Breaking up a Karl Marx set

[Jeff Mack]

I think we all hate to see this kind of thing, but it's all the harder when it's a Karl Marx Medal set

http://cgi.ebay.de/URKUNDE-ZUM-KARL-...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.de/DDR-KARL-MARX-ORD...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.de/ORIGINAL-ETUI-ZUM...QQcmdZViewItem

.

[Ralph P]

...But at the sametime we all have an open market system...

[Gordon Craig]

Jeff,

I agree. This guy is really trying to squeeze every penny he can out of the buyers.

Regards,

Gordon

[Knuckles930]

What a waste of history, tearing it apart like that.
Well we can just hope someone buys it as a whole..

[Dallasfan]

Hi

I asked for more photos of the KMO , but until now no reply........
Maybe there's something wrong with it ?



Regards , Johan

[Viktor]

Genossen, This Wrecking will not go unpunished!!, The People's Court will view this Matter in the Harshest terms!...

[Valter Gorenc]

...But at the sametime we all have an open market system...

That kind of bastardness would certainly not be allowed in DDR

[Kartofelpreußer]

This is the same kind of historical vandalism that has been destroying historic books-- especially medieval manuscripts, musical scores, atlases, and anything lavishly illustrated with framable lithographs-- for years.

There is a whole business of "book breakers" and I can understand why: Why sell a historic atlas for, say, $800, when they can break the binding, seperate the pages, and sell individual maps for $50 a piece... they don't have to sell half or even a quarter of your typical atlas to more than double their profit. Unfortunately, in the process they have irrevocably destroyed something irreplaceable.

It's really sad to see it in this case-- this is a very special grouping, and once those pieces are scattered to the winds, you can bet they will NEVER find their way together again... but as Ralph said, this is one of the unavoidable down sides to a free market economy. You'd think you could count on people's common decency, but to do so is setting yourself up for constant disappointment when an extra buck can be made.

[iannima]

I agree with all the comments...
I would just add that what we are seeing is not actually a sensible strategy at all, because in order to maximise revenue, it would have been better to list only one item at any one item (personally I think that selling the box separately from the medal is rather silly)...
My reaction, and I think the reaction of many collectors, would be that if I cannot be assured of getting all three together (and I cannot, by construction), I am not going to bid at all... There must be many collectors who are going to take this view, and the fewer the bidders, the lower the selling price...
Now obviouskly this only applies because I know of the THREE auctions. Had the seller put the Urkunde up for sale, and several months later the medal, things would have been quite different... (the breaking up of the atlas example...)
Forgive me: I teach Economics after all but this doesn't even seem to be GOOD free market strategy... and as you were saying it is very sad that it is happening at all...

[torstenbel]

nothing else to add to the comments already made ... what the seller is doing is wrong for many reasons.

[Jeff Mack]

Broken up it was

Auction ended. The total final tally for the lots combined was 1,347.44 EURO. The medal and case sold to the same bidder, but the Urkunde to another.

[Ralph P]

Jeff - Thanks for the update...

[Dallasfan]

Auction ended. The total final tally for the lots combined was 1,347.44 EURO. The medal and case sold to the same bidder, but the Urkunde to another.

Hello Jeff

The Urkunde is sold to a certain Dutch collector..........................


Regards , Johan

[Kozlov]

That is quite poor, but surely someone would have paid even more for a KMO complete? Its not like it was a group of medals...

[Stefas]

So far as I know its trustfull dealer.If I'm honest I don't have a problem with breaking up a set.Only when its 100% complete.If I had a KMO ore a KMO document,this was a moment to complete it with this broken up set.

Hi

I asked for more photos of the KMO , but until now no reply........
Maybe there's something wrong with it ?



Regards , Johan