Quote:
Originally Posted by Snapolit1
I don't agree with any of this "outing" an auction nonsense. None of it. Entirely possible the consignor inherited the piece and had no clue what it was worth. Is there a book somewhere where I can look this photo up and see what the last three sales were? Nope.
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Steve is 100% right. Too often old collectors pass away and their families are left to dispose of hoards of material that they know nothing about. Perhaps an elderly man passed away and his widow gathered up his stuff and brought it to Swanns to auction. Had this item not been outed she would have been shortchanged by even more than she was (the photo still went cheap). The fun of the hobby is collecting, not taking advantage of people.
If I see something in an auction or on EBay that I think a friend of mine collects and might miss I always contact them; they do the same for me. Outing an auction on the board is simply an extension of this.