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!   
   ----------------   
      
   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.   
   --------------   
      
   For next week's issue:   
   What do you do if your grandmother has something near and dear to her heart   
   and she tells you that when she dies she is going to leave it to you so that   
   you can proudly display it in your home.  Problem is, you absolutley hate it.    
   A year later grandma has passed away and you are stuck with this item that you   
   don't want.  What if it's too big to be tucked away?  What if it's her little   
   dog that she had stuffed when it died?  Do you get rid of it?  Do you feel   
   guilty if you do get rid of it?  Do you display it in a room that is hardly   
   used?  Do you display it and everytime someone walks in, do you explain that   
   you don't like it but you feel you owe it to grandma to display it because she   
   loved it so?  Has this ever happened to you?  Even if it hasn't, what would   
   you do?  Tell us what you would do and we will run some of your replies in an   
   upcoming newsletter.  And thanks to those of you who have been responding!  We   
   really enjoy the feedback!   
   ---------   
      
   In a recent 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:   
      
   "I think in some cases this is also a case of ethics. Older people may not   
   know how to use a computer or have the resources to determine the value of   
   things they are selling. Also they may not realize how much some things have   
   increased in value since the time they were originally purchased. Depression   
   Glass is one example. In that case I would feel obligated to warn the person   
   that their price was way too low. However if I am buying something in a store,   
   from a dealer, or from someone who runs a "yard sale" as a business and the   
   price is too low I feel no obligation to tell them anything. If they are in   
   business they should know what they have and what a fair price for it is. I   
   bought a book at an used bookstore for $6.00 that was worth over   
   $75.00 and didn't feel one bit guilty. It's their obligation to know what   
   they have and what it's worth and if they were happy with $6.00 I was thrilled   
   to pay it. Pat M."   
      
   "Hello,  Everyone likes to get a deal but I would not take advantage of   
   someone knowingly. If I had bought that gun and it sold at auction for such an   
   incredible sum, I would have immediately gone back to the gentleman. I would   
   have told him what the auction brought and offered him the full amount. I   
   would not have been able to live with my conscience had I not done so.   
   This reminds me of an article in an antiques magazine from the 1990's. ( I   
   still have the article somewhere) A lady bought a doll at a house sale. She   
   got home and found a ruby ring pinned to the underskirt. She knew the seller   
   but did not go back with the ring. Obviously the ring was hidden there for   
   safe keeping and long forgotten. How many of us have hidden something to keep   
   it safe and then forgot where it was? I think it was unconscionable that the   
   buyer did not take the ruby ring back. As you can tell, this still bothers   
   me.  Stephanie"   
      
   If you have a story to share with our readers, please email it to   
   phil@Bignews.biz and we will include it in an upcoming issue.   
   ---------------   
   -----------------------------------------------------------------   
      
   --- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Dada-1   
    * Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)