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Archiver > BANAT > 2003-08 > 1059778703


From: Dave Dreyer <>
Subject: Re: [BANAT-L] Cheapskate Genealogist or Ancestor Collector?
Date: Fri, 01 Aug 2003 15:58:31 -0700
References: <BB502198.66A3%bonsai@hrcreditunion.net>


Robert et al;
I agree that the whole spectrum of researchers can be found on the Banat LIST, from those
who for which it is a casual hobby to the serious, hard nosed type.
I would assume that most, like me, are not adverse to saving a buck or two when the
occasion arises, and we all have our spending priorities.
Your message brings to mind some points centering on money matters in genealogical
research which LIST members might want to consider. In raising these matters I am not
trying to get on anyone's case but only am trying to point out some realities of our
situtation.
The main point is that genealogical research, in particular Banat research, takes real
money. Someone is paying the freight in all genealogical research, be it members of the
Mormon church which support the FHL all the way to the individual who pays for a
researcher.
For most North American Banat researchers it is not practical to go to Temeswar and spend
some weeks in the archives there sorting out their family. In addition, it still costs to
get there and pay for a hotel for some weeks.
This leaves two alternatives.
l. Arrange for Sorin to do the work. His rates are super good and he is an expert in the
area. He is efficient and responsive. You would never get anyone in Germany to do the
work Sorin does for such reasonable rates. His extensive experience in the area allows
him to be much more efficient in Banat research than most of us here in North America.
2. Support the AKdFF and the HOGs in their efforts to publish family books.
This is the long term approach. But once the work is done, then it is available from here
on out. The acquisition of Banat KBs up to 1900 or even 1990 requires serious money and
this burden is usually born by subscription in the HOG or by an individual who intends to
prepare a family book. Some of these efforts of getting Banat KBs from Romania/Serbia are
carried out under the umbrella of the AKdFF.
But the second more important point is when it comes to publishing family books most are
published under the offices of the AKdFF. This requires about $10,000 upfront money for
the printer/book. Part of this frequently comes from the author but much comes from the
AKdFF(In the case of the Stader series, I understand it all comes from the AKdFF) The
funds that the AKdFF has for supporting publishing costs comes from member's dues and so
the amount is limited. Of course once the books are sold the money comes back in but then
is recycled in another book. We are seeing some progress, in this progression, so far
this year, by my count, seven new Banat family books have so far appeared.
One way or another, someone is paying the freight for all this work. The information does
not come for nothing. One can count a fair number of cases where the manuscript for a
family book has been prepared and the book has never been published because sufficient
funds for the printer are not available.
In recent years the Banat list has had a negative influence on the production of Banat
family books. An author has to sell all the books to get his money invested with the
printer back. If the books do not sell then the author has not recovered his
investment. Authors sees this and so either severely limit the press run making those
limited number of books printed very expensive or hesitates to publish the book at all.
Authors now realize that once a few books are sold to Banat LIST members the data in them
are freely exchanged in the LIST and the sale of further books to LIST members is severely
impacted.
The bottom line is that even though those who do not belong to the AKdFF, and particularly
those who do not read German, think they will not get anything out of membership in the
organization in reality their dues are financing an import resource by which they can
benefit greatly.
Dave Dreyer
Robert Zink wrote:

> Hi Dear List Members,
>
> The following are just some musings of my own; many may consider the subject
> to be off topic! You have been warned. ;)
>
> Like many other hobbies, one gets out of genealogy what one puts into it. In
> other words, I may be perfectly happy to display on my living room wall a
> pedigree chart of just my own surname that I have acquired from others. It
> may only cover 6 or 7 generations, but I'm proud of it and content.
>
> Another person may be driven to chronicle every birth, christening,
> marriage, death, school dedication, mill razing, or what have you that ever
> occurred in an ancestral home town since its founding; put it in a book and
> have it published. And then start a new book on customs, clothing, and
> cuisine of these ancestors. Every new bit of information a joy unto itself.
>
> Both of these "genealogists" enjoy learning about their heritage. Yes, the
> examples are extremes, and most people's interests or willingness to spend
> time on family history lie somewhere in between; but let's face it, some
> folks are content with *having* information, others get their kicks out of
> *finding* information. I propose then that we can be divided into two camps;
> with an understanding that some people may have a foot - more or less - in
> each.
>
> There is a bad rap about the "cheapskate genealogist." Definitely a
> description of the "researcher" rather than the "collector," I would say.
> Called a "cheapskate" because he is always trying to make a new (free!)
> contact, even if it means investing lots of time and yes, a little bit of
> money for a subscription or a membership fee. Some are even willing to learn
> the language of their ancestors to better pursue them. These types tend to
> have many irons in the fire, so that some inexpensive avenue of research
> remains open to satisfy until a lucky break comes along; such as when data
> to fill out a line of research on the back burner (which otherwise would
> have required an outlay) suddenly becomes available in a book that can be
> borrowed and photocopied! [I'm not advocating breach of copyright laws, of
> course.]
>
> Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention, even professionals can make errors! Call
> me a cynic, but I'm not so sure that another person's incentive to track
> down my elusive ancestors is as strong as mine is.
>
> I don't want to put down professionals or those who hire them to do their
> research. I just want to promote the "cheapskate" approach - with a full
> understanding that it's not everyone's cup of tea. With all the information
> available through the internet now, my excuses for not doing *any* research
> myself are rapidly vanishing; but I realize that for some people it is still
> a huge chore to learn how to properly access all the information that is out
> there. For me, that is the real value of this group. There is so much
> experience among our membership, so many doors that can be pointed out, so
> many stones that have already been overturned. Yes, you may have to learn
> how to spell a surname 16 different ways for an effective web search. You
> may need to read many pages of (boring?) history and study old maps in order
> to understand where, exactly, your ancestors came from. You might have to
> drive many miles away from home to rent microfilms that may or may not have
> the information you seek, learn how to decipher old manuscript in another
> language, conduct tedious searches through lists. You might have to write
> letters to strangers (fellow researchers!) that need to be translated and
> then wait patiently for a reply; but _in_most_cases_ *something* can be
> done.
>
> These are all things in which list members can give direction. Ask the
> simple questions. Remember, the only dumb question is the one which is not
> asked!
> --
> Greetings from Rock City Falls NY,
> Robert Zink
>
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