"My hands went numb thinking about its potential to become cheap and plentiful enough to affect the lives of everyone on the planet, " he says.

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After all, we're used to thinking Germany holds the euro's future in its hands.

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It's an extreme case but it highlights a very real dilemma for every neophyte collector who's thinking about hiring an art adviser: Are you putting yourself in the hands of someone who's going to treat your walls the way a shady auto mechanic treats your alternator?

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