UBB.threads Forums General Interest Community Center Craig Gottlieb expelled from WAF

Serge,
Great synopsis. I am not a dealer. I am strictly a collector that on occasion sells pieces to high-grade my collection. I do on rare occasions buy a high end item and frankly, high end is in the eye of the beholder. If I have the scrimp and save to purchase it, it is high end for me. When I do, I am nervous and cautious but try to do all of my homework first. However, I admit that in the end, it is a leap of faith based on the reputation of the dealer and the relationship I have built with them over the years.

I buy mostly from dealers as they provide a service to me. I do not have the time in my career to scour the planet for hard to locate items. I do what I can, when I can and pulling a piece "out of the woodwork" is a thrill that we all love. I have been sold a reproduction by a well known dealer before. Was it deliberate, no. We all make mistakes. The fact that the piece was a forgery only became documented well after I purchased it. Would I approach the dealer about it? No. It was under $500. He sold it to me in good faith and I have had a great relationship with the dealer with many other transactions over the years.

One observation is that all dealers are critical of one another over details from time to time. I think this is healthy as it is not meant to be mean spirited but rather a debate in the vagaries of this hobby. However, there are a few dealers (some in your the list above) that even a collector of relatively average experience can observe that they consistently have bad items for sale. If they do this with relatively common items you can bet very rare items are likely spurious. I am amazed at how openly brazen one is in particular. Almost criminal. These are the dealers that poison the hobby for new comers.

Then there are the ones you mention that deal in the exotic and ultra rare. Well, most of the time the folks that collect in these areas can afford to take a hit financially. It is just another world compared to the average guy. It is a world fraught with higher risk and like gambling, the odds are in the house's favor. This is entertainment and not investing. I would also caution anyone who collects in this arena to secure their financial well being in retirement. These items are just not fungible and a poor strategy.

IMO, the reason dealers don't call out the blatantly bad ones is the liability that goes with it. Also, what goes around comes around. Collectors do communicate and caution other collectors. But dealers, not so much. To clean this hobby up is a risky game for dealers that rely on the hobby for their livelihood.