That's so
true, Simon. Standing back and looking at the big picture as it
unfurled on MoPo - is the impression of a few people circling
the wagons against Geraldine to protect Grey - not on the basis of her
allegations - but on the basis of Grey's good character. Grey doesn't
need testimonials, most of us get that. But people still give them. To
be blunt, few people are giving ground to Geraldine because it involves
our beloved Grey. And thus her posts are deemed by some as
"inappropriate" and/or deserving of being marginalized -
for reasons that in my view, have a cliquish and dismissive ring to them that
I don't like. I've always
believed dealers and high-tiered collectors are more outspoken on MoPo
than the rest of its membership, which explains why out of 357 members,
it's the same 30 or so who always write (myself included) - while the other 327
remain lurkers. -d.
Date: Wed, 23 May 2012 23:11:05 +0000
From: fab5fre...@btinternet.com
Subject: Re: Missing posters
To: MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU
I
think it's called 'don't shoot the messenger' lashing out at the bearer
of bad news actully gives off the feeling that there is a tactical
effort to suppress - in the end it actually does more harm than the bad
news itself
Simon - the bearer of good news!Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless deviceFrom:
Bruce Hershenson <brucehershen...@gmail.com>
Sender: MoPo List <mopo-l@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU>
Date: Wed, 23 May 2012 17:58:57 -0500To: <MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU>ReplyTo:
Bruce Hershenson <brucehershen...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [MOPO] Missing posters
Geraldine
is right in her added point here. When people find her story on the
Internet, and see how she was completely blown off, that won't just
taint the people she was dealing with, but rather it will taint everyone
in this hobby.
People wonder why there are only around 10,000 active movie poster
collectors, as compared to ten or 100 times that amount in almost every
other field. Maybe it is this kind of treatment that helps explain it.
No one HAS to buy collectible movie posters the way they have to
buy food or gasoline. If they are treated rotten, then will quit
collecting.
Bruce
Date: Wed, 23 May 2012 15:43:10 -0700
From: davidmkusum...@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: Missing posters
To: MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU
I submit to all members of MOPO that one should not be diminished for
stating a topic that may be relevant to the poster community. Granted
... airing out what some may describe as dirty laundry ... there may be a
more appropriate method / venue to resolving issues. BTW .. should a
member disagree ... simply activate
your delete key.
* What is
it with some of you guys, selective amnesia? I agree with Allen and
Craig on this. I don't like the inference that Geraldine's original
post should be banned from MoPo or not tolerated. I've been on this
list since the 1990s and of course it's SO predictable that when stuff like
this
appears - some members, based on their alliances and/or their good or
bad experiences as business people - will bitch about "the airing of
grievances." So talking about problems that surface in our hobby is a
"sacred cow?" We "shouldn't" talk about things because attorneys are
involved? I've had a lot of experience with people pissed at my MoPo
posts. In my view, what some think is "bad form" is just a difference
of opinion. If I do get angry in public, it'll usually be when I feel a
"disagreement" isn't a rebuttal based on facts - but a sarcastic insult
or personal attack demanding a response. Sometimes I've been guilty
of "bad manners" by getting equally personal. Other times I don't have
time nor care to respond.
* In sum, people tend to stand up for
their friends. Grey is a friend. But he can defend himself publicly or
privately if he so chooses - without the reflexive testimonials about his good
character. Grey is a good man. But I don't like the "piling on" that
sometimes occurs against someone we don't know as well - because at
the end of the day, what matters most - is whether a person SIGNS their
name (instead of using an alias or a friend as a "tool" to stir up
trouble) - AND - whether an "allegation" about something I MAY OR MAY
NOT CARE ABOUT - is TRUE. If you don't care about the truth or falsehood of a
post, hit the delete button instead of attacking the messenger.
* It's hard to be "impartial" when our friends are
involved. When you read a nasty post against a person you DO like - just
replace his/her name with that of a person you DON'T like. It's
then easier to see the collective hypocrisy of "group think" behavior.
(See exhibits, i.e., DePrenda, Eugene Hughes, T. Loce, Haggard, Rodxmorgan,
infamous You Tube videos by Rawls, etc. - vs. exhibits involving names that are
"universally beloved.") -d.
Date: Wed, 23 May 2012 15:01:40 -0700
From: gkud...@rocketmail.com
Subject: Re: Missing posters
To: MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU
You
may not need to read emails about someone you view as a colleague, whom
you like... but there are other people in the hobby and other people
who have been enamored of movies but haven't had enough money to get
into the hobby who do need to hear it.
I say this for a very specific reason -- you
probably have a relationship with Heritage and Grey because they are --
let's face it -- so large. You've probably bought and sold posters from
him. You may feel that though you may have had differences, over the
years, you've worked them out and have developed a professional respect
for one another. You know that you can contact Grey and X, Y or Z will
happen because there is professional respect -- or at least, a
professional relationship. (I'm giving everyone
the benefit of the doubt and assume Grey respects you, but let's face
it -- in business, there are some you respect and others you
tolerate....).
Still, because you are in
the business and not a newbie or a fly-by-night, Grey and Heritage have
responded to you in a professional manner.
This
was not true in my case. Our posters were not properly inventoried, and
I can prove it. I can and will prove it. I mean -- I couldn't even get
an email reply saying this was all the posters we had of yours.
After our posters went missing, I started looking into complaints
against Heritage. Given the sales numbers that Heritage does, the
complaints admittedly are small in numbers. What I noticed was that the
majority seemed to be from the weak -- seniors like ourselves, or, in
another case, a guy with Parkinson's. The complaints weren't from their
professional colleagues but average Joes who felt taken.
You're
saying it doesn't matter to you -- which is fine -- but there are
others to whom it would matter. Others who will come to this list
looking for a way to sell their parent's collection. These average Joes
and Janes won't be in the "industry". They'll be the fly-by-nights.
They will be the one shot consignment who will contact an expert and be
funneled into an auction house, not knowing what posters they have or
their true value. They won't know how to photograph their posters to
document what they have, nor will they even now what a one sheet is.
My
emails and posts are for these folks who -- through the power of the
internet -- will come here looking for what to do with their posters.
Date: Tue, 22 May 2012 21:09:43 -0700
From: gkud...@rocketmail.com
Subject: Re: Missing posters
To: MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU
I am glad to see Robert Rogovin and James Greshin found their "missing posters".
I wish I could say the same.
After
posting here (March 31 & Apr 3, 2012) that Charlie Lippincott and I
were missing posters from Heritage, Grey offered to handle our auctions
without a commission. No longer thrilled with our relationship with
Heritage, we refused.
Next, Grey Smith offered to donate their estimated value to charity -- which we
also refused.
Grey then sent back a batch of posters.
Upon receipt, I emailed asking if these posters returned were all the posters
held by Heritge. No reply.
On
May 7 our attorney sent Grey Smith and Heritage a letter requesting the
names of the bonded staff member who had received our poster shipments
and the names of both staff members who double
checked the inventory.
I repeated my emails to Grey requesting to know whether he had shipped back
everything we had sent to heritage. No reply.
Finally, on May 8, I sent an email with the heading 5TH REQUEST.
Grey
Smith replied the next day, but did not affirm the return represented
ALL our inventory. It took two more emails before he said everything had
been returned.
As of May 18, Grey Smith claims they have not received a letter from our
attorney.
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