I would like to form a personal opinion--pro or con--on the subject at
hand but, for the life of me, I can't figure out the problem.  I'm new
to the list and maybe I should have checked the archives to see what
message I didn't receive that would have shed some light on how this
discussion started.

What puzzles me is that I can't envision a volunteer who collects things
being competitive with the museum--any museum.  The best/worst I can
come up with is that a volunteer--or any one else--might knock on
someone's death's door and pursuade the family to sell off the antiques
in the house to him/her.  Even so, unless that person were in the
antique business or setting up his/her own museum, I would imagine that
the articles would be for personal use at home.

Now a volunteer at a yard sale or auction would still be in the same
category.  Pretty little old trinkets with no certificates of
authenticity.

Could someone clue me in on any possible scenerio that would put a
volunteer who loves to collect things in competition with a museum??  I
just want to form a personal opinion (and take notes for the next time I
go to a yard sale! :-D).

Vee Housman