Is this ethical?

[both-teams-played-hard]

Thou shall split the profits

[earlywynnfan]

Re: Is this ethical?

So what would all you ethical people do here? Ken

MURFREESBORO, Ark. — A Tennessee woman whose husband predicted she wouldn't have any luck gem hunting at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park made a sparkling discovery: a 1.30-carat diamond.
"I wasn't expecting to find anything and was just picking up pretty rocks," said Melissa Lacey of Knoxville.
At first, she thought the light yellow diamond was "a piece of dirty quartz." After it was identified by park staff, Lacey said she couldn't wait to show it to her husband.
The diamond was the size of a piece of candy corn. The largest diamond ever discovered in the U.S. was unearthed here in 1924. Named the Uncle Sam, the white diamond weighed 40.23 carats.
A freshly dug trench was opened to the public on Saturday. Soil from the trench was spread out over parts of the diamond field. Lacey found her diamond there Thursday.
The Crater of Diamonds State Park is the world's only publicly operated diamond site where the public is allowed to search and keep any gems found, regardless of their value.
© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

[earlywynnfan]

Re: Is this ethical?

Kevin, I agree with 99% of what you said.

However, where exactly is that penny? I'd like to go pick it up. (Yes, I'm that cheap!)

Ken

[ghostkid]

Re: Is this ethical?

This thread was very interesting in the beginning, but maybe it has gotten out of hand?

Hey, yesterday I saw a penny on the floor by the vending machines at work. I left it there. That DOES NOT make me any more or less ethical than the next guy.

Yes, in the past I have bought an item that I thought was a good deal and, after research, resold the item for a significant profit (I did not contact the original seller to offer more $$$). Also, I have bought other items that I thought were a good deal and have suffered big losses. Neither of these scenarios make me any more or less ethical than the next guy.


My line of ethics is drawn at misrepresenting items as something they are not (forgeries, misleading descriptions, etc). Also, I believe one should differentiate between selling to an adult versus a child. Adults who sell an item at way below real value should have done their research - it's not my responsibility to inform an adult of their ignorance. Too many people in our society are ignorant and feel others should be responsible for taking care of them. To me, that's a load of garbage. Adults are to be responsible for their own actions, so I'm not going to return any $$$ to an adult who grossly under-priced an item. On the other hand, I feel obligated to inform a child if they are selling their grandfather's card collection for pennies on the dollar. Society dictates that children are not to be held accountable for their actions, at least to the same level that adults shoudl be held accountable.

Kevin

[staindsox]

Re: Is this ethical?

The guy's ethics is warped. It's extreme. Does he know that cigararettes cause cancer? Beer and wine are intoxicants. How does he sleep at night without doing things help these poor people???

Since when has honesty been considered "warped."

[staindsox]

Re: Is this ethical?

The guy's ethics is warped. It's extreme. Does he know that cigararettes cause cancer? Beer and wine are intoxicants. How does he sleep at night without doing things help these poor people???

Warped???

[staindsox]

Re: Is this ethical?

Thoreau has everything to do with this. For those of you who have bothered to read this whole thread, even though I might be in the right legally does not mean I am in the right morally. "Civil Disobedience" argues this. You are obligated to follow your personal morals. I think it is unfortunate that I am the only one here that doesn't live by finders keepers.

[earlywynnfan]

Re: Is this ethical?

And Why Do I Keep Finding Myself Defending Joel??

[earlywynnfan]

Re: Is this ethical?

I'm sorry Joel, this has become a silly conversation if you would NOT turn in that $100 you found. My ethics go beyond finders keepers and I am sorry if yours do not. Read Thoreau and then we'll talk.

Staindsox, perhaps I got something else out of Joel's post: what would Thoreau do about $1 he found on the street? What about $5?

Why didn't you reply to MY posting?

Ken

[jessicawinters]

Re: Is this ethical?

I cannot believe the guy is attacking Joel!! Thoreau?? Yeah, Joel, go read Thoreau, ONLY THEN are you allowed to post in the forum!!

