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.