Thread: Antique Stores / Flea Market Hunting

Originally Posted by portal5

One time you can pick up a cased pair of Ivory scaled razors for £15.00 then the next one you see wants £12 for a rusty worn no name with hard rubber scales.

Wow, what a grab...
I'm yet to grab a razor with some fancy material other than celulloid or bakelite. Bone, some fancy wood or ivory would be great

Originally Posted by Leon

Wow, what a grab...
I'm yet to grab a razor with some fancy material other than celulloid or bakelite. Bone, some fancy wood or ivory would be great

When searching the markets you have to remember that your jewel in the crown razor is some ones granddads old knife he scraped his face with, it will most likely be in the wrong box & it certainly won’t be in pride of place on the stall.
I have found some real gems in crappy boxes & some real disappointments in a good case.
Keep your eyes peeled & check everything out!

Tony H
taylors1000

Last weekend I got a Red Imp (the "132" flavor) for US$20.00 (they were asking $22.50) in excellent condition (damn near "like new") at a traveling flea market in Wisconsin.

It honed right up and shaves great.

The other 6 razors in the cigar box were in pretty scrappy condition ... broken scales, and a couple with barely any blade left or covered with rust. The Imp looked to be in the original box/tube-thingy.

I was at a flea market in my home town awhile back, and saw a few straights. Red Imp and a Double Duck. Both looked fine to me. However, at the time, I wasn't interested in straights and let them go...oh well, live and learn I guess.

But generally speaking, most people don't see the value in old razors (DE or Straight), therefore they are less likely to keep them shiny. It's amazing any are still left to fix up.

Happy Shaving,

-- Gabe

Been out to an antique fair this morning, got some razors & thought you would like a preview!
seven1.jpg - Image - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
The guy selling them has always been too expensive & many of his razors have been in poor condition. I have seen him many times at other fairs & just had a cursory look.
As the weather has been crap this weekend I had another good look, I picked 7 out of around 30 razors (looked in every box) & he knocked me £10 0f the total.
So if that expensive razor is hanging around for a long time just ask again & they may drop their price.
Tony
taylors1000

7 good looking razors for 10 pounds? Lucky you.

I haven't been in many flea markets yet, but the ones I went to don't provide razors in quantity nor quality - I haven't spotted nowhere near 30 razors for sale.
I'm googling the local flea markets schedule in the nearby towns and I've already scheduled 2 spots I'm yet to browse - tomorrow I'm going hunting in a nearby town and in 2 weeks from now I'm going to another town also.

Let's see what I got.

Originally Posted by Leon

7 good looking razors for 10 pounds? Lucky you.

I think he said the guy just took 10 pounds off the total price. Not all 7 for only 10.

Anyway, I was talking to Jimbo in chat about how I have this weird 6th sense at flea markets where I just make bee lines for all the great razors without knowing they are there. He started calling me the razor whisperer lol. Hence the title. But really, it can be hit or miss. My last big haul was at a huuuge flea market that happens three times a year. I literally looked at hundreds of razors. Bought maybe 10. Most are broken, etc. or just too high in price. One guy wanted $20 for a messed up Reynolds frameback. When I passed he was obviously sick of my looking and started saying how these razors are from the 1800's and you won't find better. Not even worth arguing although I could take him to school on the condition of his stuff. I think it has little to do with what shop owners know about straights. I don't expect them to know anything about most stuff in their shop if they are in the flea market business. That's just how it goes.