Mongolia New publication on Mongolian ODM

[Bob]

The book indeed raises many questions.

On Hein Sonnenberg itself, I suspect he is a collector (I've sold him some items in the past) and it appears this is a "labour of love" as he runs a publishing or printing business himself.

I have to say some (very limited) of the prices in the book don't appear very unreasonable.

[fjcp]

I sold the fellow some pieces too and he out bid me on a type 1 herder0 Doc a while back so he really should have a better grasp on the awarding dates.

I thought that since I'd dealt with him before he would be more willing to arrange a few copies for us here, but he seems to be a stubborn fellow and he only wanted to sell through ebay... Go figure....

Anyway, I too worry.... The list of items that'll I'll never have is getting longer and longer......

Thanks Ed for the review and let's hope that things don't get as bad as we all fear they will.

JC

Edited May 25, 2008 by fjcp

[Stogieman]

Well, price guides are price guides.... if he's a collector perhaps he's simply trying to inflate the value of his own collection. The book can get into anyone's hands and the bottom line will ever and always be...

You can ask any price you want.....

..... but not every person will be willing to pay your price.

Supply & Demand are valid subjects here. I am so very glad I do not do Soviet or Mongolian any more. It was outrageously frustrating to me to start collecting something and be confounded by (A) the vast gap between what was considered real or not, (B) the snotty attitude of the majority of Soviet collectors (reminded me of German collectors 30 years ago and {C} be instantly priced out of the market in a matter of months.

I simply do not believe these absurd prices can be sustained or will last. At some point the prices will collapse and there will be a long list of seriously aggrieved individuals.

[Bob]

I simply do not believe these absurd prices can be sustained or will last. At some point the prices will collapse and there will be a long list of seriously aggrieved individuals.

Why not? I think supply has largely been channeled to people with close to zero interest in selling their collection. Prices have shot up because - even such a small collecting community - demand is now > supply... and supply will only get smaller and smaller (recall how much was available on eBay 2 years ago???) while (with research / 2nd edition coming) demand will only increase... add to that 100+ USD oil.

Having said that, price is irrelevant for the collection which I already have... it unfortunately is also a constraint to expand the collection much further.

[Ed_Haynes]

The problem with any price guide is that they are never prepared in a completely selfless fashion. Moreover, they do drive the market. I have had village (and a do mean village) jewlers in the Indian back of beyond whip out copies of the Medals Yearbook. While they cannot read a word in the book, they see the pictures, can read the prices, and can instantly convert pounds into rupees and expect those prices. Let me see how many people in Ulanbaatar possess this new book and whether I can convince them that the prices quoted are in tugriks.

[Ed_Haynes]

On closer and ongoing examination, the fantasy facts presented here are as dangerous as are the prices.

The good news is that, so far as I know, there is only one copy of this book in UB (I gave one to Battushig). May we hope it remains thus.

[Bob]

Ed - any word from Bat on the list of questions posed for him on this forum a while back at your indication?

Thanks

[Ed_Haynes]

Ed - any word from Bat on the list of questions posed for him on this forum a while back at your indication?

Thanks

Absolutely! And when I (1) recover fropm mega-jet-lag and (2) some my scribbled notes an answer will be posted. Today. Maybe? Ed