I'm a newcomer and I'm going public instead of PM. I gotta believe the info I seek is somewhere in this verdant forest but a tree must be blocking my view...I won an auction item and was told to send money directly to Max. I *could* ask the seller to clarify but it seems like an imposition, and [sightly peeved] I think it would be of benefit to make it easier for newbie or total stranger to help support this effort! I searched forums, FAQs + TOC, looked all over auction and market pages. I pursued several threads and found references debating rules of bid closing times, but nowhere did I find clear instructions on paying for an item...I learned Mr. Offer refers to a Max who "keeps all this operating" and I found the snailmail address for organization, and I am reasonably sure that I can do a PayPal to max@mudcat.org and it will go to the right place, but I would be grateful if a couple of people who do not have Max as part of their screen ID would post or PM to confirm that.

I conclude the auction is not always 100% benefitting Mudcat, and payment arrangements are understood to be worked out with seller - in which case I *should* bug them, but it would be helpful to obtuse city boys like me if that were clarified with a statement on the auction page. Also feel free to rub my nose in someplace these details are archived so I can learn to better define my search parameters.

I hope this doesn't read as a flame.[more likely just exposes me a fool-I spoke and removed all doubt!] Anyway my 2-hour quest was not wasted-I started learning more about this great org and its population. Thanks to all,

Sign me: clue-challenged 8<)# michael