Posted By:
Corey R. ShanusI agree that the ethics exhibited by the book dealer in the example you describe are putrid. However, throughout the collectibles universe the adage has to be don't do something unless you either have the expertise to know a fair price or have consulted someone who does and who has no economic interest in what you do. Collectibles is a microcosm of the business world in general, where there will always be no shortage of unscrupulous people and where the only real protection is knowledge. A collector looking to put together a collection of anything will in the end pay too much for many items as well as buy a few fakes if he/she relies exclusively on what the sellers are saying. So if a well-heeled individual ends up paying multiples more for a Spalding book than it is reasonably worth, I would say the lack of ethics exhibited by the seller is matched by the abundance of stupidity shown by the buyer.
Edited for spelling (thanks Barry)