A sucker is born every minute!

ariel · 6th September 2007, 01:20 PM

Lew,
You are, of course, correct.
However, in defence of both the seller and, especially, the E-Bay: how do they know that you know what you are talking about? Why should the seller disregard the opinion of a professional antique dealer who has (or claims to have) the provenance of the item simply because somebody is asserting that the ID is wrong?
With E-Bay it is even stickier: by allowing outside interference one would open the door to dishonest competition. One can send an e-mail to a potential buyer asserting that an item in question is a fake, overpriced, stolen etc and offer instead something from his stock (fake,overpriced, stolen etc).
Entering free market entails risks.
Knowledge helps.
Buyer beware.
Fools part with their money all the time.
All of us certainly did, sometime or another. I have no pity for them or for our own misfortunes: this is the price of learning if one wants to make it so.
And if the naif still wants to believe that this dagger one belonged to a famous Apache chief, let him hang it on the wall next to a tomahawk stamped " Made in Taiwan". It makes no difference to him: he wants to believe and he does. He bought himself pride and happiness for $300. Cheap for the price.

6th September 2007, 01:20 PM	#3
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Lew, You are, of course, correct. However, in defence of both the seller and, especially, the E-Bay: how do they know that you know what you are talking about? Why should the seller disregard the opinion of a professional antique dealer who has (or claims to have) the provenance of the item simply because somebody is asserting that the ID is wrong? With E-Bay it is even stickier: by allowing outside interference one would open the door to dishonest competition. One can send an e-mail to a potential buyer asserting that an item in question is a fake, overpriced, stolen etc and offer instead something from his stock (fake,overpriced, stolen etc). Entering free market entails risks. Knowledge helps. Buyer beware. Fools part with their money all the time. All of us certainly did, sometime or another. I have no pity for them or for our own misfortunes: this is the price of learning if one wants to make it so. And if the naif still wants to believe that this dagger one belonged to a famous Apache chief, let him hang it on the wall next to a tomahawk stamped " Made in Taiwan". It makes no difference to him: he wants to believe and he does. He bought himself pride and happiness for $300. Cheap for the price.