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Dialogue with an antique shop owner

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So, I found some time today and visited a couple of antique shops. One of them had various razors. I was interested in one, it was a #58 in good, not great, condition. And here was our dialogue:

- Can you tell me a price about this razor?
- Let me see... This is 70 euros.
- (LOL) Too much. Do me a better price.
- Hmmm maybe 60 euros and this is the best I can do.
- Look (having decided that I won't buy it anyway), I know a few things about this razor, it is not worth that amount at the moment.
- I bought it for 50 euros.
- (LOL^2) You bought it for 50 euros.
- I don't care if you believe it or not...
- Oook, I hope you find a buyer because I know that all your razors are here for ages (this is true).

I wanted to tell him: you mad bro?, but my education does not allow this. Antique shops are no longer an option for me. Last time I found something that deserved it was years ago, but I still visit them once in a while just in case. Searching can be fun. What drives me crazy is that they think we are all irrelevant. No way he paid 50 euros. He probably bought it for 5 or 10, or even got it for free while emptying an old house. If it were in immaculate condition, I'd have made an offer. I could give 40 euros, if it were cased. Otherwise, 30 euros at best.

Flea markets are the best option for vintage findings. You can find nice items if you're patient enough, but that could take some time. I had some luck a few years ago, now I just search for the sake of... searching. Not interested in recreating a collection.

Isn't it fun having a dialogue with these guys? Haha
 

Rhody

I'm a Lumberjack.
funny how people will hold on to items they have had in inventory like that. i guess people can afford to not get your money? ... i guess he is justified on the off chance - odds are probably never - that someone will stumble in and buy that old thing for 70 ... or maybe 100 lol ya right.
 
funny how people will hold on to items they have had in inventory like that. i guess people can afford to not get your money? ... i guess he is justified on the off chance - odds are probably never - that someone will stumble in and buy that old thing for 70 ... or maybe 100 lol ya right.
Some people are not meant to be traders. Being greedy is totally wrong. They should make a profit, I'm all in for this. They make a living by selling vintage stuff. But I won't let them to rip me off. I've made many deals with such traders through the last 7 years and I know the prices vintage razors are going for.
A newbie could easily be his next victim, maybe this is his target group. But until he finds one, he chooses to lose money. His decision. I respect it (?).
You just have to be really careful when dealing with these guys. That was my point.
 
Yes, around here the antique shops are ridiculous. But so are the flea markets. The last time I was at one flea market the vendor was trying to sell for $100 a straight whose blade was chipped and rusty. A Super Speed whose doors were stuck was "only" $50.
 
The only thing I'll say about your exchange with the shop owner is you should have made him an offer. Instead you told him that 70 euros was too much and to make you another offer. You asked him to negotiate against himself. When one party to a transaction feels like they are negotiating against themselves, they begin to think the buyer across the table or counter is not really interested. That ultimately puts the discussion at dead in the water. If you were to make an offer based on what you shared with us there might have been a better chance that he could have come down more. You still may not have been close enough but it would have been a negotiation instead of a one sided conversation. Yes, many people are either greedy or uninformed when it comes to shaving gear these days. I have a small vintage store near my home and every once in a while will go in there to see what shaving gear I can find. I've only seen vintage Gillette razors in poor condition with prices tagged that are higher than anything you can find on the auction sites. But if you are having a discussion with a seller, you have to show that seller you are serious by making him an offer, even if it is low. Otherwise, there will never be the chance to make a deal.
 
The only thing I'll say about your exchange with the shop owner is you should have made him an offer. Instead you told him that 70 euros was too much and to make you another offer. You asked him to negotiate against himself. When one party to a transaction feels like they are negotiating against themselves, they begin to think the buyer across the table or counter is not really interested. That ultimately puts the discussion at dead in the water. If you were to make an offer based on what you shared with us there might have been a better chance that he could have come down more. You still may not have been close enough but it would have been a negotiation instead of a one sided conversation. Yes, many people are either greedy or uninformed when it comes to shaving gear these days. I have a small vintage store near my home and every once in a while will go in there to see what shaving gear I can find. I've only seen vintage Gillette razors in poor condition with prices tagged that are higher than anything you can find on the auction sites. But if you are having a discussion with a seller, you have to show that seller you are serious by making him an offer, even if it is low. Otherwise, there will never be the chance to make a deal.
A very good point. Thank you for sharing.
 
