posted on April 5, 2004 03:15:04 PM new
I think I have really goofed up, and desperately need some advice!
I listed a book from 1943 for one of the flight schools training our guys for war. I was in a hurry to get it listed, and totally missed noting a beautifully-written (believe me, it brought tears to my eyes reading it) letter from a son to his mother. He dated the letter June 29, 1943, and it is on the title page - I can't believe I missed noting it!
I have a bidder on it, so felt obligated to email him and let him know. He emailed me back and was interested in what the letter said, so I emailed him a photo of the page, and typed what the letter said.
The auction closes tonight, so I can't revise it to add the letter. There are 24 hits (not many). This is what the letter says:
-------------------------------
June 29, 1943
To My Mother,
Here is a small book that will show you a small part of our life here at Maxwell. I know you will enjoy it, because you have always been interested in how your son lives and what he has done.
In my younger days you fought for my health and even my life. You fought hard and you fought well and I certainly appreciate everything you have done for me. Now I am fighting for you. I am fighting for you and all mothers in the world who wish to raise there sons as they wish. My only hope is that I fight as well as you have against an enemy even more terrible than the one you fought. If I do, I am sure victory will come to me just as it came to you.
Your Son
A/C Jimmie R. Henry
Class 44-A
Maxwell Field
Alabama
-----------------------------
Do I just let the auction run, or cancel and relist to include the letter?
Thank you for any help you can offer!!
__________________________________
"The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work." - Richard Bach
[ edited by wgm on Apr 5, 2004 03:15 PM ]
posted on April 5, 2004 04:16:44 PM new
My opinion for what it's worth (very little )....
It depends on what you started the bidding at. If you already have a $20 bid on it, leave it. (Especially if the book itself has little intrinsic value -- for example the McGraw Hill Flight Preparation Training series) If you have it out there for $3.00-$6.00, then I'd cancel the bids and end the auction. It's the whole bird-in-the-hand thing.
Keep in mind:
Sometimes it's hard to describe letters in such a way as to get the hits. There may be a market for it, but the people who will buy it may not be looking for it -- though if they were in a bookshop, they'd grab it up in a second. That was my experience when selling off a large collection of autographs and ephemora.
posted on April 5, 2004 04:26:50 PM new
Thank you both
ajbooks - it only had one bid, and that was the opening bid of $5.99. I unfortunately am not very educated in these types of items. I happened across a huge box of books for $1.00 (!), and just had to get it!
Included in the box was a first edition hardcover (no dustjacket) Adventures of Tom Sawyer in beautiful condition, which I am keeping for my son. I was amazed at all the great books in the box! It was from an elderly person's estate - their daughters were having the estate sale "yard sale" style! I ended up getting an incredible amount of stuff for very, very little. I couldn't fit everything in my car, and had to go get my father's pick-up truck to get everything - and made two trips LOL! Total spent was $35.00.
Included in my "haul" were 15 HUGE Rubbermaid containers with lids (toybox size) full of nothing but really old fabric, partially-done quilt tops, and a few finished quilt tops!
Didn't mean to get off subject, but this was the first "I can't believe I got all this for that!", and I am still excited!
I do appreciate your assistance on this book - thank you
__________________________________
"The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work." - Richard Bach
posted on April 5, 2004 04:44:51 PM new
Wow! It nice to hear about someone getting great stuff and a great deal at a yard sale.
It gives me hope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering - and it's all over much too soon.
Woody Allen
posted on April 5, 2004 05:42:48 PM new
Do you subscribe to the Kovel's newsletter on line? They gladly post notices about letters and other old items found by people at sales, and nearly always these letters find their way "home" where they should be. I think you can go to Kovel's site and ask for the newsletter. It's free.
