]

Leon, with all due respect, you can shoot/ban the messenger, but I don't see how the question is invalid. Since we were just given an unsolicited opinion on who is acting ethically in the hobby, where it was suggested that any business contact with a company that itself is acting "highly unethically" and "breaking the law" (with an apparent inference that at least one and likely two specific ebay sellers identified in this thread qualify) is also unethical, how is it not fair to question the ethics of allowing these nefarious people to advertise here?