Thread: Over priced?

Originally Posted by Malacoda

I know from other posts there are quite a few guys who have found great deals in antique shops. However, I find antique shops to be a really tough, last resort place to buy razors. Reason being (at least in the VA-MD area where the DC metro area population produces a lot of spend happy antique hunters) that antique dealers and buyers factor in pretty much one thing and one thing only into their pricing: age.

Antiquers on the other hand (dealers and collectors/recurring buyers) simply feel if it's old it's valuable. And if it's old and belonged came from (or even near) a famous person, place, or brand it's even more valuable regardless of how functional it may or may not be. (i.e. 'So what if the blade is broken. It's from the 1860's. That's so old the Civil War didn't even start yet. Think of how great it would look if you framed it and displayed it in your furnished basement.')

That said, if the wife and I ever stop at an antique shop I still keep my eyes open - but I always go in knowing the likelihood of finding a decent straight is slim. And the chances that the dealer will sell it for what I consider a reasonable price are even slimmer.

If you're ever cruising through the Valley on I 81 I can recommend a few places to stop at that are bad on my wallet. A few priced out the wazoo but decent offerings can usually be found in the 12-36 range from two of the places my wife doesn't like me to frequent.

Originally Posted by bharner

If you're ever cruising through the Valley on I 81 I can recommend a few places to stop at that are bad on my wallet. A few priced out the wazoo but decent offerings can usually be found in the 12-36 range from two of the places my wife doesn't like me to frequent.

no you dont, you give them up and well never find anything else, lol, i came away with some nice deals lately.

Originally Posted by wvloony

no you dont, you give them up and well never find anything else, lol, i came away with some nice deals lately.

I wasn't going to give up the good place. Just Rocky's and some in that area.

Originally Posted by zappbrannigan

Thanks for the shoutout!

hahaha, I didn't even realize there was a zapp brannigan on this board - and from the bay area at that!

I walked into an antique shop the other day to ask if they had any razors (most of them do not) and the shop owner produced a rusty Bengall that I have seen better condition examples of in other antique stores for $8 to $20 and he was asking $45.

The razor was a mess and not worth anywhere near that from what I have seen previously so I politely said “It’s not quite what I am looking for so I will pass on that one thanks”. As I proceeded to walk out of the shop he was verbally dropping the price from $45 to $35 and when he could see he was about to lose a sale he quickly dropped the price to $20. Still it was too much for what it was.

Just shows how much some antique dealers try and push the boundaries to the higher limits with their prices.