Posted by Steve Price on March 22, 1999 at 20:07:49:
In Reply to: Rarity posted by Michael Wendorf on March 22, 1999 at 15:20:07:
Dear Michael,
The rarity issue is, as you and Jerry note, not a simple matter. Clearly, collectors will pay a premium for it - how else could we account for the fact that the dreariest of Turkmen khalyks will bring more than most pretty good juvals or torbas? On the other hand, when something is so rare as to be unattributable, I think most collectors shy away from it.
The importance of rarity varies from one collector to another, but that's true of any characteristic. It's also a common observation that when some rare item draws really big money at a major auction, many more of them appear on the market fairly soon. I think the economists may be onto something with that supply and demand stuff.
Regards,
Steve Price