This afternoon I took an hour or so to do the rounds of my local antique stores, and thought I would report in. Then I thought... maybe other gents could add their own reports, as an ongoing thing. Save the big scores for the score threads. Avoid giving out certain details: no appraisals per TOU, and why give away your fishing holes? But even without those details I hope the local color will be worth reading. Tell us about your antique malls, flea markets, estate sales, etc.
Today my first stop was a mall with two or three dozen stalls. I checked every stall, even though I knew most of them would not have any shaving tackle. Things move slowly here, but sometimes I will run across a Super Speed or an Old Type. That open-comb vintage Merkur was right where I left it: no one seems to want it at that price. But it had a new neighbor, a two-tone black and white boar brush that could be snazzy with the right knot. In another stall I noticed a couple of injectors, one cased, both E/G-type, that have been there for months. The split-handle Old Type was still there in its NEW case. In a small case I spotted an early injector, B/C-type I think, and a straight with bas-relief scales in black. I left without buying anything.
At the second stop I walked in the door and immediately spotted a brush: an Ever-Ready boar with a translucent base and a black upper section - maybe hard rubber? The price was not bad, but the top portion had a little bubbling that I was not sure how to fix. So I passed on that. Then I overheard a young gent asking about straight razors: this place has a few nice examples, but they are priced pretty high. I eavesdropped shamelessly for a while, and then introduced myself. He had been wetshaving for about a year, and recently started using a shavette. I recommended B&B in general, and specifically for honing advice. Nothing else in the shop was new since my last visit: old friends included a cased Auto Strop, a fat-handle Tech, a steeply-priced signature-case single ring, and a half-dozen steeply-priced straights. Again I left without purchasing anything, but maybe I brought in a new member.
The third stop was - closed! News to me, but apparently the owner of the building decided against renewing the lease. Dame Rumor told me that the building will be subdivided into two smaller premises, a pizza place and a clothing shop. It was on a street where the rents ought to be pretty high, so that is understandable. But I found my Simpson 24 in that shop, and my Kent. So it goes.
That does it for my first report. How are things in your neck of the woods?
Today my first stop was a mall with two or three dozen stalls. I checked every stall, even though I knew most of them would not have any shaving tackle. Things move slowly here, but sometimes I will run across a Super Speed or an Old Type. That open-comb vintage Merkur was right where I left it: no one seems to want it at that price. But it had a new neighbor, a two-tone black and white boar brush that could be snazzy with the right knot. In another stall I noticed a couple of injectors, one cased, both E/G-type, that have been there for months. The split-handle Old Type was still there in its NEW case. In a small case I spotted an early injector, B/C-type I think, and a straight with bas-relief scales in black. I left without buying anything.
At the second stop I walked in the door and immediately spotted a brush: an Ever-Ready boar with a translucent base and a black upper section - maybe hard rubber? The price was not bad, but the top portion had a little bubbling that I was not sure how to fix. So I passed on that. Then I overheard a young gent asking about straight razors: this place has a few nice examples, but they are priced pretty high. I eavesdropped shamelessly for a while, and then introduced myself. He had been wetshaving for about a year, and recently started using a shavette. I recommended B&B in general, and specifically for honing advice. Nothing else in the shop was new since my last visit: old friends included a cased Auto Strop, a fat-handle Tech, a steeply-priced signature-case single ring, and a half-dozen steeply-priced straights. Again I left without purchasing anything, but maybe I brought in a new member.
The third stop was - closed! News to me, but apparently the owner of the building decided against renewing the lease. Dame Rumor told me that the building will be subdivided into two smaller premises, a pizza place and a clothing shop. It was on a street where the rents ought to be pretty high, so that is understandable. But I found my Simpson 24 in that shop, and my Kent. So it goes.
That does it for my first report. How are things in your neck of the woods?