Thread: Bounced through some antique stores in search for str8s

So, my dad lives in Stuart (a little north of West Palm Beach), FL. I figured with the abundance of old men there should be a plethora of straights for my picking. So far, I couldnt be more wrong. I went to the several SMALL antique shops I could find -- there just isnt any! I figured there would be tons.

Tomorrow I'm goin to a flea market that is always really busy down here, maybe I can find some there.

What about like, goodwill and thrift shops, those type stores? Worth a look?

Also went to a cigar shop (nice one) to find a box to maybe convert into a storage box for my straights as I get them... They had one for 25 bucks, nothin special.


Let me know thoughts on that and what you guys think. Thanks!

Good Will and Thrift Shops are unlikely to have them, I'd say. Based mostly on the fact that those kinds of places have things donated when someone dies, usually. I'm not sure how many people still living actually shave with a straight razor still. Even my grandfather, dead now, but a WW2 vet. He never owned or used a straight razor.

I think you'll have better luck with the flea market and the Antique Shops. Though shoot for antique shops that are more junk shops than anything. Cleaner Antique Shops usually tend to believe anything old must be massively valuable. Also remember that you're not just looking for a razor laying out there in the open, keep an eye out for little, long but narrow black boxes. All but one straight I've ever seen in a antique store or flea market has been inside an original straight razor box of some type. Though I think I'm yet to see one in the right box. :P

Gotcha. The ones I went in had all sorts of stuff, one lots of garbage. I spent about 20 minutes looking over every section though, (long and very skinny, not very big) and didnt see anything that could fit or would be a straight.

Am excited for the fleat market tomorrow

Some antique shops don't have them out in the open, at least none of the ones I've found which had straights. I had to ask the clerk who then brought them forth.
So hopefully you're asking before you leave at least.

This got me into a conversation with the owner of one. Apparently he owned another shop where he had "garaged up" a lot of stuff, some of which were razors and shaving related for sure. So I arranged for him to call me once he'd checked it.

yep asked both owners, one thought about it pretty hard and then shrugged me off, the other didnt really seem to care -- actually, both didnt. i asked where they think would be a good place to look both said they doubt ill hae any luck at all.

gonna head to flea market today

I recently bought 17 from one antique shop. Some of them are absolute stinkers, a few might make barely salvageable shavers and the others might make decent shavers.

They were relatively cheap ($8-$10 ea) but it was my first purchase and I wasn't sure what I might be able to salvage or not.

I do agree that many higher end shops tend to overvalue their stock of straights. If you see something that really floats your boat, it might be worth the expense otherwise.

If you don't mind making a quick drive over to Melbourne, there are a number of antique stores in the downtown area on 192. I've had some pretty good luck in some of them. The concentration of antique stores, all within walking distance of each other, sort of raises the probability of finding anything. Good luck.