Poker faces? (Share your tales!)

[Sabrejet]

We've probably all done it at some time! Here's the scenario, which I wager will be familiar to everyone? You're at a show / in an antiques shop / at a thrift shop / browsing around a flea market etc. Suddenly, you spot an item which sets your little heart a-pounding. There's no price tag. You stroll up to the vendor and, utilising your best poker face, casually ask "How much is this?" whilst almost feigning disinterest. If the reply is "Ten dollars", but you know it to be worth 10 x that, do you go through the motions of pausing to think (just for effect) before saying "OK" and getting your money out in a calm and collected manner....or do you metaphorically "bite the vendor's hand off" before he has a chance to change his mind? Been there? Done that? Then why not tell us about it?!

[bellasilva]

Like the time I picked up an original SS helmet....for $125. I could not get my wallet out fast enough. I think I tripped and almost fell when I saw it. Also, I started sweating and I think I developed a stutter.

[Sabrejet]

Like the time I picked up an original SS helmet....for $125. I could not get my wallet out fast enough. I think I tripped and almost fell when I saw it. Also, I started sweating and I think I developed a stutter.

Classic symptoms!! Thanks!

[Garth Thompson]

Several years ago at an antique show I was going through a large stack of riker mounts filled with the usual stuff. The dealer had all kinds of mostly common items. When I got to the bottom of the stack mixed in with some miscellaneous common medals was a Tiffany Cross, unnamed of course, with a tag that read NAVY MEDAL $60. I about fainted but did ask if he could do better. Got it for $50. Lesson learned was always look at every case on every table no matter how unlikely it is there is something interesting at that sellers table.

[Jack's Son]

Garth......

I'm sure you rushed to your local FBI office to turn it in!!!

[Sabrejet]

We're on a roll here! Whenever I'm at a show I always rummage through the "shoeboxes" which most traders have on their tables, full of what Americans would call "nickel and dime" stuff...you know the kind of thing? The trader in question dealt mainly in British and TR stuff, but I noticed a few USAF patches in his shoebox so I stopped to take a look. Everything in the box was priced at 50p / 80 cents. The USAF patches were pretty common generic subdued command patches, but lower down in the box I found several full-colour WW2 airborne patches. At first, I thought they must surely be repros to be in that box, but on closer inspection it was obvious they were not! I actually found four. So, without batting an eyelid I handed the trader the princely sum of £2 / $3.20 for four patches which collectively were literally worth more than 10x that!

[Garth Thompson]

Garth......

I'm sure you rushed to your local FBI office to turn it in!!!

 

 

Absolutely

[Sabrejet]

Let's turn this on it's head. Anyone found something grossly under-priced and drawn it to the seller's attention....and then paid the higher amount!

[PvtTamura]

My mint Schlueter, found it at an estate sale.

 

I couldn't believe the 30$ price tag. The guy running the sale knew full well what it was worth.

 

Everyone was running for the fake SS lids, I ran for the mint lid and the Airman's trunk.

He cut the tapes for Sinatra during the Capitol Era.

[Garth Thompson]

Let's turn this on it's head. Anyone found something grossly under-priced and drawn it to the seller's attention....and then paid the higher amount!

 

 

Ian,

 

Quit smoking what ever it is you are. No one in their right mind would do that unless it was the veteran himself or his spouse selling personal items. Anyone else is fair game.

 

Garth

[Sabrejet]

 

 

Ian,

 

Quit smoking what ever it is you are. No one in their right mind would do that unless it was the veteran himself or his spouse selling personal items. Anyone else is fair game.

 

Garth

 

Garth...I'm just being "Devil's Advocate" here! ( BTW...I'm a lifelong non-smoker!!)

[BEAST]

Let's turn this on it's head. Anyone found something grossly under-priced and drawn it to the seller's attention....and then paid the higher amount!

 

 

 

 

 

Ian, you're sense of humour kills me! Oh wait...your serious.

[Sabrejet]

Ian, you're sense of humour kills me! Oh wait...your serious.

Deadly serious...hence my addition of the picture of Pinnochio rather than Jimminy Cricket!!

[Wharfmaster]

Years ago, I walked into an antique shop and noticed a riker mount in a case. Right in the middle of the odds and ends was a pre-WW2 named US Silver Treasury Life Saving Medal. Asked the lady if I could look at it. When I said I would take it, she immediately asked for it back. My heart stopped. She then reached under the counter and placed the medal in the ORIGINAL CASE it was found in! Twenty Bucks.

Wish I still had it.

 

 

Regards,

 

The Wharfmaster

 

[bellasilva]

Let's turn this on it's head. Anyone found something grossly under-priced and drawn it to the seller's attention....and then paid the higher amount!

Several times on eBay I've come across a set of dog tags that the seller thinks are current or at least newer issue. I always USED to make it a point to let the seller know that, sir, what you actually have are early brass next of kin tags with what appears to be their original Sterling j-hook chain, so just a friendly suggestion that you raise the minimum sale price up from $5. Now, I say USED to, because after a while the sellers started to reply to my message with "OK THANKS 4 THE INFO I MADE IT A BUY IT NOW FOR $500 SO U COULD BUY IT THANKS"

[Brig]

I'm a monotone person by nature who makes very few facial expressions, so I'm told...so I guess I do the poker face whether I mean to or not

[Bugme]

I have a good poker face, and I blame the wet pants on an incontinence issue.