___________________________________
Gardening Rule:
When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it was a valuable plant.
posted on April 5, 2004 08:57:25 PM new
I'm sorry, wgm! It isn't KOvel's (although they are mentioned prominently in the newsletter). Here is what it says at the top of their on-line newsletter, which is still free. Check it out. If you read down a ways, you'll see the section on stuff that's found and should be returned to its real home:
The Collectors Newsletter #211 February 2004
--Automatic unsubscribe link at bottom of page. Just
click on it to be removed from this mailing list. If you
can't get the unsub link to work, type "remove" in the
subject line and send this ENTIRE newsletter back to us.
--Every issue of this newsletter is available online at:
http://www.tias.com/newsletter
___________________________________
Gardening Rule:
When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it was a valuable plant.
posted on April 5, 2004 08:57:37 PM new
You've probably already canceled & relisted. I just got home from a trip & am just now reading your post and thought I'd reply anyway.
To me, if the item had had no bids cancelling the auction and relisting it would be the way to go. But since the item already had a bid, you should have let it run its course. Your bidder bid in good faith & it was your fault you neglected to look at the book properly before listing it.
******
Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there --Clare Booth Luce
posted on April 5, 2004 09:38:50 PM new
Although I'm not a major or long time seller (translate: rather "inexperienced", I would have to agree with Bunnicula.
If the item had no bids you could revise. If it had bids, you could add to your auction. I've done both with positive results. To cancel an auction with a bid seems questionable to me. I would simply "live-and-learn" from the mistake -- and move on.
posted on April 5, 2004 09:50:32 PM new
Got it, Roadsmith - thank you!
bunnicula and pat - by the time I noticed it, I was unable to revise the auction. One thing I am very conscious of is that my items are described as accurately as possible. In this case it wasn't - and yes, it was my "fault". Had I not cancelled the auction, I risked selling it to someone who preferred a "clean" book with no writing, then I would have received a negative for not disclosing the true condition of the book.
I feel the advice I was given earlier was both wise and fair, and did cancel the book. I was planning on relisting it next week with additional photos and also the text of the letter, but am going to take Roadsmith's advice and try to find its "rightful home" first.
I do appreciate your input
__________________________________
"The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work." - Richard Bach
posted on April 5, 2004 09:58:44 PM new
Roadsmith - okay, now I have a question LOL
Under the "Lost and Found" it says to provide as much information as I can about the item, which isn't a problem since I do have the pilot's name, graduation date, etc. My question is how can I be sure that the person who claims it is, in fact, a family member and not someone just wanting to get it to sell it? Any suggestions?
__________________________________
"The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work." - Richard Bach
posted on April 5, 2004 10:15:10 PM new
WGM: however, you had already stated that you had told your bidder about it & he was "extremely interested" so he wasn't put off by it...
However, it was your decision to make and the ethics yours.
******
Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there --Clare Booth Luce
posted on April 5, 2004 10:22:41 PM new
Bunni - yes, I did email the one bidder on the auction; however, the auction had not ended yet. Who's to say he would have won the book?
I don't expect anyone or everyone to agree with me, and I appreciate hearing different opinions. Having said this, bunnicula, I do NOT appreciate you questioning my ethics on this thread. If you cannot offer your opinion without rude, condescending remarks, please put me and the thread on ignore.
I show anyone the same courtesy they show me.
__________________________________
"The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work." - Richard Bach
posted on April 5, 2004 10:25:14 PM new
The book was misrepresented and you did the right thing in cancelling the bid and killing the auction. Although you had one bid, you have no idea how many people were tracking the auction who would have bid later without reading a revised description. You also have no idea how many snipe bids were scheduled based on your description. I would email the lone bidder and let him know when it's relisted and possibly offer him a discount or free shipping if he wins.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on April 5, 2004 10:26:55 PM new
wgm: Of course, I don't have any proof that the right people are getting these found objects, but there have been numerous reports of happy families who got back something they'd lost or didn't know was gone from the family. I have to believe they're genuine. The trust factor seems to be high with the readers of that newsletter, and it can't hurt to try. ~Adele
Here's one inquiry from a recent newsletter:
"Item looking for a home..
