RESEARCH 1. DIRECT OBSERVATION AND STUDY , WHERE ALL THE WRITTEN AND COLLECTED MATERIAL ORIGINATED.
2. READING BOOKS AND STUDYING ITEMS BROUGHT FROM THE DIRECT APPROACH.
TIME IS A FACTOR WITHOUT THE AID OF A TIME MACHINE ALL WE HAVE IS OLD OFTEN IMPERFECT DATA FROM #1 DATA COLLECTION TO GO ON.
ALL THE PEOPLE I LEARNED FROM WHEN I STARTED COLLECTING IN MY YOUTH HAVE PASSED LONG AGO. I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS I WOULD HAVE ASKED THEM TODAY BUT IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO DO SO. I ONLY REMEMBER BITS AND PIECES OF WHAT THEY TOLD ME IN THOSE DAYS.ITS MUCH THE SAME WITH BOOKS I HAVE READ IN THE PAST I KNOW I READ SOMETHING ABOUT A SUBJECT BUT NOT ENOUGH TO GIVE THE REFERENCE OR COMPLETE INFORMATION. THIS IS THE WAY ITS ALWAYS BEEN AND STILL IS TODAY QUITE A FEW VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE FORUM MEMBERS ARE NOW GONE THE LATEST BEING MATCHLOCK " WHAT A LOSS!"
I CONSIDER THE FORUM IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESERVE SOME OF THIS KNOWLEDGE BEFORE IT IS LOST. UNFORTUNATELY MANY SCHOLARS WILL NEVER BE AWARE OF THE FORUM TODAY OR WILL CHOOSE NOT TO CONTRIBUTE. THE REASONS ARE THEY PLAN TO PUBLISH WHICH OFTEN NEVER GET'S FINISHED OR THEY CONSIDER KNOWLEDGE IS POWER AND DO NOT WISH TO SHARE OR GIVE FOR FREE WHAT THEY HAVE WORKED FOR OR BEEN GIVEN.
THE FORUM IS A GROWING RESOURCE AND IS DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB OF COMPILING DATA. THERE IS CHAFF ALONG WITH THE GRAIN BUT MANY KERNELS OF KNOWLEDGE CAN BE FOUND AMONG IT. THE FORUM IS A PLACE FOR SHOW AND TELL "LOOK WHAT I GOT !" , " WHAT IS THIS?" AS WELL AS A PLACE TO DEPOSIT DATA, FACTS AND EXAMPLES. I CAN PARROT WHAT I HAVE READ FROM THE FEW REFERENCES ON FIJI CLUBS FOR INSTANCE BUT THAT IS JUST ARRANGING DATA. I CONTRIBUTE NEW DATA WHEN I POST PICTURES OF LOTS OF EXAMPLES OLD OR RECENT THAT ARE NOT IN THE OLD REFERENCES. THE FACT THAT IT IS ALL IN ONE PLACE HELPS SPEED UP RESEARCH.
LIFE IS SHORT SO THE TIME TAKEN FINDING ALL RESOURCES IS IMPORTANT. FINDING ALL BOOKS READING THEM TRAVELING TO SEE IMPORTANT COLLECTIONS ALL TAKES TIME AND IS USUALLY ONLY COVERING GROUND ALREADY THOROUGHLY GONE OVER. FEW PEOPLE COME ALONG WITH THE NATURAL ABILITY TO DRAW EVERYTHING TOGETHER AND MAKE SENSE OF IT IN ONE LIFETIME. HOPEFULLY IN FUTURE WHEN ALL THE PIECES ARE DEPOSITED IN THE BOX SUCH A ONE WILL BE ABLE TO FIND THEM HERE ON THE FORUM AND OTHER PLACES AND PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER.
I THINK TODAY THERE ARE MORE DEALERS THAN COLLECTORS MOSTLY DUE TO T.V. PROGRAMS SOME WILL NO DOUBT USE THE FORUM FOR INFORMATION AND ONLY TAKE AND NEVER CONTRIBUTE. THE MAIN GOAL OF A TRUE DEALER IS MONEY NOT STUFF,INFORMATION IS ONLY NECESSARY TO GET THE BEST PRICE. THEN THERE IS THE COLLECTOR DEALER WHO SELLS TO COLLECT AND LIKES STUFF AND ITS HISTORY. THE HARD CORE COLLECTOR WHO LIKES, STUDIES AND KEEPS EVERYTHING. TO EACH HIS OWN
A ONE WORD SEARCH ON THE COMPUTER BRINGS MULTIPLE SOURCES OF DATA ON THE FORUM OR GOOGLE MAKING IT FASTER AND EASIER.
WITH MY PARTICULAR VIEW AND STYLE I DON'T FIND DEBATE WORTHWHILE AS IT USUALLY ENDS UP " YES IT IS!", "NO ITS NOT!" OVER AND OVER. SO WHEN I FIND I AM IN ONE I JUST STATE MY DATA MY VIEWS AND WHY AND MOVE ON REGARDLESS OF IF I AGREE OR NOT.
DATA GATHERING, QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, SHOW AND TELL ARE ALL PART OF THE REASON FOR THE FORUM BUT FUN, COMRADERY AND ENCOURAGING NEW COLLECTORS ARE ALSO VERY IMPORTANT.