Sure, it's basic stuff. But the impressive part isn't the metal itself. It's that someone, for over a hundred years, kept up with the oiling and the cleaning without ever deciding it was too much hassle to just replace it. That kind of constant, quiet care is the real lost tech.

Wilson.joseph's magic fairy lights strike again, total scam!

Oh man, @vera_robinson36, I get the frustration but TIFFs are actually the standard for a reason (it's a lossless format, so no quality gets tossed out when you save it). Galleries want files that won't degrade over time, which is fair for archiving. A PDF is basically a container that can hold different quality images inside, so it's not a reliable standard for a high-res master file. It's less about being stuck in the past and more about keeping a perfect copy forever, which is pretty important for digital art too.

Check the seller's history for germination reports, not just star ratings. I got burned the same way and now I only buy from sellers who post actual photos of their mother plants and seed pods. For astrophytum specifically, try looking at dedicated cactus forums where growers trade seeds they collected themselves. That method has given me way better results than any random online shop.

But what if that's the whole point of the game? @hill.margaret, maybe your dad just saw a weak spot and went for it. Hoarding a key resource is a classic, solid move, not some weird trick. It forces everyone else to change their plans or trade with him, which gives him control. I'd say he just played to win, and we all ignore the simple stuff sometimes.