The federal government has quietly paid nearly $100,000 to buy back historic antiques from Rideau Hall that it accidentally sold on an online government auction service, Sun Media has learned. Comments
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The government paid $50,000 to buy back three sterling silver flower baskets which it sold for $532 to a unnamed buyer in Luskville, Que. Former employees of Rideau Hall told Sun Media in the spring that the baskets, presented as wedding gifts to Queen Elizabeth II�s grandparents, had been on loan from Buckingham Palace.
A gold-trimmed table mirror, used at Rideau Hall under flower arrangements to protect the furniture, was sold for $218.04 and repurchased from a Montreal buyer for $32,000.
Both pieces were repurchased for prices at or near the values determined by professional appraisers.
In the spring, officials at Crown Assets balked at paying an estimated $500 to get the silver and other heritage pieces appraised before they were put up for sale. Officials at the Public Works department say it has since paid $1,500 in fees to various appraisers to determine the market value of the items it was trying to buy back
It's not the government, it's these asshole civil servants who don't have a glimmer of common sense.
These "asshole civil servants" work for the government". We send MPs to Ottawa to prevent this happening.
Pretty much a bureaucratic thing it seems.
The bureaucrat who selected those items should be looking for work now. If this was a scan to embarass the gov. or it was for profit, the mistake has been found and it's time for the folks who screwed up to be accountable.
Including the folks that were able to buy this shit for $300 knowing full well it was worth $30K.
The bureaucrat who selected those items should be looking for work now. If this was a scan to embarass the gov. or it was for profit, the mistake has been found and it's time for the folks who screwed up to be accountable.
Including the folks that were able to buy this shit for $300 knowing full well it was worth $30K.
Who knows? They might even get promoted for displaying the "initiative" to buy it back.
The bureaucrat who selected those items should be looking for work now. If this was a scan to embarass the gov. or it was for profit, the mistake has been found and it's time for the folks who screwed up to be accountable.
Including the folks that were able to buy this shit for $300 knowing full well it was worth $30K.
Don't think so. For years my mom used to go to plenty of estate sales and pick up stuff for a few bucks and she made quite a bit re-selling because she took the time to research some of the stuff she was buying. Some of the older pieces of china and sterling serving sets that she bought(some of the cups and saucers were marked under a dollar) fetched her a couple of thousand. Her last sale, after collecting for a couple of years netted her and my dad a three week holiday in Cancun. He learned to stop calling her the junk lady long before that.
Also watch the Antique Road Show and see some of the stuff that comes across their tables. It's the people who were in charge of this stuff and who sold it, that are the ones to blame, not those who got a deal.
The bureaucrat who selected those items should be looking for work now. If this was a scan to embarass the gov. or it was for profit, the mistake has been found and it's time for the folks who screwed up to be accountable.
Including the folks that were able to buy this shit for $300 knowing full well it was worth $30K.
Don't think so. For years my mom used to go to plenty of estate sales and pick up stuff for a few bucks and she made quite a bit re-selling because she took the time to research some of the stuff she was buying. Some of the older pieces of china and sterling serving sets that she bought(some of the cups and saucers were marked under a dollar) fetched her a couple of thousand. Her last sale, after collecting for a couple of years netted her and my dad a three week holiday in Cancun. He learned to stop calling her the junk lady long before that.
Also watch the Antique Road Show and see some of the stuff that comes across their tables. It's the people who were in charge of this stuff and who sold it, that are the ones to blame, not those who got a deal.
Agreed. You shouldn't penalize someone for being smart.
Don't think so. For years my mom used to go to plenty of estate sales and pick up stuff for a few bucks and she made quite a bit re-selling because she took the time to research some of the stuff she was buying. Some of the older pieces of china and sterling serving sets that she bought(some of the cups and saucers were marked under a dollar) fetched her a couple of thousand. Her last sale, after collecting for a couple of years netted her and my dad a three week holiday in Cancun. He learned to stop calling her the junk lady long before that.
Also watch the Antique Road Show and see some of the stuff that comes across their tables. It's the people who were in charge of this stuff and who sold it, that are the ones to blame, not those who got a deal.
In general, I'd agree with you Shep, but this ain't the Antiques Road Show. This isn't grandma's silver. This was government property. I want to hear more about how this shook down. This isn't FINDING a treasure, it's stolen treasure, and that's a different kettle of fish.
Agreed. You shouldn't penalize someone for being smart.
Not even smart crooks?
Agreed. You shouldn't penalize someone for being smart.
Not even smart crooks?
Crooks? They didn't steal it. The government sold it.
Agreed. You shouldn't penalize someone for being smart.
Not even smart crooks?
Crooks? They didn't steal it. The government sold it.
That's not for sure yet. There's something called "Wilful Blindness" that qualifies as criminal intent and this smells like wilful blindness to me. I'll be very surprised if buyers were not put onto this sale, by the sellers, with knowledge of the "deals" to be had.