Irish, I wholeheartedly apologize if I have offended you with my brash comments about resellers. It was not my intention and I am deeply sorry.
I worked in a resale shop for almost a decade and knew a lot of resellers/antiquers. In this area of the state, the ones I knew anyway, were very cutthroat yet were the sweetest people you'd ever want to meet (to your face). There were a few honest, hardworking ones mixed in but they were as few as a kid that knows proper grammar. I do understand that they do a lot of hard work, travelling and research but bottom line, they are in it for the money. Spend as little and sell for as much as you can, for as you say, it is a tough business that may or may not ever pay out. And to them it is just business. I do deeply respect your sentiment above but unfortunately those two ideals rarely go together. Like you said, it may take years before the right someone comes along and is willing to pay the price you feel an item is worth.
The point I was trying to convey to Kristi was that resellers are businesspeople. They do not see a person's personal items and treasured mementos the same way and it can be a heartbreaking experience to someone who isn't familiar with the situation. The emotional attachment to a loved ones cherished personal possessions can be very strong as I am certain you know, and to see a stranger peruse them with callousness and indifference and then offer you an insulting pittance can be a horrible slap in the face. To someone who is already emotionally taxed with the illness of a loved one, it can be a devastating experience. I have been on both sides of coin. Neither are easy. I was just trying to help brace her for more potentially trying times ahead. I meant no disrespect to you and once again, I apologize profusely for my rudeness.
