Hmmm, yes, but another of couple sayings might be worth a thought:
"Faint heart never won fair lady", which can apply to an array of things, and, probably more appropriate, might be, "No-one made a profit without first making a loss".
Without making mistakes (which many of the people who give advice on these boards have done) you really cannot learn and gain confidence.
Maybe, assumptions, if made, should only be made from an educated view point, since, as you admit, they are only dashed to the ground when you come here :shock: :? Surely what I said about repairs tells you that even the best of us can be fooled if the repair is done well? So, no, assumptions cannot even be made there.
For instance there is a unique vase that was sold at auction. It fooled a number of 20th century glass authorities. The problem? What everybody is thinking is the unique part is in fact a 2006 'addition' :shock: :? :shock: However, with a little sideways thinking it doesn't take much to work out that it is wrong and why.
You may think me hard-hearted, but I believe if you re-read what I said before there are answers for you there
Nigel