Thanks Spunjer. I agree we have probably contributed to some of the changes in the market place by talking openly about uncommon or obscure weapons.
This is a decision that we each face. Some people choose one way, others another way. Personally, I favor spreading the knowledge around. I get as much, if not more, enjoyment from talking about these weapons with other interested collectors, than keeping information to myself so that I can accumulate another dozen cheap examples of a sword nobody else cares about or understands what it is.
There is probably a larger number of people who think otherwise. Some of them are probably lurking on this Forum as I write this.
I don't have a problem with that. Making a profit from my collection is not a life goal -- if I was a dealer I might feel differently. More improtant to me is the sharing of knowledge, particularly in areas for which there is no handy reference book or accessible data.
This Forum is a great place to hang out and learn about ethnographic edged weapons -- I hope we all continue to share what we know without too much thought about who might be lurking or possibly competing for prized weapons.
Ian.