Valuable artifact - what to do

[Anonymous]

OP, is lacking in all self awareness.

She is under the mindset of me, me, me, without even giving a single regard to her siblings.

- She suggested she pay them - HARD NO.
- She suggested stealing it from the apt. without them then noticing.
- She doesn't want to hear any of our advice UNLESS they're beneficial to her.

There's a few words that come to mind that describe you, OP - entitled, selfish, self- centered, inconsiderate & self severing.

I'm guessing if we ask your siblings the same question, they'd say that all were true.

Your priority is getting away with this with the least amount of fall out.

I for one (and I suspect MANY others agree).

Your parents are probably extremely ashamed of you right now... trying to steal a valuable piece from your siblings that was most likely looted & plundered from s losing country during a war.

You're a thief... but worse, you're smug about it.

Believe his/her BS story people, but unless he can identify at least ONE of the countries he's discussing, WE. ALL. KNOW. WHERE. IT. DERIVED. FROM.

[Anonymous]

Looted Egyptian, Libyan, Iraqi antiques have long been sold on the black market and then “gifted” between nouveau riches in the gulf states. Is this what you have?

[Anonymous]

umm, you have no clue whatsoever where this came from. i can tell because nobody mentioned either of the countries involved. i am not sure what this matters anyway.

[Anonymous]

Do the right think and return to the country from where it was stolen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:umm, you have no clue whatsoever where this came from. i can tell because nobody mentioned either of the countries involved. i am not sure what this matters anyway.

Let me guess, you have Kashmiri artifacts and you are Indian?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:umm, you have no clue whatsoever where this came from. i can tell because nobody mentioned either of the countries involved. i am not sure what this matters anyway.

It does matter because it gives us some cultural background for this which can help shed light on your family's situation.
It also does matter from a legal standpoint because the issues of conveyance, etc. vary from country to country.

[Anonymous]

the fact that OP is afraid to try to take the object out of the country its in means its likely illegal (i.e. stolen during a war, or piece of that looted countries history).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, is lacking in all self awareness.

She is under the mindset of me, me, me, without even giving a single regard to her siblings.

- She suggested she pay them - HARD NO.
- She suggested stealing it from the apt. without them then noticing.
- She doesn't want to hear any of our advice UNLESS they're beneficial to her.

There's a few words that come to mind that describe you, OP - entitled, selfish, self- centered, inconsiderate & self severing.

I'm guessing if we ask your siblings the same question, they'd say that all were true.

Your priority is getting away with this with the least amount of fall out.

I for one (and I suspect MANY others agree).

Your parents are probably extremely ashamed of you right now... trying to steal a valuable piece from your siblings that was most likely looted & plundered from s losing country during a war.

You're a thief... but worse, you're smug about it.

Believe his/her BS story people, but unless he can identify at least ONE of the countries he's discussing, WE. ALL. KNOW. WHERE. IT. DERIVED. FROM.

it’s actually the opposite - it’s the oldest sibling who is insanely self-centered. i even complained to DCUM about it and people were stunned by the examples.

as for my parents, they would give it to me no doubt. they wanted things to be equal and felt i was getting a much shorter stick because siblings had parents for decades longer.

none of this matters because it’s cant be proven and sibling wouldn’t care. we have an okayish relationship that I would not want to destroy over this. but it will most likely be fine eventually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:the fact that OP is afraid to try to take the object out of the country its in means its likely illegal (i.e. stolen during a war, or piece of that looted countries history).

who said i was afraid - you can’t take even a painting bought yesterday out of that country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I think this is what's going on--OP correct me if I'm wrong.

OP is younger than her siblings and unlike them, grew up around the object, so it's sentimental to her and not to them.

Therefore, a copy is not the same to OP. She wants the original.

She is worried that her siblings will get grabby with her and want the object just because she wants it.

She feels more entitled to the object, because she has the sentimental feelings toward it, but believes they'd get grabby either because they are grabby, or because it becomes a power situation.

She's thinking, in tort language..."Take and Pay." That it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

All good, OP, until you don't want to pay your siblings.

The object is worth MORE than market value to you because you have sentimental value attached to it.

So if you want this thing AND want to keep your relationships intact, I vote Take and Pay. Take, then offer MORE than 1/3. "There was a water leak so fixed it, but in doing so I had to move Object to my house. Object is worth 20K--see valuation attached to this email-- so I'm mailing each of you a check for 8K, which is over 1/3."

How is that, OP?

but the object is worth less than “market value” to me. this is because if I had it I couldn’t be able to sell it to whoever is willing to pay full price. there is no investment value whatsoever in it.

when I reflect upon it the object is worth at most $5000 to me. yes it has a sentimental value to me but I wouldn’t pay 10 grand for, say, an old photo of my parents either.

And the hits just keep on coming...

The OP has already said that they don't give a shit about us or insulting us, they're after one thing... your knowledge. Even after they've insulted you they want YOUR knowledge. Even after they've said they don't like you, they've made it abundantly clear, that your knowledge is what they want and YOU'RE irrelevant to them (similar to their siblings, to put it in perspective).

See, I've been sitting on my back porch drinking a glass o' country time lemon-aid (something the OP probably knows nothing about) reading this cat & mouse thread, and I've been contemplating whether I should chime in or not...


Chiming. In.

To begin, from the OP's haughty, complacent dialect - they're not American.

They care nothing of others (unless they can benefit from them in some way) and even then it's done in disdaine.

Though... there are a small few who are despised more than any other -- the siblings.

It appears that the OP is attempting to steal an antiquity to which he owns 1/3 of, which would be immoral, unethical, underhanded (ie; slimy & sleazy) & illegal (will the mere site of it make our eyes bleed?).

