[chris vickery]

As a slight aside to this subject, is that of "theft" of items whereby a deal is pending, if not struck...
Unfortunately, many time, mvs etc are purchased from farmers and landowners. What they understand is dollars, nothing more, nothing less.
I personaly have found items that I was interested in or made a deal on and happened to mentioned to a fellow collector what I found. Turns out when I go to retrieve said item, it is gone. Seems another fellow showed up ahead of me, cash in hand and away it went. I guess in today's day and age a deal is not necessarily a deal and a handshake means nothing.
I even had 2 vehicles pilfered of their CES kit at government auction after my vehicles were bought and paid for! This is in a supposed secure facility. In that case, I had to arrange transport for said vehicles which did not happen until the next day. In hindsight, I would have waited for the auction to end and stripped the vehicles of the kit before I left...
Rule number one. DO NOT TRUST YOUR FELLOW COLLECTORS.
I have seen and/or heard of far too many stories like this, including the names of some of the larger and more well knowm, supposedly respected collectors in the mv community.