Chicago Antique Hunting

So for the Past 2 months I have been hunting most of the local antique stores in my neck of Chicago. And I have come across no shaving gear at all. None, nade, zip....no razors (str8 or DE), brushes, stones, old shaving ad or other barber stuff. I have only moved back to Chicago about 8 months ago from MN, and I know when we hit the stores there...I would see razors ect here and there.

My question is.....how common is it that a area would be this "dry" of all shaving stuff. And do you think i am competeing with a "pro" antique shopper buying up everything they can get there hands on.

Thanks!

-Jeremy

I know I've cleaned out the antique shops within a 75 mile radius of me, so, I can only assume in a populated area like Chicago, the same has likely happened ;)

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Originally Posted by Undream

I know I've cleaned out the antique shops within a 75 mile radius of me, so, I can only assume in a populated area like Chicago, the same has likely happened ;)

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As long as you don't make it over my way and make even more competition for the stuff down here.


Ok so this post was a little self centered as well....the was a small hope that someone on here was partly responsible and was going to fess up. And well maybe let me in on there secret of where they are finding some decent stuff.


-Jeremy

Where I live, there's maybe 100 or so razors in various states of disrepair. Of those, maybe half are savable. When I collected fountain pens, I had cleaned out every pen in our town.

I guess I will have to keep on looking....hmmm maybe the burbs...I have family out there, so I have a good excuse for my better half to head out there and just happen to stop at an antique store.

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Originally Posted by JeremyP

I guess I will have to keep on looking....hmmm maybe the burbs...I have family out there, so I have a good excuse for my better half to head out there and just happen to stop at an antique store.

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Now the the antiquing season is going to gear up, you should expand your territory and get out of the city and even out of the burbs. I've looked a bit in Mpls/St. Paul but prices can be higher than finding the little antique shops in outstate MN where you can find some good deals now and again.

Big city antique dealers need to pay big city overhead which they generally pass on in prices.

Chris L

I had a funny experience at my favorite antique store in Tucson yesterday; the owner told me another straight razor user had come in recently from Phoenix, looking for a razor. (the owner asked him if he was looking an Escher hone like I bought there a few months ago for $40) She mentioned my name and the man (described as very nice and tall) said he knew of me. Hmm! Has to be an SRP member from Phoenix, looking in MY neighborhood for great finds! I have bought a few razors and hones in Phoenix myself, depleting the resource there, so fair is fair! Wish I knew who he was-we need to do an AZ get together sometime and talk rocks and razors. You just never know what you might find in an antique store....keep looking and eventually you will score!

I absolutely agree that you never know who you'll run into while hunting razors and stones. That's why I've trained myself, should I encounter a fellow straight razor user/collector on my searches, to swing first and ask questions later.;)

Chris L

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Originally Posted by Croaker

I had a funny experience at my favorite antique store in Tucson yesterday; the owner told me another straight razor user had come in recently from Phoenix, looking for a razor. (the owner asked him if he was looking an Escher hone like I bought there a few months ago for $40) She mentioned my name and the man (described as very nice and tall) said he knew of me. Hmm! Has to be an SRP member from Phoenix, looking in MY neighborhood for great finds! I have bought a few razors and hones in Phoenix myself, depleting the resource there, so fair is fair! Wish I knew who he was-we need to do an AZ get together sometime and talk rocks and razors. You just never know what you might find in an antique store....keep looking and eventually you will score!

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I know Leighton is in Phoenix. Last May when i was visiting in the area I went through as many antique shops that google maps told me were there as I could...came up with nothing but a $8 cowboy hat for my son ;)

Oh, and I went to a little shop in Casa Grande as well, ... no razors, but, I'm sure he'll tell you about his $400 shaving mugs, which are a bargain compared to his Antiques Pricing Guide. :D

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Originally Posted by ChrisL

I absolutely agree that you never know who you'll run into while hunting razors and stones.

