M.I.A.

[Archive]

Posted By: James Verrill

It's me, folks.

John and I have talked offline, so I don't need to cover that situation here.

Yes, www.baseballvintage.com is alive and well (more of you should register! It's free, you know). In fact, the current auction is the biggest and (arguably) best, yet.

Unfortunately, my personal life has been complicated during January, 2004. I have had little to no time to visit this board, and have been generally slow responding to emails.

I am not in the habit of sharing personal details, but I would like for you all to know why I have been "largely absent" in January.

As some of you know, I have identical infant twin daughters. One of them, Rebecca, was sick for several weeks in December, and ended up with severe pneumonia. Her breathing was very poor, so she (and I) spent 3 nights in a critical care ward at New England Medical Center's Floating hospital for children, in Boston. She is better now. Much better.

Unfortunately, my marriage is not. After 8 years of marriage, my wife and I are divorcing, and that has made January very hard on me. I am a very hands-on dad, involved in every aspect of my children's lives, and being separated from them has been traumatic. I have had to move my residence, and my business.

Yes, the January auction start date had to be changed twice. I tried very hard not to make a big deal of it, because doing so would only require people to have to listen to my personal circumstances, and that isn't fair. I try very hard to approach things professionally, be as reasonable and flexible as I can, and to keep my personal and business lives separated. Unfortunately, that is not always possible.

The bottom line, though, is that the worst is behind me, and that I am adapting to my circumstances.

The January auction is twice the size of any previous auction I have run, and the array of cards offered is also greater.

My customer service objective remains the same: I will make every effort to communicate in a timely manner, and I will always listen to what my customers have to say. That is how I improve upon what I do. And, I feel very strongly that if you ask my customers, they will tell you several things about me: 1. I do what I can to make my customers happy, 2. I ship merchandise quickly and securely, and 3. I stand behind everything that I say.

I do apologize to those of you that hate to see this kind of thing posted on a public board. But, since my reputation and my approach to customer service are both extremely important to me - I want to make sure the air here is clear. There are a great many people here that I trust, respect, and admire.

Thank you.

James Verrill/BBV