Only a tiny percentage of my hobby funds go to auction houses. I simply don't have confidence in them, I want to avoid the hype and hysteria, not to mention the shilling, the endless disappointments, and I greatly prefer dealing with entities that I know and trust - like Bedrock, Bunky, A-1, Harley, Payette, Blazing Bob, etc.

Dealing with a reputable dealer for books at a fixed price may not offer me nearly the selection that an auction house does, but it sure provides me with a much more satisfying experience overall.

And speaking personally, I've never encountered a shortage of material such that my budget overflows for a lack of available books.

While the auction houses may get most of the attention (and most of the threads on this board), it's the honest dealers who are the backbone of the hobby for me. Without them, I wouldn't even be here.

^^^ yeah plus it will ease the pain for us canucks fans