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For three years I spent too much time writing and not enough at gun and knife shows. This winter, I've made up for lost time. What I see is disappointing.
Shows are sold out but traffic and sales are lagging. My impression is that collectables shows are not as much fun as they used to be; seems everyone is focusing more on profit than pleasure. Fraternity* is disintegrating; its house is falling down.
The Internet has changed our relationships. In cyberspace we get used to light speed antisceptic transactions between anonymous parties. By comparison, face-to-face dealing is slow, highly personal and far from clinical. It is a difference between people intensive (interactions), and profit intensive (transactions). Transactions are easier.
Consequently, many of us are becoming inpatient, unfriendly, and sometimes downright nasty in real time. We are slowly contaminating live shows with the hustling, pressure cooking, over-inflating and occasionally misleading practices of the online market. We are forgetting the spirit, the manners, and the ethics that make out hobby a fraternity.
Spirit of Collecting. Collecting is a leisurely pastime that provides a welcomed break from the daily grind. Only incidentally does it yield dollar profit. Good times with good people is profit enough.
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| Taking a break outside Fort Meyers show to visit with Cleatus Remmy. Cleatus bought the first MARBLE'S book I sold. |
One of collecting's delights is quality people: alert, discerning souls with an appreciation for craftsmanship and a dedication to heritage. They are generally excellent company.
Their collections are in constant flux. "The object in possession seldom retains the same charm it had in pursuit." (Pliny The Younger) They are, therefore, neither curators nor conservators; they collect.
For that reason, they do not dwell long on prizes they missed. The chase is the thing. Longfellow said it better:
No endeavor is in vain;
Its reward is in the doing,
And the rapture of pursuing
Is the prize the vanquished gain.
Whether they collect Colts or condoms, MARBLE'S or matchbooks, they share a common thirst for art and beauty; and find it where others see only the ordinary. Though they may appear odd to others, collectors as a group are alike as beans in a bucket and fit every definition of fraternity including being voluntarily governed by a code of conduct.
The Manners of Collecting. Please and thank you are the fraternity's passwords. They are the grease that makes collecting run smooth. Rude, selfish, greedy, grasping behaviors don't belong.
Treating people with dignity and their possessions with respect is a rule. Honor "Don't Handle Without Permission" signs. In fact, it's good manners to ask at any table. Magnifying glasses and loupes are acceptable; measuring is OK, calipers are out of bounds. Handle papers as if you were sorting embryos. Better, let the seller show them to you.
During your examination, keep your thoughts to yourself. Never voice them to bystanders. When you've finished, hand the object to its owner (don't replace it yourself); compliment the piece if you can; say thank you and move on.
If you are interested, there's no harm in asking for a better price. If the price is firm, your decision is easy: buy or don't. If offers are in order, make one. Expect a counter.
During negotiations, do not argue the merits of the piece. The owner already knows its shortcomings. Reciting them is insulting and creates tension. Nothing mires negotiations like mind games. Big Dog/Little Dog, Rich Man/Poor Man, Smarter/ Dumber, and Stronger/ Weaker are for arm wrestling and dodge ball. Stay on the price and off the people.
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Home from Bradenton show and obviously happy with the condition of Larry
Haveman's Second Model Game Getter. |
If you're bent on beating, buy a drum. If you must win or lose, play poker. If you want to lay on a licking, get a popsicle. If you want to skin something, peel a grape. But if you want to collect, collaborate.
The Ethics of Collecting. Ethics are based on corollary beliefs: it is ethical to be fair and unethical to be unfair . Their purpose is to protect the defenseless and to live with a clear conscience.
Ethics are absolutes; they are not situational. If it is wrong to beat your spouse, it doesn't matter whether you are drunk or sober. If it is wrong to cheat a widow, it doesn't matter when her husband died. If it is wrong to fleece a lamb, it doesn't matter whose lamb it is.
Here are a few principles to help you be fair to others.
Do no harm.
Never, ever, buy from children.
Control your envy; applaud the finds of your friends.
Don't inflate the value of your collection. At liquidation, your heirs will remember you as a liar and an ass.
Don't try to "restore" original condition. All are detectable, and when found make you a cheat.
If you are fooled by a fake, don't pass it on. Expose it and show it around.
Here are some principles that help you be fair to yourself.
Don't buy junk; it stays junk.
Start collecting as soon as you can; buy the best you can afford.
Buy what you want at the first opportunity; it won't get any cheaper.
Find a niche and specialize there; you can't know everything and play the fool pretending to.
Know your stuff. Read books and periodicals; join organizations and participate; interact with your colleagues; listen more than you talk; share your insights.
Above all else, cultivate a good reputation and guard it well. When the great retriever comes to fetch you to the Master, all you can take is your name. Make it a good one.
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| Part of the winter's show booty. Perfectly conditioned original Colt Double Action Frontier grips (up left) ended a 12 year search. Choice two hole M.S.A. axe is in uncleaned as-found condition. |
Collectables shows are the fraternity's houses. If they are in trouble, it is our fault. If we lose them, it is because we lost ourselves.
© 2007 Arni Dunathan
Arni Dunathan is the author of the newly published collector's guide "The Encyclopedia of MARBLE'S Knives and Sporting Collectables." |