I know a lot about negotiating. Believe me. My daily job has to do with this.

When it comes to antique shop traders, you don't have a chance for a better price if they tell you they bought an item for a certain amount. Period.

Asking for a better price just after his initial offer is to see what he thinks it is actually worth it. After that you choose a strategy.

If you want to waste your time making offers they would never accept, especially if they have already told you they are losing money under that (name it) amount, you can do so.

Anyway. This worked really good for me the last 7 years I'm into vintage hunting. I won't change it.
 

BigFoot

I wanna be sedated!
Staff member
I picked up a user grade fatboy in a user grade case and a 1919 cased my lady décolleté for $70. Not a steal but a decent price after some haggling. It can be done.
 
Also, making a counter-offer just after his original price is so wrong... Face to face transcactions are not like Ebay. You have to show him that you somehow respect his pricing policy and don't show him your cards so fast. A "come on man, do me a better price, that's a lot of money" is enough to tell him that he is just losing you as a potential customer.

I won't try to change your mind, but that's how it works with this kind of traders.
 
I know a lot about negotiating. Believe me. My daily job has to do with this.

When it comes to antique shop traders, you don't have a chance for a better price if they tell you they bought an item for a certain amount. Period.

Asking for a better price just after his initial offer is to see what he thinks it is actually worth it. After that you choose a strategy.

If you want to waste your time making offers they would never accept, especially if they have already told you they are losing money under that (name it) amount, you can do so.

Anyway. This worked really good for me the last 7 years I'm into vintage hunting. I won't change it.

I hear you. I've earned my living negotiating real estate transactions for the past 35 years. As far as the shop owner saying what he paid for it, you have no idea what he paid for it. He could be lying. My own approach is to ignore the comment from him what he paid for it and to make him an offer based on my own perspective on valuation. Interesting that you say that you "waste your time making offers they would never accept". You are standing in the guy's store talking to him. Frankly, I think you are wasting your time NOT making an offer since you have no idea whether they will accept it until you actually make that offer. Again, you don't know what he paid for it, even if he says he paid X for it. I've heard people tell me they paid x for something when I knew full well that they paid Y for it. I'm glad your approach has worked for the past 7 years. Don't change anything. No need.
 
Of course the 50eur story is BS. Would he let it go at just 60 if he paid 50? Nope, he wouldn't go lower than 100. Antique shops aren't supermarkets with economy of scale business model where 10% markup is good enough. Having product sit in the display case till the right buyer shows up is the correct practice. You can't find an endless stock of vintage Puma straights like you would a bag of chips from Nestle distributors.

Also the prices in such shops are based on the general appearance of interested party. If you look/smell/talk like you can afford higher price, that's what the seller will arbitrarily assign.
 
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We have an antique store by us that is more of a museum than a shop. The items have been displayed so long that the ink on the price tags has faded and the tags have yellowed with age. I rarely go there unless I have time in-between appointments and need to kill a half hour or so. I just attribute the pricing to the idea that they are waiting for that one person to come in and has to have that particular item at any price.
 
I hear you. I've earned my living negotiating real estate transactions for the past 35 years. As far as the shop owner saying what he paid for it, you have no idea what he paid for it. He could be lying. My own approach is to ignore the comment from him what he paid for it and to make him an offer based on my own perspective on valuation. Interesting that you say that you "waste your time making offers they would never accept". You are standing in the guy's store talking to him. Frankly, I think you are wasting your time NOT making an offer since you have no idea whether they will accept it until you actually make that offer. Again, you don't know what he paid for it, even if he says he paid X for it. I've heard people tell me they paid x for something when I knew full well that they paid Y for it. I'm glad your approach has worked for the past 7 years. Don't change anything. No need.
I see an item.
I know what I could give for this.
I ask for a price.
It's a lot more comparing to what I could give.
I asked for a better price knowing that 70 don't come down to 30 that easily. It's almost impossible. I wouldn't give more than 30 anyway.

Pretty simple.

