Posted by Tom Cole on January 14, 1999 at 08:49:21:
In Reply to: Re: Rogue dealers posted by Yon Bard on January 13, 1999 at 08:20:40:
: Wendel, what you say about rogue dealers may be true in principle, but in practice I can hardly be expected to avoid a rogue dealer when he offers me a great piece. Exactly how did I get cheated by buying that piece in Philadelphia at a reasonable price? That alone made the trip worthwhile.
: Regards, Yon
Rogue dealers go with the territory and comprise such a small percentage of people, that it becomes insignificant in the big picture. The ICOC venue invites rogue dealers by not providing a user friendly environment, an affordable venue, for exhibiting as ACOR does. I believe rogue dealers are almost non-existent at ACOR (certainly unnoticeable to paying exhibitors), while the incredible booth fees in Hamburg proved to be an insurmountable obstacle to more than few reputable rug dealers who were, in a sense, forced to go "underground". The bottom line at all of these conferences and rug fairs should be to provide an atmosphere of inclusion, rather than an exclusive club. The rug community is too small to be an exclusive one.