Another great album destroyed to make money

[Ironcrown]

Yes, I know how the world goes, sadly.
Months ago I found in a flea market a gorgeous lot of pictures and docs belonged to an italian army colonel. It was split, the single pieces being sold together at relatively high prices. I did my best to buy everything I could, but it was impossible. I tried to buy as most as I could, taking the most significant pieces and leaving the duplicates and the odd ones (I couldn't buy everything because of the prices). Of course many items were sold already so my efforts to keep intact a good part of the estate succeeded only in part
The seller probably made more money in this way, but also lost a lot of time too.

And a great grouping is now split among many collectors around (many of those ignoring the complete career of the officer).
I can't accept this behavior, I feel bad if I think how many info get lost in this way.
But the only think I can do is just to speak about it, hoping to built some sort of ethical conscience in the readers

[HouweTrouwe]

The seller is a member here. I also know other "great members" here that split photogroups and albums on ebay for the profit. With one I even offered to buy all photographs for a little cheaper money than he individually listed them (a normal, non special photograph for 10 EUR LOL .. ?) but he said no, he didn't give a damn. All in for the profit. But here he acts like he is a group savior, show off great family acquired groups.. But on ebay he is a simple dealer, I know he used to have a website.

[Tora_Tora_Tora!]

you're completely right ... but there is another very rare groups of photos to germans on italian tank in Verona still completely dismembered ....
but they are not few euro, even here there will probably be another round, and some of these photos almost certainly exceed the 50 euro ....
cioa Oriano

http://www.ebay.it/itm/141558070389?...84.m1438.l2649

With a single picture sold at 108 euro I think that all the sellers will be encouraged to split everything.

[mufasa]

With a single picture sold at 108 euro I think that all the sellers will be encouraged to split everything.

a series of 4 photos (probably in a few days it will appear other) ... really special photos taken in Montorio Veronese end 1943 beginning 1944, one (that with the two Germans on the Carro Veloce CV 33 has reached 150 Euros!), all four have collected more than 500 Euros
cioa !
Oriano!

[DEBERTEX]

Yes, I know how the world goes, sadly

Hello Ironcrown,

These few words only to tell you that I envy you. It seems you do not have to make oftens money.

... and who are this bad guys who do that bad things ?! they certainly make money because they are cupid... what else ! With their money problems they don't understand our collector's problems at all and I'm with you when you wrote : "Yes, I know how the world goes, sadly" !!!

... and I have nothing to sell that could be sold in parts.

Best regards

[Blacksmith Life]

I don't have a strong opinion either way, other than to say - yes - if someone owns something, it's their right to do with as they see fit.

As vehemently as you may disagree with it, if the owner decided to burn the album, it's their choice.

One great example is a political artist, who was making an anti-gun statement by welding firearms into the shape of a coffin. One of the "highlights" is when some 20-something brought in the WWII 1911A1 that his grandfathered carried in theater, and left him in his will. So, the artist welds it onto the tangled mess of guns that was his exhibit - I think after smashing it flat with a hammer. A crowd of like-minded gun haters stood around clapping and cheering.

Now, as much as I view that as an atrocity, and the destruction of a historical object, I have to accept the fact that it's his right to do so.

Not trying to make too big of a statement, but that freedom is more important than any one belief or object, in my opinion.

As we say here in the US, "I may disagree with what you are saying, but I defend your right to say it".

[Simon O.]

That is one of the reasons i suggested an owner should photograph an album before splitting it to the four winds. Thus the information is preserved and he or she can still do what they want with it.

[Blacksmith Life]

Simon - I totally agree. I want to see the history preserved more than anything. I sometimes wish we'd not assigned the monetary value we have to a lot of this stuff. Then dealers would be less inclined to pare collections out.

That is one of the reasons i suggested an owner should photograph an album before splitting it to the four winds. Thus the information is preserved and he or she can still do what they want with it.

[Ironcrown]

Hello Ironcrown,

These few words only to tell you that I envy you. It seems you do not have to make oftens money.

... and who are this bad guys who do that bad things ?! they certainly make money because they are cupid... what else ! With their money problems they don't understand our collector's problems at all and I'm with you when you wrote : "Yes, I know how the world goes, sadly" !!!

... and I have nothing to sell that could be sold in parts.

Best regards

Make money is important, but also preserving history.
I just hate to see those behaviours.
Of course, the owner is free to do what he wants with his stuff, but I feel free as well to say that I don't agree. Am I wrong???

[Tim W]

Pickers, collectors, dealers and family members have been doing this ever since I started collecting way back in the 70's. Most don't care for the historical nature of keeping the albums/groups together, just profit. Can it be stopped? No I don't believe it can, its the owners right to do as they see fit but we as collectors are at least purchasing single photos and albums when we can and are keeping them safe for future generations.
I know splitting up albums sucks but the possible alternative of these photos going to a trash bin is worse. Forever lost! Just my thoughts
Tim W

[Simon O.]

The alternative to splitting up albums is not the trash but to sell the album at a realistic price.

[Mil-Archive]

I know splitting up albums sucks but the possible alternative of these photos going to a trash bin is worse. Forever lost! Just my thoughts
Tim W

With respect those are never the choices though, a) split an album to sell the pictures one by one or b) throw it in the bin.

My take on this is that it's getting worse. More and more dealers are doing this where they have an album of say 150 pictures which they refuse to sell intact. I believe (can't prove it) dealers who split are now buying from dealers who do not split in order to break apart albums. In the end they might (not always) get a few shekels more but the historical record that the full photograph album represents is blown to pieces.

This has a direct impact on the ability to research units movements throughout the war. My collecting interests are not purely monetary there is an interest in the history & research aspect and that is the part of the hobby that's losing out when this happens.

[17thairborne]

Perhaps this image he has for sale captures the essence of how we all feel about this sh!ty practice!

[DEBERTEX]

Male asses


Hello,

Male asses... ****... ! is this forum really the right place to show that. After the whining (that I nearly understand even if I think that they are a little bit childish) we have now the scat insults.

I am nobody's defender. Ok ! why do I spend my time reading this tread and trying to give a constructive opinion ? because I don't like the hidden truth : without the sellers (the bad guys, you know !) what could we have in our collections ? Ask yourself.

They sell because they want (need) to make money... and we, we can't buy more than the money we have so, sometimes, we can buy only parts. That's life ! When it will be your turn (and it will be your turn one day) to be the seller, I'm sure that you too will make money and "too bad for future generations of collectors" if more money means spliting an album.

... it looks like I've lost a bit of my naivety

Best regards

[Ludwig]

And sometimes collectors contribute and don´t even get a ****ing "thank you" for it...