First Antique Store Finds

[razor_n_blade]

For those of us that are fortunate enough to find any worthwhile razors at local antique stores, I was wondering what your first time finds were. About two years ago, when I was a newbie to wet shaving, I made my first run to my local shops, and I don't think I could have asked for a better first time haul on vintage razors. For all of $30, this is what I scored: Fat Boy, Slim, Red Tip SS, Blue Tip SS, 48-50 SS, and a Gem G-Bar -- all in very nice condition. Of those, I still have and use the Red Tip and G-Bar.

 

[BigFish]

My first finds, about 4 years ago, were a 1964 slim adjustable and a 1959 Fatboy that wouldn't adjust. Got them both for $5. Haven't seen any adjustables in antique stores since.

 

[michiganlover]

I have done quite well in my two months of antique hunting:

-Gem Open Comb Micromatic for $3.00 (1st find)
-NOS Schick Injector Type L. $6.00
-NOS Schick Stick Injector. $8.00
-Schick Hydromatic Injector $3.00
-Schick Bakelite Handled Injector $3.00
-Gem 1912. $6.00
-40's Style Superspeed. $3.00
-Slim Adjustable $3.00
-EverReady 1912. $3.00
-Gillette Ball End New. $3.00
-Gillette Old Style. $3.00
-2 Gillette Fat Handle Techs $3.00 each
-Star Tech. $3.00
-4 Ball End Techs in good condition. $3.00-8.00 each.
-Gillette Toggle with heavy plate loss. $3.00

Quite of bit of this has found new homes, but I did keep a lot of it too. I was able to grow a collection of 12 razors, without fully breaking the bank.

 

[amishmotorboat]

My first find was a senator in pretty good shape, plating intact with just a little binding when opening. Found it at a goodwill store for 2 or 3 dollars. A few straights after that, but only one in good condition (nearly shave ready) for $7. Then nothing anywhere near me. Went on vacation this summer though, and hit the antique stores in neighboring towns to the resort. Scored a fatboy and a slim in one store for $3-$5 each. Then in the next town, the motherload. For $50, I got a tin full of razors. I didn't even know there was a fatboy in there as well, I only saw two slims in the box when I made the offer. What I got was:
1 fatboy in case
5 slims
10 super speeds, including one red tip and one blue tip
1 knack in case
7 various 3 piece gillettes
2 eversharp schick injectors, with (bakelite?) handles
1 schick krona
5 gem micromatics
1 gem pushbutton
2 gem juniors
4 old gems, one branded ever-ready
2 newer gems that look cheaply made
2 autostrops
1 unidentified single edge razor
1 simplex hone
and a bunch of blades, both SE and DE
plus some weird hair trimming plastic comb that takes 3 DE blades,
and to top it off the lady threw in some straights I had been looking at but were in rough shape.
Most of the razors were in pretty good shape mechanically and plating-wise, just a bit dirty.

 

[razor_n_blade]

Wow, good hauls guys!

 

[Stinkis]

My first find was a buch of English Gillettes:
Cased near mint #66 for 6$
Cased Teck ball end 4$
and 2 more Gillette Techs for 2.5$ each.

 

[Kratos]

All that for $50? That's a crazy score right there. Man. I found a Gem Micromatic for $7 and an Old Type New for $10. There is a G-bar still there, and a couple others. I'll have to go back and see if he's got more. None of the other shops ever have anything.

 

[Robxcarlson]

The only razors I have ever found in an antique store were several slims and superspeeds at one shop all priced around $15-25 apiece... Probably a fair price, but not what I'd call a score

 

[ginantonix]

My first antique store haul was a New Improved, a ball-end Old Type, and a
British Aristocrat Junior. I also picked up a Rubberset brush that I have since restored.

The New Improved is still my everyday razor and all-time favorite; the Aristocrat Junior has a loose head and has never been used by me (it was in pieces when I found it.)

 

[AsylumGuido]

Here's a few of mine from antique stores and estate sales:

That is a 1954 TV Special on the bottom with it's box on the right.

The highlights of this one were the Champagne Lady Gillette and the minty fat handle Tech in the case, which is in my display case.

