Tarquin
--- In Ancientartifacts@yahoogroups.com, "rolf5568" <heliosgallery@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Tim and Ramon,
>
> Perhaps fleabay offering number 360044350306 illustrates my point?
>
> I'm sure the vendor is entirely innocent and perhaps not great at
> identifying antiquities but the open reference to a blacklist
> strongly implies to an unexperienced buyer that all his items must
> therefore be considered genuine...
>
> Tim's point is logical but how many buyers on ebay apply common sense
> before making a purchase? I'm not saying they don't have common
> sense, just that many buyers temporarily suspend it because they so
> desperately want to believe a vendor's description. Its funny you
> should mention the ALR: actually, I think that their checks have much
> the same effect: yes, they occasionally do a bit of good by finding
> something which has been stolen (normally considered to be the job of
> the police) and it shows good intentions if a dealer runs their stock
> thru their database... but it gives no warranty of legal title or
> authenticity. The ALR are not misleading anyone, but its easy for an
> unscrupulous individual to use their services in order to do so. For
> example, the database can not identify items which have been
> excavated illegally. If (!) I was to buy a wonderful Sumerian figure
> fresh from a bomb crater in Basra the first thing I'd do is run it
> through the ALR - it would be my get-out-of-jail-free card and my
> pitiful excuse at "due dilligance" if it was ever questioned - pay a
> small fee and probably avoid jail....
>
> Like the ALR, a "bad dealer list" or "fake antiquities list" is good
> in principle but aspects leave it wide open to abuse (in my opinion),
> and should therefore be addressed before a buyer thinks its their
> best way of double-checking a purchase.
>
> Cheers,
> Rolf
>
------------------------------------
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