T206 Titus and Bliss *cancelled*

[gregr2]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

That duct tape on the iPad looks awfully suspicious.

Made me laugh!!

[BlueSky]

It looks like he tried to crack his iPad. He might be looking to resubmit it to get a bump up to an iPad Air.

Originally Posted by frankbmd

That duct tape on the iPad looks awfully suspicious.

[dougscats]

I'm most often reserved these days, but the ethics and the dilemma are so basic in this case that I want to weigh in.

[To think or to act?]

Usually, I think something over before I bid, but this is a case where one has to bid before deliberating, else the item might be sold to someone else first. Thinking it over will have to come later.

[To make a steal?]

Many [most?] of us love the idea of getting a "steal."
But of course anytime a steal is made someone is being stolen from.
Using the term steal may be unfair, but the point is that whenever we make a great deal someone else is paying, more or less.

[In principle, does a buyer have any responsibility to a seller?]

Surely, a seller has many responsibilities to potential buyers [full disclosure, etc.]. Does it work the other way as well? I do think that Net54 is different than Ebay, even as the auctions and the membership are different. Whatever the answer, a buyer's responsibility here is something that might be thought over after bidding.
There are idealists who might well counter that one's first resonse should be to inform the seller of the actual value and warn him not to sell. But, I'd maintain that on a Net54 auction, "I'll take it" is fastest, and one can be the idealist he wants to be after he wins.

Finally, in this case, what is the fair solution?
After some thought, I thought a 50-50% compromise would be fair.
But now I'm not so sure. I know that I feel better when I do the right thing [that's me, still the pragmatist even when being principled, a cynical idealist].

I do feel that Todd has been shortchanged. I don't know how he feels, but even someone who willingly returns a wallet is usually rewarded, no?

[freakhappy]

Did someone lose a wallet...wait, what?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bigtrain]

I was up in the Cooperstown area a couple of weeks ago and had a nice time talking to long-time hobbyist Don Flewelling at his antique shop in Colliersville. Don also is the promoter of the card show at the Cooperstown VFW on Induction weekend, a very nice event. Don told me the story of a farmer who contacted him a few years ago about a stack of T206s he had inherited and was looking to sell to buy a piece of equipment. He was hoping to get about $4000 to buy the equipment. The cards were in very nice shape and the second one in the stack was a Plank. So Don could have paid the farmer $4000.00 for over $100,000.00 worth of cards. Instead, he helped the guy sell the Plank, which many of us are familiar with, for $80,000.00. Sometimes a "good deal" can be too good. I would not be comfortable buying something from an undereducated seller for 10% of its value. Better to be able to sleep at night.

[bbcard1]

With apologies for this rather long post, please, let's bring this to a close:

• I absolutely feel short changed but it's not a really big deal, sometimes things don't work out and my life is a wonderful thing. I have a serviceable set of 520 which I will continue to upgrade as I the opportunity reveals itself.

• I don't think stories like big trains have any relevance here at all here, if you do, good for you...totally different situation from years ago...and you could have probably gotten the nicest Titus in the room for $8 at that particular show.

• I own an ad agency. This past month, my company agreed to do a small research project for a client for $2000. The client made many changes in scope of the project and my company had to do a great deal of extra work. His account executive did not, in my opinion, adequately inform his that it was required a lot more effort, but in all fairness the client knew it was. We accrued over $11,500 in costs, so prior to billing, I called the marketing person and asked if we could work out a compromise. He said that he was sorry, he really should have talked more to me about it, but his boss would freak out if he came in with more than he had originally told him it would be...so we billed him $2000 with the hope we would continue to work together and try to make it up down life's road. I did it because that is what my company, and by extension myself, SAID WE WOULD DO. I had the paperwork that specified the number of revisions and such and could have billed the full amount, but chose not to because it is not the long-term way to do business.

• I feel and have always felt the Titus is radically overpriced. I could afford a $400 Titus but feel it is too much to pay for that card, regardless of what others are paying for it. For that matter, I feel like $200 is too much for the Titus and while I am sure someone would have bought if for that, it would not have been me. There have been many threads that generally concur that it is an overhyped card that is no rarer than any other T206. I bought one a few years ago that was in rough shape for $20. I upgraded it for a decent one that is off center with some back damage for $60 last year or so and decided I would wait to buy one at a price I felt good about and that if I waited long enough one would turn up...it did. That is what a collector does!

• I have no opinion on the matter of whether original seller stays on the board or not. On the one hand, I would hope anyone who has an interest would receive the enjoyment I have from the hobby, on the other hand, the only dealing I have had with him was less than honorable. I would not deal with him again.

• There is a distinct difference in my opinion between the informational section of this forum and the BST board. Again, if you see it differently we can still be friends but there's no sense in debating it.

• I appreciate Sean's offer, but it's not appropriate.

• It was dumb luck that I was first to answer and I surely wish I had not been. I have gained nothing from this crap except what I feel is unfair criticism.

• I am completely comfortable with my conduct in offering to buy a card from a dealer at a marketplace for a stated price. I have dozens upon dozens of deals completed with folks on this boards...and have gained many friends. I am also thankful for the PMs to the folks who told me they thought I had gotten hosed and that the criticisms that I had acted unethically were unfounded.

•*If the original seller was losing money, it was his own fault. I am pretty sure he paid less than he was selling if for. He was losing only conceptual profit, not money he had paid. Perhaps he should have paid the dealer he bought it from more.

• Had I gotten the card, I would have busted the slab in the first 15 minutes after receiving. It would have been put into a top load and likely stayed in my neat little T206 set box til I take my dirt nap, with the exception of occasional visits. I would have eventually done something with the card I upgraded. The last Titus I upgraded got passed along to a board member who needed it to complete his Phillies set.

• Finally to the folks that have taken a holier than thou stance, I hope you are given the opportunity to test your high valor in such a public forum in the near future.

[clydepepper]

You guys sure know how to make someone new feel welcome. What an understanding group you are.

As Leon pointed out, nobody was out any money. Take a flippin' pill and get over it.

Try not to spill your entire brain onto the threads...keep some things to yourself.

[clydepepper]

...that being said...

Is the Titus still available?

[wolf441]

Can't we just....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moSFlvxnbgk#t=60

The next person to post should have to listen to this song for 24 straight hours. And trust me, having a 10 year old daughter, you DO NOT want to listen to this song two times in a row, let along for 24 hours.

Just trying to ease the tension...