3. This Week's Stories   
      
   Every week we post stories and comments from our readers. Send your story to   
   phil@Bignews.biz and I'll publish it in an upcoming newsletter.  Did you know   
   that you don't have to have a facebook account to use the links to see the   
   various photos that we mention below?  Just copy and paste the link into your   
   browser.  However, if you do have a facebook account please "Like" us!   
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   Editor's note -- We have been told that some of your emails have not been   
   getting through to me over the past few weeks.  If you have not heard back   
   from us after sending an email, please resend your email to phil@bignews.biz .   
      
   Also, check out our facebook page for some interesting updates. Here's the   
   link: https://www.facebook.com/TIASAntiques If you have photos of items you   
   would like to share you can post them there as well.   
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   In our last newsletter we asked how you felt about the following example:   
      
   A popular hunting magazine ran an article written by a gun collector.  He was   
   so proud of himself for buying a shotgun from a elderly man who was closing   
   out his home and having an estate sale.  While asking $100.00 on a particular   
   shotgun the buyer talked the elderly man down to $50.00.  The buyer proudly   
   stated how the gun was later sold for $150,000.00 and he was not in the least   
   bit concerned with "taking" the elderly man for all it was worth.  If the   
   buyer had offered the elderly man $1000.00, 10 times the amount he was asking,   
   do you think that would have been fair?  Is it the buyer's responsibility to   
   "come clean" or is it the seller's responsibility to do the proper research   
   before selling an item?   
      
   Here's what some of you had to say:   
      
   From Gail B.: "If I had knowledge about the value of things and saw something   
   I knew to be vastly underpriced, I would have to speak up and at least tell   
   the seller and let them make up their mind how they wanted to handle it.  If   
   they indicated they didn't care or weren't worried about it, then I might buy   
   it, knowing I at least tried to warn them of the true value of the item, and   
   that they were selling at a price that was too low."   
      
   Another reader says: "If I am buying from a dealer a dirt cheap price is good   
   for me, since they should have known better.  But if I get way more for   
   something I've bought from a yard sale or house sale, I go back and split the   
   profit with the seller. Karma is a bitch and I dont want to run up against her"   
      
   From "Little Dipper" : "I live in a small town and everyone knows I like old   
   things and collect clocks and furniture.  When an elderly man asked me if I   
   wanted to buy his grandfather clock I went to his house to see it.  He told me   
   it had been his Grandfathers who wasCÇØ a tea merchantCÇØ in Scotland and it   
   had been passed down to his uncle Willie and had then been shipped to him when   
   Uncle Willie had died and he had received it from Scotland in 1938.  I felt it   
   should stay in his family and said I would not buy it until he asked his   
   family if any of them wanted it.  He later phoned me and said he had asked and   
   no one wanted it but if I gave him 100.00 for each of his children (he had 6)   
   I could have it.  600 .00 was a lot for us at that time but my husband said I   
   would never have such a chance again and would always get that money again and   
   I should buy it.  I did and broke my usual habit of giving the seller more   
   than he asked for an article I was offered.  Now some of his grandchildren   
   would love to have it but I feel I was CÇ£fair and squareCÇØ and this year it   
   goes to my youngest daughter who grew up friends with his grandchildren.  I   
   know nearly all of the people whoCÇÖs stuff I buy and always give them more   
   than they ask That way everyone is happy and I feel I am therefore buying in   
   good faith."   
      
   From Carol S. "I think the real telling factor in this story was the haggle   
   down to $50.00.  You find a super bargain your lucky day, you haggle down   
   after that, it is kicking someone to the floor and then pouring salt on the   
   wound.  But to that kind of person there would never be anything you could say   
   to make them ashamed of what they had done.  But life given time always makes   
   the what comes around goes around theory show up."   
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   --- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Dada-1   
    * Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)