“While on the surface the law seems OK, I still do not like it.
I fully understand the need of a country to preserve its heritage but a fairer law would have been to let the proceeds go to auction and have the goverment match the winning price.”
How would that work? It goes into auction, then when the winning bidder comes up to collect his new artifacts, the government comes and says ‘OK, so we know what these are worth now, so we’ll match his price and take them off your hands. Oh, sorry mate, looks like you wasted your time bidding for these things.....’
Yes, pretty much like that. That is standard in many business contracts. Called “Right of First Refusal”
That would ensure a fair price be paid for an object and also ensures that a country has the right to save its patrimony.
As regards the high bidder of the auction, BEFORE he/she goes in, they are told that the Goverment has the right of first refusal. If they so wish they can pay a price that the goverment cannot match