The guy's ethics is warped. It's extreme. Does he know that cigararettes cause cancer? Beer and wine are intoxicants. How does he sleep at night without doing things help these poor people???

The seller is responsible for setting a fair price. There are other sellers that have their prices unreasonably high. Are we supposed to beat them up and make them reset their prices?

Also, we are talking about a GARAGE SALE!! You buy things that cost 20 bucks for a QUARTER! Prices are set to go, and it's anything goes.

[trsent]

Re: Is this ethical?

I'm sorry Joel, this has become a silly conversation if you would NOT turn in that $100 you found. My ethics go beyond finders keepers and I am sorry if yours do not. Read Thoreau and then we'll talk.

So when you find a $100.00 bill on the ground, say in a street in a busy metropolitan, you'd then turn it in to the police?

Who is going to claim it? Everyone and their mother?

I am realistic and honest, but a c-note on the street is open game.

Also, the $20.00 jersey at a garage sale is also open game to the first buyer. The seller choose their price to ask, end of story.

[flaco1801]

Re: Is this ethical?

there are 2 types of ehthics 1 for dealers and 1 for collectors. the dealers make their living buying and selling. when they make a bad purchase they rationalize that the the good deal ( maybe unethical to collectors) is fine, it just makes up for the bad one. it all evens out, thats the logic. they have to support their families too. dealers will buy anything, from anyone to make a profit, its how they survive. Jeff

[staindsox]

Re: Is this ethical?

I'm sorry Joel, this has become a silly conversation if you would NOT turn in that $100 you found. My ethics go beyond finders keepers and I am sorry if yours do not. Read Thoreau and then we'll talk.

[ahuff]

Re: Is this ethical?

I don't understand why the jersey can't be sold as "game worn". Once a jersey passes from a player's back, does it really matter where it winds up? To me NO!!! Either a jersey is game worn or it is not. Does it have to come with a letter of authentication or one from the team to make it a real gamer? In this scenario, the jersey clearly matches the specs of a gamer and shows signs of wear. Does it really matter that the jersey went from Mattingly's back, to Steinbrenner's office, to his secretary, to her son, to his friend, to his mom's yard sale? I don't think so.

The ironic part, I thought, was that alot of people were saying to get it authenticated to make sure it is real. This goes against most everything that I've seen on this site.

As far as it being ethical to sell it for a huge profit, I don't see anything wrong with that, because it was being offered for sale. If that person's yard sale was anything like the ones my family has had, the person was probably just hoping someone would buy something from them. I'm more on the softer side, though, so if you feel like you need to give that person a percentage, than I believe God will look down and smile. That belief only holds true in this scenario. I believe quite differently if you knowingly rip someone off. When I was a young kid, I once saw someone come into a baseball card shop with a box of 1983-85 cards. This was when those cards were in their heyday. The kid had multiple rookies of Gwynn, Mattingly, Puckett, Big Mac, etc. This box was loaded (worth hundreds of dollars), and the dealer never said how much they were worth, but offered something like $5.00. I remember the kid didn't really want to part with them for that amount, but the dealer seemed to be forcing the issue. That is when I think a person crosses the ethical line. I told the kid the cards were worth much more than $5.00, and was quickly kicked out of the shop!!! I didn't blame the owner for kicking me out, but I do blame him for making a living taking advantage of kids. We all know that a person's got to make a buck, but do it in an honest fashion.

[otismalibu]

Re: Is this ethical?

again, if i find a jersey at a yard sale, listed simply as "baseball jersey $30" with no provenance whatsoever, and after authenticating it myself, i feel it's a perfect 1990 mattingly gamer, would it be ethical to then sell it as a "1990 don mattingly game used jersey"?

If you researched it and gave a full explanation of your findings in your auction listings, along with some visual aids, I wouldn't have a problem with it. Now, if it's a style that no one can find a photo of him wearing, or a size that seems to big or too small, etc., then there's a problem. You'd just be doing the legwork. I don't really care what's on your letterhead, as long as you can support your opinion. Outside of those rare photo matches, aren't COAs simply that...an opinion? Often times, w/o a wealth of supporting evidence.