why only commercial or museum antiques sites?

[silvercollection]

I'm wondering because there are so many web sites related to commerce or great museum and so few websites managed by small collectors of antiques?
I believe that a NON commercial web site may be particularly useful and interesting for lovers of antiques, as made by a collector without commercial purposes and with a logic closer to requirements preferred by antiques collectors.
I have a personal experience of this argument as I began to collect antique silver in 1998. Soon I've created on my PC a file with photos and description of items I collected.
When I began to use internet I placed my file in internet and now, on request of many friends, the website is available to whoever is interested to this subject.
At the present the web site has over 15000 pages visited every month, demonstrating that there's a worldwide mass of lovers of antique silver researching images and descriptions of items they love.
I believe that, at the present, every small collector have a file with photos and descriptions of his collection.
Why not use internet and make these informations available to other collectors?

[Jason]

You make some very good points. I personaly love all things old but spend my time with them to not only collect but to turn a profit as well. I wish I had the time or resources to put up a great reference site. I can tell that you have spent many hours on your site. It shows in the great quality! When I'm searching the web for info on a piece be it silver pottery or what have you, I really have to dig through the "for sale" sites to get any real info. But at the same time some of the commercial sites have very good info as well.

[silvercollection]

Jason,
I'm Italian and may be my English was misunderstood.
I agree that there's a lot of commercial websites useful and rich of contents for collectors.
What I'm questioning is why so few (or none) small collector is available to share his knowledges and informations with other collectors.
And I don't believe that the origin of this absence is the difficulty to build a website, as I've built mine by myself using informations and manuals available on the web (note, I'm not a young man born when everybody has a computer!).
To have a personal web site is a great advantage for the author himself, as through it may obtained suggestions, corrections, advices.

[spectrum]

I'm guessing that like Jason said, not a lot of people make non-commercial websites because of the time and effort it takes. With commercial websites, people are hoping to be compensated for their time and effort with the money they make. But for non-commercial websites, it has to be a labor of love

[Jason]

Yes that is right! It takes someone with a large collection and the time to put it on. It is getting easier to build your own site though. Just a few years a go something like this site would have been difficult for me but they are making the web more user friendly every day! You do make some very good points though. Great post!

[poetswares]

Hiya Silver!

I admire you greatly for sharing your collections with the world and taking the time to put up a reference website! I will definately visit your site and view your collections! Thanks so much for posting this!

[poetswares]

Oh silver! I forgot to ask if I could link to your site from my shop...can I? Huh? ;D