Rinker on Collectibles

RINKER ON COLLECTIBLES — Column #1510

What You Really Have To Touch When You Buy

“I will not buy it unless I can touch it and see it” is among the most common reasons given for not buying antiques and collectibles online. The rationale predates the internet. Individuals who refused to buy objects listed in classified and display advertisements in trade periodicals made and continue to make the same argument.

The price of the object is irrelevant. It does not matter if the object was priced at $500.00 or $50,000. Followers of the “I will not buy it unless I can touch it and see it” philosophy are strict adherents.

But, are they? The answer is no. Most of the verbal proponents of the “I will not buy it unless I can touch it and see it” school have no problem bidding and purchasing objects sight unseen from a catalog auction. They are blinded by the false illusions that catalog illustrations are honest representations and listings are truthful. If catalog users read the terms and conditions in the front of the catalog, their confidence level would lessen.

Early in my professional career, I attended previews at several of the leading New York auction houses. At each preview, I purchased a copy of the auction catalog. When I was lucky enough to obtain a catalog in advance of the auction, I perused the catalog to identify those objects I wanted to examine when I arrived at the preview. I have distinct memories of the first time I did this. When I saw the objects up close, there were noticeable differences from the photographic images in the catalog. The objects appeared grander in the illustrations. I immediately developed a strong respect for object photographs and their ability to use light to hide an object’s defects.

[Author’s Aside #1: I should not have been surprised. Women use makeup and other enhancing devices to improve their appearance. Professional portrait photographers touched up images to “bring out the best” in a person. As with many things in life, photographs need to be scrutinized and interpreted.]

Buying something without seeing and touching it is a byproduct of the digital age. The digital age has taken the concept to levels unthinkable 20 years ago. It is no surprise that sellers of antiques and collectibles are eager to take advantage of younger generations’ desire for immediate/instant gratification. Storefront websites such as eBay, GoAntiques (www.goantiques.com), Ruby Lane (www.rubylane.com), and TIAS (www.tias.com), Instagram.com, and independent websites flourish. Their long-term growth is promising. Future generations of collectors will buy more from online sources than in the field.

The arguments against buying something sight unseen are many. First, if the object is pictured, there is no guarantee that the object in the picture is the one being sold. The seller sent me a lesser quality object than the one in the illustration is a common complain. Beware if the object, especially if its price is low or middle range, appears to be professionally photographed. Be suspicious if only one image of the object is offered. An honest seller provides photographs documenting any condition issues and/or marks. If the size of the object is not available in the listing, a scale should be included in the overview photograph.

Second, sellers are not professional packagers, albeit some are very experienced. Objects can arrive broken. If insured by the carrier, filing a claim is a time consuming process. If the seller is approached, a standard response is “it was fine when I sent it.”

Third, receiving any type of sales guarantee from online sellers of antiques and collectibles is a rarity. [Author’s Aside #2: I hate rarity as a word but it applies here.] Most online sellers wait until a check clears before sending the object. Few sellers hold a purchase check until the buyer receives the object, inspects it, and indicates satisfaction.

Fourth, the seller’s listing is inaccurate. Incorrect authentication is a major issue. Online sellers often offer antiques and collectibles about which they have little to no knowledge. Further, they are unable to differentiate between a period example and a reproduction (exact copy), copycat (stylistic copy), fantasy (item that did not exist during the initial period of production), or outright fake. I recently answered a reader’s question about a Jennings Brothers Art Nouveau desk set. In my answer, I noted that when Jennings Brothers ceased operations, the company’s molds were purchased by another manufacturer who made inexpensive copies. It takes an experienced eye to distinguish between the two, especially when a side by side comparison is not available.

Fifth, the World Wide Web is filled with scam artists, individuals who offer an antique or collectible for sale that they do not own. The unsuspecting buyer agrees to the sale and sends the payment. An email is received that the package is on its way. It never arrives. Attempts to contact the seller remain unanswered. If the seller is reached, the standard response is: “I mailed it; the Postal Service must have lost it.” When asked for a tracking number, the seller conveniently lost the Postal Service receipt.

I was a victim of such a scam. In January 2013, Scarlett Rhoades of New Castle, Delaware, offered to sell me an early 20th century Erzgebirge Noah’s Ark set about which her former business partner had asked my opinion several years earlier. She sent pictures. After several email exchanges, Scarlett and I agreed upon a price. I sent a cashier’s check. The Noah’s Ark never arrived. Repeated email requests asking about the shipping delay went unanswered. I thought about filing a claim with the USPS service claiming mail fraud because I sent the check via the Postal Service. The difficulty rested with the fact that all correspondence was by email (there is no World Wide Web police) and I have no record of shipment via the US Postal Service other than an email telling me it would be done. I still am annoyed, the “it is one of the costs of collecting” argument be damned.

Given the above, why would anyone buy something sight unseen? The answer is twofold. In caveat emptor, the burden rests on the buyer to know what he/she is buying and not on the seller. Although I have strong views against this business principle, it is reality.

Buying via email or the internet does not mean sight unseen. The increasing prevalence of smart phones allows sellers to provide digital images. If a person can take a selfie, he/she can photograph an object and details of the object.

A skilled collector or dealer can quickly evaluate a picture, determining if a seller has properly described the object or not. A great deal of pain and anguish would be avoided if individuals buy what they know and are less focused on finding bargains or making a big score.

Second, if the buyer has a question(s), he/she should contact the seller and ask for an answer(s). Emails are fine. A phone call is better. With Skype and similar platforms, a face to face conversation is possible. One of my 2016 New Years’ resolutions is to try to do more of this.

Which brings me to the main point of this column. In the digital age, it is not the object that needs to be touched. It is the seller. In the 2010s, knowing what you are buying is secondary to knowing from whom you are buying. At the very least, determine a minimum purchase dollar value at which no transaction will occur until the seller is checked out and contact made. Stars and Feedback are not enough. The digital age has depersonalized buying. One is never certain if a cyberspace contact is a real person or a computer programmed voice.

When making a recent online purchase from a Ruby Lane storefront, I made a decision to introduce myself to the seller and talk with her. Impressed by her listings, I wanted to learn more. A secondary goal was to share my wants. I obtained the seller’s phone number and called. We had an excellent conversation.

Person to person contact is one of the core values of the antiques and collectibles trade. It builds trust. It creates friendships. It is why corporatizing the antiques and collectibles industry is impossible. Preserving this in the digital age is a challenge that must be met.

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Selected letters will be answered in this column. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Photos and other material submitted cannot be returned. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Point Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You also can e-mail your questions to harrylrinker@aol.com. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered.

You can listen and participate in WHATCHA GOT?, Harry’s antiques and collectibles radio call-in show, on Sunday mornings between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM Eastern Time. If you cannot find it on a station in your area, WHATCHA GOT? streams live on the Internet at www.gcnlive.com.

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