Hello, Howard,
I suspect that writing a book on amateur astronomy is usually a losing
financial proposition, if you take into account the number of hours required to
write it and compare that number to the financial return to the author.
Michael's books are to some extent gifts from him to the amateur astronomical
community, recompensed only modestly from author's royalties. To classify him
as a vendor is to parody economic analysis.
Bill Meyers

Howard Lester wrote:

"Michael A. Covington" wrote

Here's the crux of it. Astromart would lose nothing, and would gain some
good will, by allowing *limited* personal use of Astromart by dealers --
even if buying-only.

It would expand the market for Astromart's sellers. The Astromart
community
ought to benefit from this.

Thoughts, anyone?

I think Herb is a poop-head. ;^) Seriously, you're neither a dealer nor a
seller, so I don't know what the problem is. Heck, *I* am allowed to be a
no-fee member, and I am gainfully employed in astronomy.

Howard Lester
MMT Observatory