From: Gary Tefft / locustent@aol.com
Location: Menomonee Falls, WI
Date: 23 Sep 1999
Time: 23:09:10
There are a whole bunch of honest-to-gosh professionals who not only make their living by being keenly attuned to the subtleties of value, but have traditionally had a major influence on the nation's economy. I'm talking about the folks on Wall Street. But have you noticed how often over the past five years that you've heard some of these sages advise that the top had certainly been reached in the marketplace and the bull market was about to end? Analyists have speculated that the stock market participation by the masses has changed the old rules about which way the market is headed. It seems that these unsophisticated stock buyers know only one "rule" about the stock market: over time, it always goes up, so they are willing to "let it ride", rather than seeking to avoid short-term downturns.
Red Wing values are even harder to gage with certainty Rolyn, because there is even more unpredictable emotion involved. We can all agree that an 11" bowl is one of the premier pieces. But, spongeware is one of the lines where the market is particularly sensitive to damage. It seems that the higher a value that is placed on a perfect piece, the greater will the interest be diminished by damage. I think that you did okay with your $49.50 purchase, but wouldn't be increasing the value enough by having it professionally repaired to be worth the price of the work. I'd leave it alone and keep my eye open for a perfect piece, if that's your goal.
-Gary-