An end of year review.
 

As we enter the last month of the year I thought I might just offer a short review of the years collecting.
First a big thank you to Staff and moderators thier enthusiasm make this site possible. Thank you.
Secondly I have acquired one or two nice things in the year but I have also made four terrible errors of judgement in the blind search for a bargain. If we are all honest, we like to think we know a thing or two about ethnographic weapons, enough to make a fool of our selves at times. I am happy to share these errors, two quite costly, if others are interested and might possibly own up to thier bad moments. The errors I have made are comically unforgivable and I should have known better. :o Tim

Tim -

Making errors is part of all collecting. Lordy knows I've made more
than my share; mostly in what I didn't buy rather than what I did.
Passed up a lovely naginata in Pennsylvania for $200 :-(
Later passed on a group for tsuba (8 of them including two
early ko-katchushi) for 1000. That's just the start of my screw ups.
Also bought a bogus I*XL bowie in the 1970s - probably my biggest
"buy" error. Like the man said, you live and learn or you don't live long :-)

Like you said, I also would like to thank all the folks on the board, Lee
and the staff especially. It's been an educational year on the board for
me at least. Also been a banner year for me as I found (and went totally
nuts on) Finnish puukko. A collection which is now totally out of control :-)

Rich S

This is the most recent error and the most expensive. What is so bad is that I have worked hard to learn about and get some very good African spears IMHO. This was an ebay gamble, need I say more. If the haft had not been recently vandalised it would have been a very nice Congo spear. I gambled and lost :( I will not bother with the whole picture. Tim

No 'stinkers' for me this year and one fabulous eBay score . :D

Okay , I might have overpaid a bit on a couple but no regrets . :)

I find I'm buying on eBay less and less .




/not bragging ; just saying

*Addendum , I've only purchased maybe 6 pieces this year . :o

Please try not to laugh :D , this was the second most expensive lapse in concentration, ebay again described as stunning!!!! The picture did show how rubbish it is if you looked hard but I just saw what I wanted to see, like I was in a trance :cool: . The blade is not worth showing :D . The most funny are yet to come and I bought them with the benefit of being able to handle them. What a slap head :cool: . Tim

Tim,

do we all don't get overenthousiastic from time to time??? But the most embarissing is when we have to explain the Mrs. that our bargain turned out to be an expensive error :D :D :D :D

Gentlemen,

These are not losses, and are never mistakes unless we repeat them. Because you cannot buy the knowledge each of these pieces brought you about antiques... and human nature (ours , and others')... for any money.
They're like scars really-- we endeavor to keep them covered if possible and flinch if a chum should twit us about them. Cheers to every Forum member who for better or worse, essayed a purchase this year.

Ham

Well, I did get screwed for the second time in my collecting - a faux jambiya for decoration ! :eek:

Live and learn.. :rolleyes:

Well, I will show my best gamble of this year. I bought this Kilij on the gamble that the blade was wootz. With the magic of Philip Tom and Tom Kaczor it restored to the second set of photo's. No big mistakes this year but if you want to review the last five, whoo boy!!!

Jeff, I love it! I envy your luck!

Jeff, that is splendid, my best buy this year has to be the Solomon Island staff for the price of a fish and chips supper and a tin of fizzy drink. I cannot show the other two hilarious howlers :D :D :D untill tomorrow. They are priceless. Tim

Look at these! Worrying about snipers is nothing you need to worry about your own mind, after all, you are all free to snipe but you are stuck with yourself :eek: . What planet was I on when I bought these :confused: . I could have bought six portions of fish and chips. Cut in half then bound together and covered in varnish. There are also split rings screwed into the top and bottom so that they could be displayed crossed. A real shame as they would have been rather nice and I liked the use of split nut as a wieght at the spear end. Agian I was in a sort of trance and just saw what I wanted, after picking them up and down several times I sort of knew they were rubbish but I went and bought them :( .

Jeff D, love the kilij. When I grow up I'll get one too.. :p

Thanks everyone for the kind comments!

Yannis, I agree with Napoleon, it is better to be lucky than good.

Jose, growing up is over rated, of course there are some benefits.

Tim, stop beating your self up buddy, it took me many years to learn not to rush into a purchase. That once in a lifetime buy occurs more often than that. I like your attitude regarding the mistakes, you may as well laugh at them and learn. Now if only I could do that about my Nortel shares.

All the Best
Jeff

Tim

For display they are not bad just get rid of the rings I like the one on the bottom :D I bought two tulwars last year for $200 and they were real old ones but they were junkers we all make mistakes next time limit yourself to one pint of ale before you hit ebay :D

Regards

Lew

The last one, I think it was in this year that I got it? Its a cracker! :D I walked straight into this one at a fare. I think I may be forgiven this one. In the early bird gets the worm rush and excitement, looking for that one under valued bargain, my eyes rested on this, luckily it only cost four portions of fish and chips. It must of been the mother of all spears before it was creatively shortened and reassembled :rolleyes: . I am only showing these as it is the years end and I have done extremely well with other buys and I also wanted to show any new collectors that you will always make errors of judgement. Also we can take ourselves rather too seriously, At times ;) . Tim

Something happened with the connection and I couldn't post! Panic in the street! Total house arrest! Where are my life, liberty and pursuit of happiness?
Luckily, it was resolved...
In moments like that one understands how important and addictive this Forum is....
Well, my turn to show my latest acquisition. Bought it for a price of a mass-produced Tulwar. Not yet cleaned but totally original.

Roll up!! roll up!!! post your best or worst 2005 buys here.

Tim , I like your measurement scale for increments of value . :D

Thanks Rick :) it is offcause not standard and would have some local variation but helps as a guide. As an international guide a little more difficult. It would work for most G8 :D :D countries , for those poor sad people in countries that do not have chip shops it would probably be equivalent to a good quality burger and fries, big mac type thing :confused: . Tim :D

Congrats Ariel
 

Ariel:

Great old piece and not just "fakiry." ;);):D

I've been waiting for years to be able to say that. :D

Ian.