eric,

what do you think should change?

beyond simply educating the community, the ability of information to drive genuine change depends on the specific changes and on collectors' ability to translate thought into action. easier said than done. i think some things could change while others likely won't.

ultimately, for change to occur, i believe those actions have to originate from the collecting community as opposed to the "industry". that is, i don't believe ebay, sellers, auction houses, or authenticators will do anything unless they're motivated financially. if they were motivated ethically then they would've solved these simple issues a long time ago. they exist simply because they're profitable. if they're to cease existing, then they have to become unprofitable. telling someone like lou lampson to do the right thing solely for the sake of doing the right thing is like telling barry bonds to be nice.

to think that a person will change their unethical practices simply because they've been exposed is a big assumption. as long as the dollars keep rolling in, many couldn't care less about what people think. as with many things, money talks. the only thing that'd stop lampson is a lack of business.

the big question is whether collectors will actually translate knowledge into action (ie: vote with their wallets). some will but, as surprising as it may seem, many won't. for them, the need for an item takes precendence. they'll say the item speaks for itself, without considering the fact that they're keeping the unethical entity in business. personally, this is just a hobby for me and i don't need to roll around in the mud so to speak. you've been a vocal critic of lampson, yet you've also regularly patronized his biggest employer, AMI. thoughts?

rudy.