This one included that huge C-MON Neck Duster, which a fellow TSD member is now turning into a classy badger brush, my great-grandfather's Geneva Cutlery straight and hone and the mint Gold Tech on the lower right.

The minty SS in the case made this haul's best.

The biggies in this one was the Aristocrat in the center bottom (still in my rotation), the Gold New Standard on the upper left (I since added the Gold blade bank and it now lives in the display case), the Red & Black New Special on upper right (also in display case) and a minty Red Tip SS.

This one included the Gold Stahly, a minty Gold Tech (display cased now) and another Red & Black New Set.

And this near mint Slim without instructions.

Here's a group shot of that haul.

Soon thereafter, I found this mint Slim with case, instructions and unused dispenser.

Small haul highlighted by my 1920 silver plated Old Type Bulldog (main go to razor) and the Federal Simplex Military in its original box.

This one included the slick Aristocrat Adjustable, the 1919 Old Type Standard (rotation razor), the Star Military and a '48-'50 Milord.

The Executive!!

Gold Tuckaway set completed in this one and a case for my 1919 Old Type!

More recently ... 1947ish Eversharp-Schick Fashion Razor Type H ...

... Schick Type M2 Adjustable ...

... an Old Type pocket edition (display case) ...

... and a mint 1964-1978 Old Spice mug with original soap puck and cover.

 

[michiganlover]

This one included the slick Aristocrat Adjustable, the 1919 Old Type Standard (rotation razor), the Star Military and a '48-'50 Milord.

I found one of those Star Military's at an antiques booth last weekend.

I had no idea it was anything special; just looked like a low end Tech clone to me. It's incredibly lightweight, with a plastic handle, plastic base plate, and metal black painted cap.

 

[kingfisher]

Well, I can't compete with Asylum Guido, but then again I only went antique hunting as a side note to my summer vacation in the moutains of western Virigina.

Still, in Roanoke I picked up the following:

Flare-tip 54 SS in excellent condition for $3
Black-tip 51 40s-style SS in fair condition for $3
Near mint gold Tech for $3

I also picked up an Eversharp-Schick injector in fair-good condition for $6 (probably too high a price), but this razor has become my favorite, and I use it almost every day. Therefore it was worth every penny.

 

[knlgskr]

Sacramento area antique stores seem to be primary sources for razors with prices for the most part too high but negotiable; yard sales, goodwill/second-hand stores have some but nothing on a regular basis as do old drug stores that are/have been family owned.

 

[razor_n_blade]

Well, at least we now know why most of us can't find anything good at our antique stores -- everything seems to be in Louisiana.

 

[AsylumGuido]

Well, at least we now know why most of us can't find anything good at our antique stores -- everything seems to be in Louisiana.

I wish. Not a single one of the antique shops where I picked up those finds have gotten anything in to replace what I found. You see, there isn't an ever replacing supply out there. Most of the razors being found today at antique shops have been there on their shelves and in their cases for many years. It is only the fairly recent interest in wet shaving that has provided enough interest to actually have customers to buy the razors. I fully expect the availability to almost totally dry up in the very near future as it already has here in Louisiana and Texas.

 

[Henrique]

Not exactly at an antique store, but at a flea market, my first find was a near mint #66 with case and a fat handle tech.

 

[Monkeydad]

For those of us that are fortunate enough to find any worthwhile razors at local antique stores, I was wondering what your first time finds were. About two years ago, when I was a newbie to wet shaving, I made my first run to my local shops, and I don't think I could have asked for a better first time haul on vintage razors. For all of $30, this is what I scored: Fat Boy, Slim, Red Tip SS, Blue Tip SS, 48-50 SS, and a Gem G-Bar -- all in very nice condition. Of those, I still have and use the Red Tip and G-Bar.

Congrats! Still trying to find my first antique store wins.

 

[DanOK]

I am in complete agreement with AsylumGuido. My hunting range overlaps his a little bit, as I hunt razors in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Missouri, and I have only a few locations, I regularly stop at, that always have shave related items in this four state region. Of course, that's why its call hunting trips and now buying trips.

First find was a Schick Grip.