A frequent contributor to this board sent me an email today asking why my earlier post seemed so hard on people who contact the bidders on items on the auctions of OTHERS.

Since this board has been so quiet recently <<gg>> , I thought I'd share my reply to him in a public posting...

""""""""""""""Hi XXXXXXXXX,

Thanks for taking time to send an email.

Sounds like you agree with me that contacting bidders prior to the close of an auction is "low". But I also resent sellers (and it is usually someone selling chips) contacting successful AND unsuccessful bidders and offering to sell the same chips for the same or lower prices.

These people make no investment in time or effort and just step in and hawk their chips to a 'ready-made audience'. If they want to sell chips, they should do the work to put up a website and/or do the work and list their OWN auctions on eBay or elsewhere. It takes equipment, time, money, and effort to list an item for auction. Scanning the item, composing the text for the ad, paying for server space to host your scans, answering email questions about the auction, tracking the auction, paying eBay listing and commission fees, etc. all takes time and money. This is time and money that the 'bottom feeders' don't have to put out. They can just sit on the sofa, watch TV, and drink beer - and then when the auctions of others end, they just log on and send emails to a ready-made customer list.

I just think it's lazy and wrong. If they want to sell chips (or anything else), they should put out the effort.

You asked "who loses?". I guess in a way it is like people who illegally copy computer software. These people are taking the work and efforts of someone else and are getting "something for nothing". I know, not an exact parallel, but close.

That's just the way I feel ! <<g>>

Hope to see you in July...

Best,

Steve in Albuquerque """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""