I just love your newsletters! I learn something new in each one! I was
cleaning out a closet and found an old college memory book. It's
suede leather cover and called " School Girl Days". It's dated
1910-11 from Valley City, North Dakota. This is when the college
was called V.C. Normal School. It belonged to Caroline J. Evingson.
It's full of old photos of her and friends doing college things. She
also wrote like a diary the different dances and fun things she did
with her friends. It's really fun to read what her friends wrote about
her. I'd love to get this to any family members. My e-mail address is
[email protected]. Thanks and I'll let you know if I find out anything!
Deb. R.
--
"How about you? Do you have some special vintage item that is in need
of its owner or are you looking for a special item? Maybe we can help.
Send us info at [email protected]"
-------------
___________________________________
Gardening Rule:
When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it was a valuable plant.
posted on April 5, 2004 10:33:24 PM new
Oh, I am sorry. You should have said you only wanted opinions that agreed with yours....
My remark was not "condescending," BTW, but a statement of fact. Sorry if you didn't like it, but you did ask for opinion on a public forum & should be prepared to get responses from all sides. Why ask for opinions & then be offended when the answers don't agree with you?!?
An whether you like it or not, ethics were involved. After you listed the book and got a legitimate bid on it you discovered something about it that had the potentialto make it worth a few dollars more than you originally thought. And even though your bidder evinced no problem (indeed, great interest was shown) with the writing in the book, you ended the auction and then relisted the item. Leaving your legitimate bidder high & dry. Will he/she be willing to bid again at the new, higher starting bid? Maybe. But then again maybe not--the way you treated their orginal bid may have some bearing on whether they bid again or not.
******
Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there --Clare Booth Luce
posted on April 5, 2004 10:50:56 PM new
You stated you welcomed "different opinions"--I did read that. You just obviously didn't want more than "yes" or "no" answers to your question. But the very nature of your question brought ethics into the picture. And you didn't like my answer to that part of it. When you conduct a business transaction ethics are a part of the equation. And no, that isn't "condescending" either--just a statement of fact.
******
Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there --Clare Booth Luce
posted on April 5, 2004 11:06:17 PM new"...you ended the auction and then relisted the item."
Quite the opposite - I CLEARLY stated that I had NOT relisted the book.
The auction was hours from closing and there was NO guarantee the person bidding would have won the book. Had someone else won the book, expecting a "clean" copy, the item would definitely have not been as described. The original omission of the writing was an honest mistake.
I did email the original bidder and explain why I cancelled the bid and apologized.
You seem pretty hell bent and determined the first bidder would have won the book.
Thank you, sparkz
__________________________________
"The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work." - Richard Bach
posted on April 6, 2004 09:45:25 AM new
Here's another sample from the Collector's Newsletter I received this morning:
More Found Items!
Ava had asked about a special "Raggedy Ann and Andy comic book" and a song called "My Little Lady Make Believe" in collectors newsletter #218. We got several responses. Babette wrote "Amazon.com carries a reprint of the 1924 story of Raggedy Ann and the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees.................they go on a journey to find their lost friend. From Tricia, we got "The Song is "Little Lady Make Believe" by Guy Lombardo. If you do a Google search or an ebay search, I bet you can find a copy of a record album. I did see sheet music for the song listed when I did a google search. Good luck!
Here are the lyrics to the song:
LITTLE LADY MAKE BELIEVE
Guy Lombardo
Dressed up in a gown that trails on the floor,
In a picture hat that mommy wore,
Living in a world that you never saw
My little lady make believe
What a pair of gloves, the fingers don't meet,
Posing in a glass, your joy is complete,
My little lady make believe.
In your little arms the doll you enfold,
Means the world and all to you,
But you could never love the doll that you hold,
Half as much as I love you dear,
Dream your little dreams and may they come true,
May the coming year bring happiness too,
All my future dreams are wrapped up in you
My little lady make believe
--
How about you? Do you have some special vintage item that is in need of its owner or are you looking for a special item? Maybe we can help. Send us info at [email protected]
-------------
___________________________________
Gardening Rule:
When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it was a valuable plant.
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