Frustrating Antique Experiences

Antique store prices, and even many pawn store prices, are inflated for dickering room. As a result. antique store prices are often ridiculously high. You're right: just because something's old doesn't mean it's valuable, or even desirable.

With antique stores, the chance of finding a valued blade is higher - and so is the price. At an estate sale, the chances of finding that place is considerably lower, but the rewards of a special find are commensurately greater.

Absolutely, There are good ones and bad ones. I go to antique malls all the time and will find 3 or 4 sellers with the exact same item and all be priced differently. A couple weeks ago while looking around and found the same mug in 4 different booths, 1 for $52, 1 for $40, 1 for $35 and 1 for $12. You can guess which one came home with me.
Moral of the story, keep shopping.
Good luck

Not too long ago, I got an itch to get a Rolls Razor. I found several at various prices, all with problems - missing handle, missing blade, cracked hone. Prices from $40 to $50. I just ketp looking until I finally found one at $25 which was complete and in very good condition. So yeah, keep shopping. Don't just go out with the idea that I have to get something and take the best you can get of what's available. The key to antiquing is being willing to say 'no'.

BTW, in that same shop where I got the Rolls, they had a Henckels straight in beautiful shape for $75. Great razor, great price.

Antique stores are crazy sometimes, i had found a tech (the one with the heavy handle) for $70 at one. It stayed there for a long time. And then a few months later, i find a $9 dollar tech (same model) in the same shop.

Same thing for OS mugs. I bought three of them for less than $12 a piece. Then i see one for over $30.

Huh. Last time I went antique hunting, my favorite owner practically wouldn't let me leave without a straight, no charge. I'm not into traditional straights any more, but I sent along a friend who is. Nice 6/8 unmuted spike. I guess it depends on the market in your area. As far as I know, there's less than a dozen wet-shavers in the county I live in, so the demand must be low. I've seen a couple shops that charge "Ebay Prices" in the nearby city. I refer to those as "Places I don't go any more." The worst I saw was a nasty-looking New (cracked handle, bent teeth, caked with grime and corrosion) for $75. I just chuckled and left it to someone else.

You guys hit the nail on the head. My best advice would be to try to find dealers that understand the hobby. I am lucky enough to have one who is also a Gillette collector. She always has amazing pricing on shaving stuff. The lady running the shop next door to her's knows pretty much nothing about shaving stuff. Which is understandable, the problem is that she tries to sell me superspeeds with no plating left for 60 bucks, then tries to explain that they are a hundred years old. I have another shop that I go to in a different town, where the guy doesn't know a whole lot about razors, but gets them in often. The nice thing with him is that he is a collector of other items and is more than willing to learn more about what he is selling. There have been a few times that I went way too into detail about Gillette stuff, but he hasn't stopped me yet. He will go off on similar educational speeches with me regarding fountain pens and advertising. His prices are closer to market value, but he will always drop it 20-30%, especially if i am buying several items.

I just got back from a walk down to my favorite antique shop, where I found my Rocket, he's CLOSED! Gone! Sign on the window saying for rent! That's my kind of luck. I tried another guy up the road who did have an OS Mug, but at 40$!!! He can keep that one. Also, a Schick Injector if you're interested at 50$! Say's him, "I seen one sell that high once.".

My experience is very similar. Keep in mind, prices are set by the dealer and VERY subjective...what they think something's worth. On top of that they keep room in there to go back and forth on, usually 20%. Fell in love with a beautiful tuckaway once until I found out the price was like $95. It's the same reason sometimes you can find an excellent steal on a $20 dollar boxed W&B, where at the next vendor over a terrible condition one has a tag of $150. Hit or miss bud. They seem to think that just because it's old, it's valuable. Keep hunting, you'll find deals for sure.

Most dealers have wised up over the last few years and the prices have skyrocketed. However, the smaller out of the way places occasionally have something priced within reason. I have noticed the smaller malls seem to turn inventory quicker as the pricing is better.

It seems some large malls are more like museums than actual businesses that sell merchandise. You can always tell the dealers that refuse to budge on prices, the ink on the tag is faded and the items never move.

It's just frustrating because there aren't very many stores in my town to begin with and I finally find something and it's ridiculously priced. We've got just under 225k for population here and every antique store I visit it's the same thing. Like the $15 dollar razor that was basically a broken scale with 25% left of the blade, I wouldn't even have taken it for free let alone pay for it lol.

Don't let it frustrate you. Many dealers in the antique malls overprice their stuff. Two things to remember: First, they expect some haggling, and second, they are generalists, and their prices reflect perceived trends in the overall market, independent of an individual items actual market value. If you stop in a couple of times a month when you're nearby the mall, you'll find good deals now and again.