Again. You compare different things. Real estate has nothing to do with antique shops. Your comparison tells me that you don't have any (or many) experience when it comes to antique shops and real life transactions on vintage shaving items excpet from Ebay and Etsy. It's a totally different approach. At least in the world I live in. It's like comparing a stock market to a mini-market. Makes no sense. Sorry.

Enjoy your retirement and have a nice day.
 
I see an item.
I know what I could give for this.
I ask for a price.
It's a lot more comparing to what I could give.
I asked for a better price knowing that 70 don't come down to 30 that easily. It's almost impossible. I wouldn't give more than 30 anyway.

Pretty simple.

Again. You compare different things. Real estate has nothing to do with antique shops. Your comparison tells me that you don't have any (or many) experience when it comes to antique shops and real life transactions on vintage shaving items excpet from Ebay and Etsy. It's a totally different approach. At least in the world I live in. It's like comparing a stock market to a mini-market. Makes no sense. Sorry.

Enjoy your retirement and have a nice day.

Ok. No problem. I've bought tons of things from shop owners all over the world. I haggle for everything. You really don't have to get your panties all in a twist. All I was doing was to offer a slightly different perspective. I know that I don't know everything. I can always learn something new from someone. Frankly, the day you stop learning new stuff, you are dead and buried. But, you're right. I don't have the experience. Makes no sense. Sorry. Oh. And I'm not retired. I have a nice day every day.
 
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Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
The last time I found any razors in an antique shop, I bought these.

IMG_2637.JPG


Difficult to pass up a $5 Slim. I paid the $25 for the made in Canada Old Type because it was perfectly straight and made in Canada. The made in England Old Type clone head on the fat Tech handle I bought because I wanted the handle. I assumed the Ball End handle on the Tech head was a handle mismatch with the clone, so I bought it for the handle too.

When I went back a couple months later he had another Tech, but this time the sticker said $25. I told him you can buy them for $10 on Ebay but he wouldnt budge on the price so he likely still has it.

The Brit clone is the best of the bunch and one of two DE's still on my shelf.
 
As some who negotiated collective bargaining agreements for a living early in my professional career, I feel fully qualified to say that the convention with the antique owner was just a conversation to waste time. There was no negotiation involved, just words back and forth doing nothing more than enduring the buyer wasn't buying and the seller wasn't selling. That's not the way to go about it if you really want the item.
 
As some who negotiated collective bargaining agreements for a living early in my professional career, I feel fully qualified to say that the convention with the antique owner was just a conversation to waste time. There was no negotiation involved, just words back and forth doing nothing more than enduring the buyer wasn't buying and the seller wasn't selling. That's not the way to go about it if you really want the item.

I could not agree more.
 
The last time I found any razors in an antique shop, I bought these.

View attachment 1026817

Difficult to pass up a $5 Slim. I paid the $25 for the made in Canada Old Type because it was perfectly straight and made in Canada. The made in England Old Type clone head on the fat Tech handle I bought because I wanted the handle. I assumed the Ball End handle on the Tech head was a handle mismatch with the clone, so I bought it for the handle too.

When I went back a couple months later he had another Tech, but this time the sticker said $25. I told him you can buy them for $10 on Ebay but he wouldnt budge on the price so he likely still has it.

The Brit clone is the best of the bunch and one of two DE's still on my shelf.

Great points!!

IMO the point is to purchase items when the price is reasonable. If not, then more power to the seller.
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
IMO the point is to purchase items when the price is reasonable. If not, then more power to the seller.


Yep. Get em while the gettin's good lol. I thought I found a gold mine with that out of the way hidey hole of a store but it pinched out in a hurry lol.
 
As some who negotiated collective bargaining agreements for a living early in my professional career, I feel fully qualified to say that the convention with the antique owner was just a conversation to waste time. There was no negotiation involved, just words back and forth doing nothing more than enduring the buyer wasn't buying and the seller wasn't selling. That's not the way to go about it if you really want the item.

You don't say.

That's exactly the way to go about it when the asking price is 133% more than what you could give. There is no point to make a counter-offer, the price difference is huge, you just waste two minutes of your time just to see where this craziness goes. Negotiating does not work well when you have a seller that sells overpriced items. You should know that. I'd just waste a lot more than two minutes without results.

@MntnMan62 If you just want to have the final word on everything, I'm not really sure you have a nice day every day. Just saying.
 
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