The OP is frothing at the mouth to obtain legal ownership, but they refuse to compensate the other two RIGHTFUL owners under the law (which are his siblings... just in case anyone forgot).

This seems like a TOTAL dick move in any nationality, language, color, culture, religion and sexual preference.

I hope your parents are looking down at you and are proud of how close you and your siblings are & of the fine upstanding citizen you've become.


They say children mimic their parents, right?
Well, maybe after witnessing your cold, shrewd, selfish, ugly and YES & illegal, underdealings towards your siblings, maybe your children will take note and simply consider them as a means to an end? Something they want to take?

Kids watch & listen to every move we make.


If I were you, I'd be very nervous about how your children will treat each other & YOU in the future.
Secrets like this don't stay hidden long, can you imagine the embarrassment & shame in their eyes when they find out? tsk. tsk. tsk.

Oh, and don't fool yourself, they'll believe your story at first while they're young children, but as the rest of the family starts to gossip, the story WILL come out & with so many family members cooperating it... your children will never believe you. You'll be disgrsced.


There's one thing in this world that will securely hold on to your criminal acts, political embarrassments, falls from grace, etc... the internet. As it's FOREVER.

So no matter the good you've done in this world, no matter your attempt at stomping out poverty in this world... what you are about to do to your siblings will be your friend forever, my friend.
That wil be your legacy to your children.

Correct me if I'm wrong?
Weren't YOU the one who set these wheels in motion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I think this is what's going on--OP correct me if I'm wrong.

OP is younger than her siblings and unlike them, grew up around the object, so it's sentimental to her and not to them.

Therefore, a copy is not the same to OP. She wants the original.

She is worried that her siblings will get grabby with her and want the object just because she wants it.

She feels more entitled to the object, because she has the sentimental feelings toward it, but believes they'd get grabby either because they are grabby, or because it becomes a power situation.

She's thinking, in tort language..."Take and Pay." That it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

All good, OP, until you don't want to pay your siblings.

The object is worth MORE than market value to you because you have sentimental value attached to it.

So if you want this thing AND want to keep your relationships intact, I vote Take and Pay. Take, then offer MORE than 1/3. "There was a water leak so fixed it, but in doing so I had to move Object to my house. Object is worth 20K--see valuation attached to this email-- so I'm mailing each of you a check for 8K, which is over 1/3."

How is that, OP?

but the object is worth less than “market value” to me. this is because if I had it I couldn’t be able to sell it to whoever is willing to pay full price. there is no investment value whatsoever in it.

when I reflect upon it the object is worth at most $5000 to me. yes it has a sentimental value to me but I wouldn’t pay 10 grand for, say, an old photo of my parents either.

And the hits just keep on coming...

The OP has already said that they don't give a shit about us or insulting us, they're after one thing... your knowledge. Even after they've insulted you they want YOUR knowledge. Even after they've said they don't like you, they've made it abundantly clear, that your knowledge is what they want and YOU'RE irrelevant to them (similar to their siblings, to put it in perspective).

See, I've been sitting on my back porch drinking a glass o' country time lemon-aid (something the OP probably knows nothing about) reading this cat & mouse thread, and I've been contemplating whether I should chime in or not...


Chiming. In.

To begin, from the OP's haughty, complacent dialect - they're not American.

They care nothing of others (unless they can benefit from them in some way) and even then it's done in disdaine.

Though... there are a small few who are despised more than any other -- the siblings.

It appears that the OP is attempting to steal an antiquity to which he owns 1/3 of, which would be immoral, unethical, underhanded (ie; slimy & sleazy) & illegal (will the mere site of it make our eyes bleed?).

The OP is frothing at the mouth to obtain legal ownership, but they refuse to compensate the other two RIGHTFUL owners under the law (which are his siblings... just in case anyone forgot).

This seems like a TOTAL dick move in any nationality, language, color, culture, religion and sexual preference.

I hope your parents are looking down at you and are proud of how close you and your siblings are & of the fine upstanding citizen you've become.


They say children mimic their parents, right?
Well, maybe after witnessing your cold, shrewd, selfish, ugly and YES & illegal, underdealings towards your siblings, maybe your children will take note and simply consider them as a means to an end? Something they want to take?

Kids watch & listen to every move we make.


If I were you, I'd be very nervous about how your children will treat each other & YOU in the future.
Secrets like this don't stay hidden long, can you imagine the embarrassment & shame in their eyes when they find out? tsk. tsk. tsk.

Oh, and don't fool yourself, they'll believe your story at first while they're young children, but as the rest of the family starts to gossip, the story WILL come out & with so many family members coberating it... your children will never believe you. You'll be disgraced.


There's one thing in this world that will securely hold on to your criminal acts, political embarrassments, falls from grace, etc... the internet. As it's FOREVER.

So no matter the good you've done in this world, no matter your attempt at stomping out poverty in this world... what you are about to do to your siblings will be your friend forever, my friend.
That wil be your legacy to your children.

Correct me if I'm wrong... weren't YOU the one who set these wheels in motion?

*BOOM* goes the dynamite!

Mic. Drop.

[Anonymous]

They are clearly wealthy middle easterners (Oman? Saudi Arabia?). Now we just have to figure out where the artifact is from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:the fact that OP is afraid to try to take the object out of the country its in means its likely illegal (i.e. stolen during a war, or piece of that looted countries history).

who said i was afraid - you can’t take even a painting bought yesterday out of that country.

Greece, Egypt and Turkey were three of the earliest countries w/ national ownership/cultural heritage type laws vesting ownership of all antiques in the state and outlawing their removal from the country, although there are now quite a few countries in Central & South America, Asia and the Mediterranean with similar laws. I'd guess Egypt and Israel from the OP's description. Or perhaps Turkey and Armenia?

[Anonymous]

Give up your share of the property in exchange for the artifact.