Vee L. Housman said:  "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'll offer an example from the perspective of our
     operation:  A volunteer goes to an auction sale or an
     antique dealer, finds a chair which is documented as
     having been used around the dining table in the former
     Governors' Mansion, and buys it.  We own the Former
     Governors' Mansion State Historic Site and operate it
     as a museum.  The volunteer has collected an object
     which the museum needs/desires to complete its
     collections, and there is a conflict of interest.  We
     would offer to buy the chair for what the volunteer
     paid - unless, of course, they chose to donate it,
     which many do.  You are correct, at least in our case,
     that "pretty little old trinkets with no certificates
     of authenticity" would not constitute a conflict.

     Hope that helps clarify the matter.

     Chris Dill

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C. L. Dill, Museum Director
State Historical Society of North Dakota
612 East Boulevard
Bismarck  ND  58505-0830
P: (701)328-2666
F: (701)328-3710
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Visit our Web site at: http://www.state.nd.us/hist/
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