Greetings, I'm not a museum worker but I am a patron, and I think you raised some good points. As a purchaser I would want to know what I was getting and where it came from. And a certain level of knowledge of the patrons as to the value and availability of pieces cannot be assumed. I recently viewed an exhibition showcasing the treasures of the first emperor of China, including the terra cotta soldiers unearthed at the site. I picked up a small reproduction of one of the figures in the gift shop to put on my desk at worked. (It was quite clear that it was a reproduction.) When I took it into work I actually had someone ask me if it was a real piece from the emperor's tomb! ( I guess he was confused with all the other 2000+ year old artifacts on my desk?) The point being, some people may have thought they were buying "the real thing". And I do think it is the Director's responsibility to maintain oversight of all aspects of the museum, regardless of who runs it. It does have a definite impact on the overall image of their museum. I think it would have been a good idea to make a short statement about how the items for sale were acquired and what exactly they represent. If I had purchased what I thought was a real piece of wreckage and found out otherwise, I would be an ex-patron of that museum. Sorry if I ran on too long... Hope it helps Reid Robin Shtulman and Ed Cope <[log in to unmask]> wrote in article <01BC4599.40C079C0@default>... I have a query to ponder for all you folks out there who work in museums that also maintain gift shops.