In a message dated 1/1/2003 8:10:57 PM Eastern Standard Time, showngo@telusplanet.net writes:
<< Even if everyone in the CR group sticks together and attempts to effect a change in the "commercialism" that pervades this hobby by boycotting overpriced eBay sellers >>
I am glad you have "commercialism" in quotes as I think it is easy to become confused here...
The irony is that there is no commercialism at play at all. eBay auctions end-run commercialism in the sense that it is an individual selling stuff. No commercial entity is involved at all except the eBay medium... Nor are the eBay sellers high priced.. They don't set the selling price. Buyers pay the high price willingly.
Basically you (and all of us) are just lamenting that we cannot buy stuff we want for a lower price. But there is no insidious plot or abuse here... The cold cruel fact is that some buyers value stuff more highly than I do, they are more committed to their "hobby" than I am and are willing to pay more for those goods. I "boycott" many items I would like to buy on eBay because I am too cheap to pay the selling price!
The other truth is that old stuff of quality or uniqueness will get more and more expensive and we all need to re-evaluate our attitudes about worth, what it's worth to you & I and what it's worth to collectors around the world. Time to stop taking this old bike stuff for granted!
Dale Brown
Greensboro, North Carolina