There's also another factor some dealers consider. Several dealers that I've talked to assume that their razors will be used as display pieces. They do not entertain the possibility that they will be put to use. They price them as art for the home, and many people buy them as such. I tried haggling with a dealer a couple weeks ago who after a minute, turned his back to me and said that he's trying to sell to people who don't know the value of the razor. Yeah, that's probably rare, but it points out that some are trying to capitalize on market trend and consumer ignorance.

Antique stores are always incredibly overpriced. I've seen straight razors with quarter sized chunks missing in the center, and broken and chipped handles with asking prices of over $200. Antique malls seem to always be high priced, but you have a better chance to haggle to a more acceptable price (depending on the mall). Flea markets are hit or miss... they either seem to be very overpriced, or you can find fantastic deals. Estate sales can be great, with pricing similar to flea markets, but razors can be rare to find and come with a high time investment.

You just need to stop in once in a while, and you'll find nice stuff over time.

The brush and mug, overpriced but at least it's in the range of "mad money" where it's not going to break the bank, and the Rubberset can be reknotted and turned into an heirloom.

On the straights, I've given up trying to find anything worth looking at locally.
I've spent many weekends scouring antique stores, thrift stores, and pawn shops, coming up empty handed because the junk costs what something decent should cost, and anything decent, IF available (very rare), is $150+

Been through it with vintage guitars and other items... the sellers often have no clue what they have, so when you try to run them down to a reasonable price, they think you're trying to cheat them.
Sadly, someone WILL buy it... whether it is an enthusiastic newbie who doesn't know what he's looking for, or a well-intentioned spouse or child. I've told my wife and daughter dozens of times:
"Do not purchase any vintage shaving items for me without texting a picture first"
"Do not purchase any new shaving items unless it is available on WCS/Bullgoose, or you are buying a fragrance from a department store"

Do the flea markets way better. All this cost me less then 40 bucks. I found more like old spice mugs for 5 bucks each but I already got two. Try to buy things I dont have. Sometime flea markets are a further drive but better prices. As already said antique stores are hit or miss.

emt88 said:

You guys hit the nail on the head. My best advice would be to try to find dealers that understand the hobby. I am lucky enough to have one who is also a Gillette collector. She always has amazing pricing on shaving stuff. The lady running the shop next door to her's knows pretty much nothing about shaving stuff. Which is understandable, the problem is that she tries to sell me superspeeds with no plating left for 60 bucks, then tries to explain that they are a hundred years old. I have another shop that I go to in a different town, where the guy doesn't know a whole lot about razors, but gets them in often. The nice thing with him is that he is a collector of other items and is more than willing to learn more about what he is selling. There have been a few times that I went way too into detail about Gillette stuff, but he hasn't stopped me yet. He will go off on similar educational speeches with me regarding fountain pens and advertising. His prices are closer to market value, but he will always drop it 20-30%, especially if i am buying several items.

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The last one who is willing to learn more about what he is selling and is a collector of other items is the ideal antique dealer and worth cultivating a relationship with. You both speak the same language and he sounds like the kind of guy who might hold something for you if he knows your specific interest. Nothing wrong with learning about fountain pens either; tell him about the Nib forum on B&B. He might end up becoming a fellow member!

mswofford said:

The last one who is willing to learn more about what he is selling and is a collector of other items is the ideal antique dealer and worth cultivating a relationship with. You both speak the same language and he sounds like the kind of guy who might hold something for you if he knows your specific interest. Nothing wrong with learning about fountain pens either; tell him about the Nib forum on B&B. He might end up becoming a fellow member!

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You are correct sir. I make it a point to stop in frequently, even if it is to shoot the breeze. We exchanged phone numbers, and I get calls when he gets interesting items in. Likewise, I give him a call whenever I find an interesting estate sale of flea market item he might like.

emt88 said:

You are correct sir. I make it a point to stop in frequently, even if it is to shoot the breeze. We exchanged phone numbers, and I get calls when he gets interesting items in. Likewise, I give him a call whenever I find an interesting estate sale of flea market item he might like.

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He probably already knows about The Fountain Pen Network. I've heard that our Nib forum rivals it in popularity; there's some great stewards there.

Nick_O said:

Moral of the story, keep shopping.
Good luck

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Yes, this is what it's about. After four years of asking my main antique dealer produced a very nice British Aristocrat No 22 and wanted the equivalent of $28 for it. Luckily I didn't pass out from the experience!

Batman9402 said:

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Do the flea markets way better. All this cost me less then 40 bucks. I found more like old spice mugs for 5 bucks each but I already got two. Try to buy things I dont have. Sometime flea markets are a further drive but better prices. As already said antique stores are hit or miss.

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I agree with this statement. At antique stores you pay antique prices. Items are heavily marked up. At flea markets it's just a bunch of people trying to sell they're old crap. They will take what they can get