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"Too many people, when listing all the perils to be found in the search for lost treasure or ancient wisdom, had forgotten to put at the top of the list 'the man who arrived just before you'." Terry Pratchett

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Originally Posted by Undream

I know Leighton is in Phoenix. Last May when i was visiting in the area I went through as many antique shops that google maps told me were there as I could...came up with nothing but a $8 cowboy hat for my son ;)

Oh, and I went to a little shop in Casa Grande as well, ... no razors, but, I'm sure he'll tell you about his $400 shaving mugs, which are a bargain compared to his Antiques Pricing Guide. :D

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I think it must have been Leighton, whom I have never met. The owner of the antique store said that the gentleman remarked that "I am always one step behind him! meaning me) So, if it was you, Leighton, keep looking over your shoulder, if you come to Tucson antiquing again..I might just be there! And would be glad to make your acquaintance. :)

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Originally Posted by JeremyP

So for the Past 2 months I have been hunting most of the local antique stores in my neck of Chicago. And I have come across no shaving gear at all. None, nade, zip....no razors (str8 or DE), brushes, stones, old shaving ad or other barber stuff. I have only moved back to Chicago about 8 months ago from MN, and I know when we hit the stores there...I would see razors ect here and there.

My question is.....how common is it that a area would be this "dry" of all shaving stuff. And do you think i am competeing with a "pro" antique shopper buying up everything they can get there hands on.

Thanks!

-Jeremy

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Hi there,

I poke around various antique stores in the Chicagoland area, and you're right about there not being many shaving items to be found. If you tried the places on Belmont or N Broadway, you probably saw very few nice items, and what you did see were most likely pricey. Suburb stores will usually have better prices, but it's really hit or miss to find anything worthwhile. I have a suggestion or two that might help with your search

. Personally, I've had some luck going to estate sales in the cold months, and garage sales when it gets warmer. I'd definitely recommend the former to possibly pick up the best deals. Many times the old shaving items being pulled out of storage really have no value to the seller. That's a good thing........heh. Plus, even if the estate sale is being run professionally by a company, shaving items are a blind item to the pricing people. That's another good thing. In addition, you can sometimes find a real treasure or two that's been tucked away for many years.

Heh, luckily for us, very few buyers are looking for goofy old shaving junk. That means there's no big hurry getting to a sale when it opens. Besides, it's like a feeding frenzy when the doors are opened, letting in maybe 15-20 people at a time. I've found a bunch of nice things well after others had passed them by. Matter of fact, I'll include a pic of one item I bought in that manner.

Summer outdoor antique shows and flea markets are other options soon coming up. They're gonna be hit or miss(mostly miss), but once in a while the blind squirrel does find a nut. I've bought some really nice razors for almost nothing at those places, but it's rare. Heh, it's rare to see any shaving stuff at all actually.

Well, maybe some part of this post will help. You just can't have high expectations whenever you try to find something. In the beginning, I was really surprised at the lack of items I was looking for.

Martin

Oh, I found this very inexpensive brush(NIB) a month ago while brousing an estate sale. Not sure who actually made it(Simpson or Coates maybe) or when, but I'm guessing around the 1950's or so. It was sold by Marshall Fields.

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Originally Posted by ChrisL

Now the the antiquing season is going to gear up, you should expand your territory and get out of the city and even out of the burbs. I've looked a bit in Mpls/St. Paul but prices can be higher than finding the little antique shops in outstate MN where you can find some good deals now and again.

Big city antique dealers need to pay big city overhead which they generally pass on in prices.

Chris L

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Chris, If you can make it out to St. Charles, there are quite a few shops out there. Most of the shops are on Main St (RT. 64). I will be in thee area in July and plan on going out there to see what they have.

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Originally Posted by wireless00

Chris, If you can make it out to St. Charles, there are quite a few shops out there. Most of the shops are on Main St (RT. 64). I will be in thee area in July and plan on going out there to see what they have.

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Check....clean out St. Charles before you arrive :rofl2:

I have family in that area, so it is not a big stretch for me to go out there.

I live in a suburb of chicago. I havnt had much luck either close to me or towards or in Chicago. But what I did notice is if I headed out to more rural areas of chicago or closer to Wisconson I did make a few nice scores. Good luck Im out there hunting too