Thread: How does one spot an antique store that has razors?

Many antique stores and flea markets have them in my area of the state. Don't overlook small town coin shops; some of my best finds have been there.

I have had my best luck at antique malls and indoor flea markets. The big time antique stores are primarily used furniture and interior decorating stores. The small dealers in the malls are likelier to handle small items like straight razors. In Colorado I often found them in fringe areas that hit their prime in the late 1800's. I had good luck in areas that were along old railroad routes, but now are just jumping off places for tourists and hunters.

I got lucky on a recent trip to Texas. While shopping with my wife at an antique store, I asked about razors. They didn't have any but said a lady came in trying to sell some. So, I was given her number and to my surprise, I bought 4 nice razors for 50 bucks. One of them is a torrey.

Similar problems here. Either overpriced junk (because "They look nice") or nothing.
An interesting story: I asked one dealer why he no longer had any straights. He told me that until recently in Bergen, the police did not take straight razors off of junkies when they stopped them. The straight razor was classified as a personal item, not a weapon. So apparently, for years the only customers for straights were rather undesirable ones (this dealer said that he stopped selling them after one guy asked to see what he had and promptly began waving one around and ran out of the shop...). And I don't think they oiled them after use...
Couple that with factors similar to California (Norway existed long before, but was very poor with few consumer goods until the late 60's) and it is slim pickin's...

regards,
Torolf