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Copake Observations

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Many fine art auction catalogs have a glossary that defines terms used in the descriptions. Such as "signed" which is totally different from "by". "Signed" is suspect "by" is affirmative of authorship. You need to understand the lingo to know what you are bidding on. "Decorative" would thus be known as not an original or antique as the word "period" would convey. They did nothing wrong the buyer, or in this case readers/followers of the sale were ignorant of standard auction practices and wording.
I'd have to respectfully call bullpoop.
If these terms, verbiage and their meanings were spelled out on a form one must read and sign before being given a number to bid in person, or as a rider one must acknowledge before being allowed to bid online, then yes, it is the buyers issue.
If not, it is omission. Plain and simple. Omission in any sales or service situation is greasy to say the least. And an underhanded way to apply "standard" greed practices.

Going a little further that the situation here dictates.....
Being ripped off or mis-directed is not dues to pay.
These things are also not a badge of honor or level of "time-in" the hobby for those that nod knowingly and want to present themselves as above or beyond these things because they now know better.
Should someone that feels slighted just take it, and then wait around for the next "newbie" to take it in the shorts so they can feel better about their own situation?
No.
Im sorry for all the people that think that way, that were ripped off and perhaps were told that, and then sat by waiting for the next sucker so they could dole out their benevolence speech.
To allow it is to perpetuate it. To perpetuate it is to be a part of it.

What will end up happening is that the hobby will get full of old people happy with their "time-in" and watching the newbies get fleeced. They will be flippant about it and give all the time honored excuses for bad behavior. New people to the hobby will be turned away and those old people will leave a grip of bikes to their families in their estates that will be liquidated for pennies on the dollar, literally.
The old bikes will represent those old people, and no-one will care because together they represent a by-gone era of:
Your fault
You get what you get
So-what
You shoulda
They shoulda
Too bad

And it really is too bad.

I will add, that it seems this is what happened here with the fiberglass tank issue. A liquidation of bikes to someone that knew little or nothing about them and then passed them on to remaining oldsters and up and comings.
If I were the auction house, everyone would get ALL their money back, including shipping both ways. The slighted would get a large credit for the next sale and the original owner of the bike would keep their bike after paying some kind of price for mis representation.
I think the time-in factor includes the knowledge that the 3k we put into a bike will never come back out of it. That 3k keeps us busy, places us on a Status ladder and satisfies our OCD and peacock tendencies.
If we think they are "investments" we are plain stupid. Some people do make out well, but most don't.
Little gold bricks to be cashed in later in life perhaps, but a bike is what it is, and it's nothing but greedy nonsense when someone is directed to find out otherwise.
 
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