Aren't there just 4 possibilities? Some combination of CR member, philistine (a poor, deluded fool who hasn't joined the list), current high bidder & seller? In only one combination would outing be arguably bad.
1. CR seller & philistine c.h. bidder: outing good, as it increases $ to CR member and perhaps puts item into newly alerted CR member's hands.
2. Philistine seller & philistine c.h. bidder. Out it. Why let one of the unwashed get good stuff?
3. CR seller & CR current high bidder: outing still good, because anytime a CR member sells something, it's usually either the seller's livelihood, financial distress or trying to fund a new project, so maximum $ is good. There's a negative factor if the CR CHB really needs the bit, but the list has always been a great place to secure tough to find items. I almost always get offers when I mention that I'm looking for a particular part, and you can barter parts from your stash.
4. Philistine seller and CR c.h. bidder. This is the debatable one. The risk is that a CR member will lose out on a part to a fellow CR list member. But the first issue is how do you know if the CHB is a member, or, to make it really tough, if a member is waiting in the wings wanting to bid in at the last minute? Only a blanket ban on all outings would help, and that would be a negative in the 3 previous situations.
Secondly, if I was in favor of this policy, it would benefit me at the expense of my CR brethren. As the king of sniper bait, my perspective is that I don't mind too much if I lose because the other person wanted it more than me. And if I'm going to get sniped, isn't it better if it goes to a CR list member? I've recently been trying to secure a set of long reach nutted Nuovo Record calipers. Been sniped 4 times so far, but that's what makes the hunt thrilling. If any CR members got em, then more power to ya, brother.
The only risk would be if Bill Gates joined the list and started mashing us with his bankroll by buying all the good stuff outed on the list. I don't think anyone on the list falls in that catagory. If we did, we'd be collecting Ferraris, not Colnagos.
Yes, it would be nice if CR sellers offered stuff to the list first, but that's extra credit points and strictly up to them. You go up in esteem if you do it, but you shouldn't go down if you choose not to, especially if there are mitigating circumstances like being unsure of a fair price.
Just my 2 cents. I vote for outing anytime anyone feels like it. It increases chances that a CR member gets stuff they need and is the easiest to administer.
Tom Adams, Kansas City
Mike Wilkinson wrote:
>
(cut)
> at least open up some communication so that if it was something that two
> cr members wanted they could
> at least avoid inflating the price.
Ah my favorite... while two CR members make arrangements between themselves so the price doesn't go up (artificially keeping down the auction price) someone else comes in and snipes them! Ho, ho.
Chuck Schmidt
SoPas, SoCal