Don't mean to be a bummer, but...

One of the holdovers to the fBay boards is the judgments and animosity encouraged between Dealers and Collectors. I don't recall that divide existing to that extent before fBay cultivated it. I presented that info about myself, not as a way to laud myself, but to distinguish that I am a collector who has also sold, and I believe that is a unique perspective as many here are dealers who also collect.

Thank you for your comments, do they have Kaisers in China? I am not from Europe, so I wouldn't know.

 

Finally. Yes I do recall the name, but I think he was on my 'ignore' list. Because of the animosity, and decompression, I have chosen a new user name. I hope that is respected.

 

Lilfont wrote..."I am talking about someone who has at the standby a gif of a spray can of "troll be gone" and they police the boards looking for trouble (isn't that what a troll does?) "

Just to set the record straight, I am not a Troll.
I neither 'police' the boards, or 'Troll' for trouble.
The gif was an attempt at humour, and it actually came from a poster on the Antiques Board, if I recall...

 

Thank you Skeezix, for that. I actually wrote most of this as an open letter, but I really had the mods in mind. As far as cans of 'troll be gone' go, as I suggested, everyone should stand back and let the moderators use their large industrial size, extra strength, concentrated sprays, lest you be sprayed by accident.

Your story about the glass collector is heart warming and brings back memories of my youth, I also learned a lot from the generous sellers I met and did business with.

But you seem to have completely missed the main point of my message, in fact ignored it! And that makes me wonder? The operative words of the part you quoted is not I don't recall that divide existing but rather, to that extent before fBay cultivated it.

We probably all know why the collectors of your old group shunned that kindly dealer. It's because the dealer got up at 4 am, waited in line at the doorstep of an estate sale until it opened at 10 to be the first one in and get all the goodies, which she would sell at a profit. The collectors were jealous. (myself, as a collector, I am thrilled when I see an item at an antique store I really want at a higher price, because that means it was sitting right there waiting for me to snatch it up -and I didn't have to get up at 4 am to find it.) But I also know the effort it probably took to find that piece, and likely know it's rarity better than the dealer.

When I was a dealer, myself, sometimes I would sit around with other dealers and share 'war stories', mostly they were funny, cute or stressed the irony of our jobs -but never anything like the vitriol and disdainful arrogance that was cultivated over the years at the fbay boards. To me, the divide between dealer and collector has changed drastically since the good old days!

Perhaps I was lucky in my youth to meet such respectful and kind dealers, when in reality the rest of the antiquing world is made of greedy dealers who have an unending disdain for the people they sell to?

 

I've run into some of both. The ones I can't stand are the scrappers who have to get to the head of every line and hog any jewelry table they run into in search of stuff they can melt. There's always one. There's also a local woman who runs estate sales. She's pleasant to just about everyone, unless it happens to be me. I take it as a compliment. Besides, after growing up with my sister her attempts at being insulting are just love taps.

 

lilfont -
I don't know what your previous id was on the old board, nor do I care. I've never understood the desire of some to find out who others are.
I do want to say I appreciate your directness, as I am the same.
I agree that we all have a way of stating things differently, and sometimes because we are direct we are considered rude. When in fact that is not the case. Usually, it is simply a case of trying to say things clearly so it isn't misunderstood, as people tend to read things into answers that wasn't meant.
Sometimes my directness is misunderstood which leaves me standing outside looking in.



I'd like to also speak to the divide between sellers and buyers on the other board. It is something that I noticed also.

Ebay started as a flea market on the net. Now think of your average garage seller/flea market seller. They are not dealers or retailers. They are clearing from home.

Ebay comes along and they realize they can make a little extra cash selling regularly. They still are not dealers or retailers. Not all have not become business minded overnight.

Ebay decides to change the rules, from garage saler to retail outlet. Now they are expecting all sellers on their site to become actual retailers. Following what most good retailers would do. Accept returns, bend over backwards to appease a customer.

Someone at a garage sale is most likely is most likely not going to take something back. Nor are they always going to be polite if you run down their merchandise, as it is who they are. They are more likely to tell you to leave their property.

Something ebay does not want their sellers to do. They are looking for the return customers. Which only the sellers who understood retail tactics would accomplish.

Hence the division between sellers and buyers. The sellers getting mad at their customers were the ones who didn't quite understand retail.
It's a matter of mind set.
I hope I made sense.

 

Wow ! A sensible, reasoned and rational discussion. Can you imagine having it on the erstwhile AB ? I can't. All that is necessary to continue in this vein is........