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Site Information, Articles, Links, etc.
Site Information, Articles, Links, etc.
Cachetmakers & Dealers, Are Ethics Important?
by John H. White, American First Day Cover Society LM269
If you see an unscrupulous listing on eBay for First Day Covers, please contact me. If you see a listing that is an out-and-out Fraud, immediately report it to eBay Customer Support.
Cachetmakers
It is VERY IMPORTANT to document everything that you create, and all the details that go along with it! If you don't, people in the future will not understand what your contribution to the hobby was!
Do you want to be an "Unknown" 5, 10, or even 50 years from now? Is it important to you to be known? If not, then I question if your interest to produce cachets is for the enjoyment derived and given to others, or if it is just to make money.
In my opinion, if you are not willing to sign and document your work, then you do not take pride in what you create, and do not wish to be remembered for them. If this is the case, then you might want to consider another venue, and you may stop reading at this point.
If a Collector has your cachet, and it is identified, they can then look for other information about you to enhance the enjoyment, AND have a link to see if you made cachets for other issues they collect! If a collector has an "Unknown", then it just sits there, dormant, without any life. How much would you pay for a Dorothy Knapp cachet if she didn't sign it?
I would dare say most knowledgeable FDC collectors (especially those in the AFDCS) have made their own cachets for family and friends. Should these be documented just like a 'Professional' Cachetmaker? Absolutely YES.
With regard to Add-On cachets, I approve of the practice with proper documentation. If you produce Add-Ons, it is imperative that you identify it as such on the front and/or back -- to include your logo/name, date added (at least the year), and quantity made. If you don't own a Scanner, buy one (they are cheap), and scan everything you make (at least 200 dpi) for your own records (and send the scans to me, more on that at a later time). If you do not have a computer or access to one, then ask a friend/neighbor or me to assist.
eBay is a great tool for cachetmakers to sell their products. The audience is virtually unlimited -- including people who don't know anything about First Day Covers. In January of this year, a cachetmaker added-on a cachet to a #855 Baseball FDC. Nice work, and clearly advertised as an Add-On giving the Cachetmaker name; however, the cachetmaker failed to say WHEN it was added-on.
The item closed at $203.50. I believe if it were disclosed it was made less than three months ago, it wouldn't have gone that high. Those bidding (that are not in the hobby gung-ho) automatically think it was made in 1939. Is there a problem with this? In my opinion, a resounding YES. It puts this cover in the same historical significance as a cover and cachet made in 1939, when it was not.
Likely, when the winning bidder realizes what he actually got for his money, he will curse the hobby as a bunch of rip-off artists. What if the cachetmaker added on another one just like it tomorrow? Should it be worth $203.50? What if he makes ten more this year --- are they each worth $203.50? Finally, are they comparable to other hand-drawn/hand-painted cachets actually made in 1939? No, and never should be.
In the World of Coin Collecting, washing a coin to make it look better is frowned on and, as a matter of fact, lessens the value of the object! What about First Day Covers? Adding a cachet enhances the cover and thereby increases the value if tastefully done. However, doctoring by means of any method that removes any aspect or condition of the cover, in my opinion, is unethical, and REDUCES the value just as it does for coins. Let the item exist and age with time in its glory!
Dealers
Dealers should be held to properly describe cachets in all marketing venues, including all information known. If there is no information, don't use buzz words that imply what it isn't. If it seems like it doesn't fit the cachets made on the FDOI, please don't say it is "of the period" (What, exactly, does that mean?). Call it what it is - an Add-On, date created unknown.
As any business person, a Dealer has the right to put together whatever words that may help sell the item, but shouldn't bring themselves to untruths or leaving out a detail here or there that would likely reduce the sale value. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then, it's a duck.
Collectors
What can you do to help protect the integrity of our hobby? Let cachetmakers and dealers alike know when you feel their practice can be harmful to our hobby! Help them understand the importance of not continuing their ways. If marketed as an Unknown, and you know who made it, let them know! Take a stand, and don't say, "I don't collect that stuff, it's not my concern."
One of the most enjoyable aspects of collecting, for me, is to gather each little tidbit of information I can for an item. Don't just acquire items and stow them away! Document what you learn , and pass on the information to other current and future collectors! Spread the Fever!
In Closing
As is the case with any collectable, the value of an item is what the market will bear. Will the market that is buying up these items that are poorly made, and inaccurately described for reasons of profit, spread good cheer of our beloved hobby when they realize their misguided purchases in the past? I think not.
I would like to say that most cachetmakers and dealers uphold proper ethics when dealing with collectors. Sadly, it is the few that don't that are and will give the hobby a bad name. Anyone with constructive comments or differing views is welcome to contact me. If you don't know how to document your creations or need tips on how to accurately describe something, please feel free to contact me (Home Page, bottom left).
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