My first post and about 29 cents worth ...
Hi all,
I'm a first time poster, and I hope you don't think this post is too long winded.
Joe Barringer is not doing anything much more than a lot of try to do in life such as trying to make a living for himself and is family, working in something that he knows and loves, and trying to treat people somewhat fairly while running his business. He just likes to do it in a flamboyant and sort of swashbuckling way.
Overall, I feel that if you keep your eyes open and pay attention he is a good person to deal with.
Now on to my real reason for this post:
Joe Barringer was charged with exporting ivory to an undercover officer in London, England. Why the Feds came after him in the first place was that it seems that Joe was "worked" by an overzealous Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) (Scotland Yard) officer who probably thought he had caught on to an international smuggler of elephant ivory. The officer was just doing his job, though I feel that he entrapped unsuspecting Joe who was just trying to fulfill the wishes of a cue connoisseur. The officer/eBayer bought three cues with ivory in them at several different times before turning the case over to the US Fish&Wildlife Service. (
http://www.fws.gov/)
Should Joe have awakened from his dream state and realized what was up? You betcha!
According to Joe, the nearly two hundred pounds (197 by all reports) of ivory he gave up to the feds were cut pieces, tusk tips and junk ivory. Joe himself describes the ivory as "scrap ivory". The real loss for Joe, I think, was the loss of 1,840 Cuban cigars "98 boxes"; "well aged". It seems that these cigars can only imported through clandestine means( ie.. smuggled).
Oh! By the way Joe is still selling cues with ivory in them and also ivory products. That is because his ivory is legal. He insists on getting a statement of legality from sellers of the ivory he buys.
Also in his latest email, he stated that it was "Time for coffee and a VSG Sorceror (that's a cigar for you non aficionados). Non-Cuban of course." (LOL)
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Listed below are the regulations on many things including the import and export of ivory. I tended towards the export from the United States.
http://www.cites.org/
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http://www.fws.gov/endangered/laws-policies/section-9.html
Endangered Species Act | Section 9
(d) IMPORTS AND EXPORTS.—(1) IN GENERAL.—It is unlawful for any person, without first having obtained permission from the Secretary, to engage in business— (A) as an importer or exporter of fish or wildlife (other than shellfish and fishery products which (i) are not listed pursuant to section 4 of this Act as endangered species or threatened species, and (ii) are imported for purposes of human or animal consumption or taken in waters under the jurisdiction of the United States or on the high seas for recreational purposes) or plants; or (B) as an importer or exporter of any amount of raw or worked African elephant ivory. (2) REQUIREMENTS.—Any person required to obtain permission under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall— (A) keep such records as will fully and correctly disclose each importation or exportation of fish, wildlife, plants, or African elephant ivory made by him and the subsequent disposition made by him with respect to such fish, wildlife, plants, or ivory; (B) at all reasonable times upon notice by a duly authorized representative of the Secretary, afford such representative access to his place of business, an opportunity to examine his inventory of imported fish, wildlife, plants, or African elephant ivory and the records required to be kept under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, and to copy such records; and (C) file such reports as the Secretary may require. (3) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as are necessary and appropriate to carry out the purposes of this subsection.(4) RESTRICTION ON CONSIDERATION OF VALUE OR AMOUNT OF AFRICAN ELEPHANT IVORY IMPORTED OR EXPORTED.—In granting permission under this subsection for importation or exportation of African elephant ivory, the Secretary shall not vary the requirements for obtaining such permission on the basis of the value or amount of ivory imported or exported under such permission.
Bottom line: We may of may not think that ivory should be used in pool cues, but one thing is abundantly clear. The African elephant is a beautiful animal, very smart, and under great stress from poachers (illegal ivory trade), diminishing habitat resulting in human-elephant conflict. We need to support efforts to sustain this magnificent mammal.
Enough said,
rogedjohn