Thread: I had to walk away from a deal.

So I'm doing my usual antique shop loop yesterday when I notice a brand new shop just half a mile from another one.
I have to stop, go inside ask the guy " I have been looking for old straight razors..." He tells me "wait right there, I have one for you"
I can hear him rummaging In a back room and he steps out with a tattered white razor case.
I'm not impressed by the case but I'm always looking for a diamond in the rough, he hands it over and much to my surprise its a Rudolph Schmidt 6/8+ in very good condition. I glance at the box, 135$ FIRM, I tell him I have never spent that much on a razor (insert evil laugh) he goes on an eBay rant, one similar sold for 140$ blah blah, the price is firm ect ect.
I thank him for his time and walk out, I'm telling my wife when I get to the truck and she says "oh just go buy it". Back in I go, "I'll give you 85$ final offer" he comes back at $100. So I request to inspect it once more, etching is good, blade hits scales, scales are warped, once again I thank him for his time and walk away.

That was the first time I saw something that tempted me, that I didn't purchase and I'm proud.....

I stole the picture of these razors online, it was identical.

And please no encouragement, if one of you tell le how good your Rudolf Schmidt is I may have to go back! lol

Thanks for reading,
Eric.
http://www.google.ca/search?q=rudolf...QG8nIHQDQ#i=39

Good for you! With so many RAD stories it is awesome to hear someone had some restraint. Teaches us all we don't need it just because it is fairly priced.

Hey Eric:
If it makes you feel any better, I probably wouldn't have paid $50 for it.
I'm sure it'd be a good shaver but its not like its real wedgy or anything. It just kinda looks like the dozen or so i have on hand that sit in a box.
Good on ya buddy for not getting caught up in the " I saw that go on Ebay" crap.
Just my 2 cents.
Best regards.
Mike

I Would have walked as well. Sometimes its hard though.

Good for YOU !!! You deserve to pat yourself on the back. I know how you feel . My last Bid/offer just went bye bye and I didn't get it. All the brick and mortar shops I look at are just like you say. And we have a lot of them here. My down town area is the capitol of antique shops. They almost always have the computer on and tuned in to e-Bay. The razors I see are like the ones you see in e-bay 101 post mostly. Every now and then I see a nice one but the price is not realistic. When I hear " I saw one on e-Bay just like this for (whatever price) " I counter with "yeah I saw that and bought the other one for 15 bucks." It's just may way of saying to myself ." I really don't need that." With the added bonus of killing the sales pitch.

I had a similar thing happen except I went back and bought it. It was a Wade & Butcher that was in terrible shape. Tons of rust, broken scale, all the bad stuff. She wanted $20 for it and I tried to get her down to $10. Wouldn't budge. $15?????? wouldn't budge. So I thought, if you cant barter, Im not buying! So I walked out.

After humming and hawing about why I didn't buy it, I decided I would. I went back a month later, she didn't remember me and the razor was still there. I asked to see the razor again and she had jacked the price up to $35!!! I realized at that moment that she had done that so she had some wiggle room for bartering. I said to her, would you take $20? she shrugged and said, ok!

I'm glad I got that razor because its one of my favs! If you have the money and really, really want it, I'd buy it. Everyone should spoil themselves from time to time.

Originally Posted by HARRYWALLY

I'm glad I got that razor because its one of my favs! If you have the money and really, really want it, I'd buy it. Everyone should spoil themselves from time to time.

I may spoil myself too often. Had those scales been straight I would have paid full price. I'm trying to collect only original great shape blades these days. As much as I love custom scales, I really do have a thing for original.
Nice blade!

Eric.

Some very interesting images on the page you linked to.

Sorry for the bad link, I checked the link but it won't take us to the exact picture.