[vostoktrading]

Years ago I used to organize a small insignia show at a local school cafeteria (until insurance costs and a greedy school administration made costs prohibitive).

Naturally I had my tables at the entrance so I could double as entry guy and also to hopefully snag any would be sellers on their way in.

One time a little old chinese lady strolled in and asked if her deceased husband's pins were worth anything. In a small box she had several quite rare DI's from the 1930's; 199th, 198th (both old style) and a couple others. I am proud to say I told her what I felt was the correct value (knowing that her next likely question would be do you want to buy them). She sold them to me. I think I paid around $400. I probably could have said $20 and she would have been happy but I didn't want to be struck by lightning or hit by a truck later in the day.

Normally the correct response to "what are these worth?" is "what do you want to get for them?".

Jon.

[cutiger83]

Let's turn this on it's head. Anyone found something grossly under-priced and drawn it to the seller's attention....and then paid the higher amount!

 

Ian,

 

A friend has an estate sale business. There were two WWII Army GCM. One was named to a woman but one was unnamed. I told them that one was named which they had not noticed. I offered them a little more but he sold it to me for the posted price.

 

Now I would not have done that for a stranger. And I am not talking a lot of money here but I did offer a little more.

 

....Kat

[CNY Militaria]

I am sure everyone does the same thing-- It is all about the "show." Hem and haw a bit, point out a few deficiencies, slowly decide you want it then talk the price down a little, and buy it. Now when other people are watching you or you are in a crowded area, just go for it, no games.

[Jeff Ashenfelter]

A few years ago I was invited to look at a coffee can full of old patches from a friend of my wifes mother. The can was full of WW2 patches mostly common embroidered types. There were probably two hundred or so patches with about 50 being theatre made, bullion, felt etc. I came across the most beautiful merrils marauder patch I had ever seen in mint condition. It was probably indian made in multi piece satin construction. When I remarked what a nice patch it was the lady snatched it from my hand and said that she would probably keep it. Turned out that her husband served in the CBI theatre which is where the patch came from. I learned my lesson after that and when sorting the remainder of the patches I kept my mouth shut when finding another rare patch.

Another time I had been rummaging around an antique store and came upon a double decal police M-35 combat helmet in ex condition, the price was $125.00 and I asked the cashier if she had any other military stuff. She said no not really just a couple of patches that came with the helmet, when she pulled them out from under her desk the patches were actually a pair of doeskin first model afrika corp cuff titles. She said that she could not let them go for any less than $5.00 apiece. Naturally I did not even try to get them for any less! Jeff

[LtRGFRANK]

When it comes up I just scratch my head, look thinkative, hmmm and dig out the money and hand it over like its my last dime. Robert

[Jack's Son]

.........( BTW...I'm a lifelong non-smoker!!) [/font]

 

I DIDN'T INHALE!!!!!!

(Ian, we've heard that one from the best!!)

[Sabrejet]

A few years ago I was invited to look at a coffee can full of old patches from a friend of my wifes mother. The can was full of WW2 patches mostly common embroidered types. There were probably two hundred or so patches with about 50 being theatre made, bullion, felt etc. I came across the most beautiful merrils marauder patch I had ever seen in mint condition. It was probably indian made in multi piece satin construction. When I remarked what a nice patch it was the lady snatched it from my hand and said that she would probably keep it. Turned out that her husband served in the CBI theatre which is where the patch came from. I learned my lesson after that and when sorting the remainder of the patches I kept my mouth shut when finding another rare patch.

Another time I had been rummaging around an antique store and came upon a double decal police M-35 combat helmet in ex condition, the price was $125.00 and I asked the cashier if she had any other military stuff. She said no not really just a couple of patches that came with the helmet, when she pulled them out from under her desk the patches were actually a pair of doeskin first model afrika corp cuff titles. She said that she could not let them go for any less than $5.00 apiece. Naturally I did not even try to get them for any less! Jeff

 

 

Good story Jeff (btw...were you a "Manchu"?)

[D.A.T.]

Ian, had to jump in on this one. Years ago, went back home on a small vacation, headed out to downtown Seattle with a buddy of mine, Pike Place Market, all kinds of shops inside back then, in this one "junk shop" militaria, dolls, street signs, fur hats etc., behind the counter was a box full of miscellaneous, and in it was a pair of tear drop sunglasses, asked the woman for a closer look, ww-2 aviator sunglasses! Asked her how much, trying to hide the "look" in my eyes, there was a small sticker on one lens with the price, and gosh darn, they had had a heat wave, and you couldn't make out the price anymore, and her husband wasn't there to ask, so she said "how about $12", I looked at my buddy, he at me, loudly thinking, "If you don't buy them, I will"! But I was home on vacation and he backed down. Later on we were laughing, when the old man comes back to the shop, he's gonna beat the tar outta her for selling the sunglasses so cheap.