Bob,

I think that there are several factors for the scaresness of the earlier editions now than just a while ago. First off I think that late last year there was economic problems that caused some colelctors to sell off all or part of their collections. I noticed many entire collections of older pieces, and specifically Canadian pieces, were being sold. If fact I took the opportunity to purchase a dozen or so of them to upgrade my collection. I think that as these collections have been sold, and with the economy getting better, it has slowed the sale of unique pieces that command a higher price, and we are back to the dealer dumping of newer pieces.

Secondly, I think that the holiday season is a time when people think they can command a higher price because of the "gift" factor. The gift factor is where a person is willing pay a little more to get something special for that special person. Holiday seasons are notorious for this, as evidenced by the big reductions after the season for many items.

Lastly, I think there are some people that see the prices falling and make the decision to sell before they think it will fall lower. It is kind of like the stock market where you buy a stock to hold for appreciation, and when it is above what you paid and the market is falling you panic and try to sell before you lose anymore, or maximize your profit. It is a boom time for those that wait for this situation, and have the funds stockpiled.

I wish that the preChristmas market would have lasted a little longer this year and I would have had another $1000 or 2 to bid on some of the pieces I just missed. It was a good time to upgrade the collection, and I hope it returns in the future.